diff --git a/private/dbutil/defaults.go b/private/dbutil/defaults.go
index 27ff6d941..dfa871f8d 100644
--- a/private/dbutil/defaults.go
+++ b/private/dbutil/defaults.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import (
 var (
 	maxIdleConns    = flag.Int("db.max_idle_conns", 1, "Maximum Amount of Idle Database connections, -1 means the stdlib default")
 	maxOpenConns    = flag.Int("db.max_open_conns", 5, "Maximum Amount of Open Database connections, -1 means the stdlib default")
-	connMaxLifetime = flag.Duration("db.conn_max_lifetime", -1, "Maximum Database Connection Lifetime, -1ns means the stdlib default")
+	connMaxLifetime = flag.Duration("db.conn_max_lifetime", 30*time.Minute, "Maximum Database Connection Lifetime, -1ns means the stdlib default")
 )
 
 // ConfigurableDB contains methods for configuring a database.
diff --git a/scripts/testdata/satellite-config.yaml.lock b/scripts/testdata/satellite-config.yaml.lock
index 8a5faf7c7..759bf4e0c 100644
--- a/scripts/testdata/satellite-config.yaml.lock
+++ b/scripts/testdata/satellite-config.yaml.lock
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ contact.external-address: ""
 # db-cleanup.serials-interval: 4h0m0s
 
 # Maximum Database Connection Lifetime, -1ns means the stdlib default
-# db.conn_max_lifetime: -1ns
+# db.conn_max_lifetime: 30m0s
 
 # Maximum Amount of Idle Database connections, -1 means the stdlib default
 # db.max_idle_conns: 1