diff --git a/pkg/group/mysql.go b/pkg/group/mysql.go
index ef4fa8c..97fd3cb 100644
--- a/pkg/group/mysql.go
+++ b/pkg/group/mysql.go
@@ -67,9 +67,9 @@ type MySQLBackend struct {
 }
 
 const maxConnections = 3
-const electionExpireSeconds = 5
+const electionExpireSeconds = 10
 
-const electionInterval = time.Second
+const electionInterval = 2 * time.Second
 const healthInterval = 2 * electionInterval
 const stateInterval = 10 * time.Second
 
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ func getBackendDBUri() string {
 		// Set collation instead of charset, if BackendMySQLCollation is specified
 		dsnCharsetCollation = fmt.Sprintf("collation=%s", config.Settings().BackendMySQLCollation)
 	}
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s@tcp(%s:%d)/%s?interpolateParams=true&%s&timeout=500ms",
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s@tcp(%s:%d)/%s?interpolateParams=true&%s&timeout=8s",
 		config.Settings().BackendMySQLUser,
 		config.Settings().BackendMySQLPassword,
 		config.Settings().BackendMySQLHost,
diff --git a/pkg/group/mysql_test.go b/pkg/group/mysql_test.go
index 1049b38..3991db0 100644
--- a/pkg/group/mysql_test.go
+++ b/pkg/group/mysql_test.go
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@ func TestGetBackendDBUri(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// test default (charset)
 	dbUri := getBackendDBUri()
-	test.S(t).ExpectEquals(dbUri, "gromit:penguin@tcp(myhost:3306)/test_database?interpolateParams=true&charset=utf8mb4,utf8,latin1&timeout=500ms")
+	test.S(t).ExpectEquals(dbUri, "gromit:penguin@tcp(myhost:3306)/test_database?interpolateParams=true&charset=utf8mb4,utf8,latin1&timeout=8s")
 
 	// test setting collation
 	config.Settings().BackendMySQLCollation = "utf8mb4_unicode_ci"
 	dbUri = getBackendDBUri()
-	test.S(t).ExpectEquals(dbUri, "gromit:penguin@tcp(myhost:3306)/test_database?interpolateParams=true&collation=utf8mb4_unicode_ci&timeout=500ms")
+	test.S(t).ExpectEquals(dbUri, "gromit:penguin@tcp(myhost:3306)/test_database?interpolateParams=true&collation=utf8mb4_unicode_ci&timeout=8s")
 }