diff --git a/pymods/irods_utils/irods_utils.py b/pymods/irods_utils/irods_utils.py
index 6d57391d7955f13f09808fbc6f4291009c8dfdb7..20f077a4eb056359e7fb281c61ffdb79863400fa 100644
--- a/pymods/irods_utils/irods_utils.py
+++ b/pymods/irods_utils/irods_utils.py
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ def get_irods_session( host, port, zone, user, password, do_not_block=False, tim
             # Trust but verify ... inside the try.
             if irods_sesh != None :
                 # iRODS session time out disabled. We depend on docker or other outside health monitors
-                irods_sesh.connection_timeout = 0
+                irods_sesh.connection_timeout = 6000 # 100 minutes
                 # This is a quick test to see that it is working. Could do this only in DEBUG mode.
                 coll = irods_sesh.collections.get( "/" + str( irods_sesh.zone ) + "/home/" + str( irods_sesh.username ) )
                 break; # this is the good exit of the while loop