diff --git a/lib/fluent/plugin/out_forward.rb b/lib/fluent/plugin/out_forward.rb
index 4acfd3178d..53edec4461 100644
--- a/lib/fluent/plugin/out_forward.rb
+++ b/lib/fluent/plugin/out_forward.rb
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ class ConnectionClosedError < Error; end
 
     desc 'The timeout time when sending event logs.'
     config_param :send_timeout, :time, default: 60
+    desc 'The timeout time for socket connect'
+    config_param :connect_timeout, :time, default: nil
     # TODO: add linger_timeout, recv_timeout
 
     desc 'The protocol to use for heartbeats (default is the same with "transport").'
@@ -376,6 +378,7 @@ def create_transfer_socket(host, port, hostname, &block)
           linger_timeout: Fluent.windows? ? nil : @send_timeout,
           send_timeout: @send_timeout,
           recv_timeout: @ack_response_timeout,
+          connect_timeout: @connect_timeout,
           &block
         )
       when :tcp
@@ -384,6 +387,7 @@ def create_transfer_socket(host, port, hostname, &block)
           linger_timeout: @send_timeout,
           send_timeout: @send_timeout,
           recv_timeout: @ack_response_timeout,
+          connect_timeout: @connect_timeout,
           &block
         )
       else
diff --git a/lib/fluent/plugin_helper/socket.rb b/lib/fluent/plugin_helper/socket.rb
index 09ffd3168f..f38e6972ea 100644
--- a/lib/fluent/plugin_helper/socket.rb
+++ b/lib/fluent/plugin_helper/socket.rb
@@ -55,8 +55,10 @@ def socket_create(proto, host, port, **kwargs, &block)
         end
       end
 
-      def socket_create_tcp(host, port, resolve_name: false, **kwargs, &block)
-        sock = WrappedSocket::TCP.new(host, port)
+      def socket_create_tcp(host, port, resolve_name: false, connect_timeout: nil, **kwargs, &block)
+        sock = ::Socket.tcp(host, port, connect_timeout: connect_timeout)
+        sock.autoclose = false # avoid GC triggered close
+        sock = WrappedSocket::TCP.for_fd(sock.fileno)
         socket_option_set(sock, resolve_name: resolve_name, **kwargs)
         if block
           begin
diff --git a/test/plugin/test_out_forward.rb b/test/plugin/test_out_forward.rb
index bddc08dff0..896429da74 100644
--- a/test/plugin/test_out_forward.rb
+++ b/test/plugin/test_out_forward.rb
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ def read_ack_from_sock(sock, unpacker)
     assert_equal 60, d.instance.send_timeout
     assert_equal :transport, d.instance.heartbeat_type
     assert_equal 1, nodes.length
+    assert_nil d.instance.connect_timeout
     node = nodes.first
     assert_equal "test", node.name
     assert_equal '127.0.0.1', node.host
@@ -102,6 +103,23 @@ def read_ack_from_sock(sock, unpacker)
     assert_equal( 10*1024*1024, instance.buffer.chunk_limit_size )
   end
 
+  test 'configure timeouts' do
+    @d = d = create_driver(%[
+      send_timeout 30
+      connect_timeout 10
+      hard_timeout 15
+      ack_response_timeout 20
+      <server>
+        host #{TARGET_HOST}
+        port #{TARGET_PORT}
+      </server>
+    ])
+    assert_equal 30, d.instance.send_timeout
+    assert_equal 10, d.instance.connect_timeout
+    assert_equal 15, d.instance.hard_timeout
+    assert_equal 20, d.instance.ack_response_timeout
+  end
+
   test 'configure_udp_heartbeat' do
     @d = d = create_driver(CONFIG + "\nheartbeat_type udp")
     assert_equal :udp, d.instance.heartbeat_type