diff --git a/install/data/defaults.json b/install/data/defaults.json
index d5f5aacb91..9d6f12a514 100644
--- a/install/data/defaults.json
+++ b/install/data/defaults.json
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@
     "activitypubEnabled": 1,
     "activitypubAllowLoopback": 0,
     "activitypubProbe": 1,
-    "activitypubProbeTimeout": 500,
+    "activitypubProbeTimeout": 2000,
     "activitypubContentPruneDays": 30,
     "activitypubUserPruneDays": 7,
     "activitypubFilter": 0
diff --git a/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/activitypub.json b/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/activitypub.json
index 16b088f034..94f9ad7822 100644
--- a/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/activitypub.json
+++ b/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/activitypub.json
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 	"probe-enabled": "Try to open ActivityPub-enabled resources in NodeBB",
 	"probe-enabled-help": "If enabled, NodeBB will check every external link for an ActivityPub equivalent, and load it in NodeBB instead.",
 	"probe-timeout": "Lookup Timeout (milliseconds)",
-	"probe-timeout-help": "(Default: 500) If the lookup query does not receive a response within the set timeframe, will send the user to the link directly instead. Adjust this number higher if sites are responding slowly and you wish to give extra time.",
+	"probe-timeout-help": "(Default: 2000) If the lookup query does not receive a response within the set timeframe, will send the user to the link directly instead. Adjust this number higher if sites are responding slowly and you wish to give extra time.",
 
 	"server-filtering": "Filtering",
 	"count": "This NodeBB is currently aware of <strong>%1</strong> server(s)",
diff --git a/src/activitypub/index.js b/src/activitypub/index.js
index 1b7c4b84e2..8a83be83e1 100644
--- a/src/activitypub/index.js
+++ b/src/activitypub/index.js
@@ -515,7 +515,7 @@ ActivityPub.probe = async ({ uid, url }) => {
 		return false;
 	}
 	try {
-		await checkHeader(meta.config.activitypubProbeTimeout || 500);
+		await checkHeader(meta.config.activitypubProbeTimeout || 2000);
 	} catch (e) {
 		if (e.name === 'TimeoutError') {
 			// Return early but retry for caching purposes