diff --git a/oslo_templates/files/queens/oslo/_database.conf b/oslo_templates/files/queens/oslo/_database.conf
index 28b1fea..77ef17f 100644
--- a/oslo_templates/files/queens/oslo/_database.conf
+++ b/oslo_templates/files/queens/oslo/_database.conf
@@ -47,8 +47,10 @@
 # Deprecated group/name - [DATABASE]/sql_idle_timeout
 # Deprecated group/name - [sql]/idle_timeout
 #connection_recycle_time = 3600
-{%- if _data.connection_recycle_time is defined %}
-connection_recycle_time = {{ _data.connection_recycle_time }}
+# (obryndzii) we change default connection_recycle_time to 280 in order to fix numerous
+# DBConnection errors in services until we implement this setting in reclass-system
+{%- if _data.get('connection_recycle_time', 280) %}
+connection_recycle_time = {{ _data.get('connection_recycle_time', 280) }}
 {%- endif %}
 
 # Minimum number of SQL connections to keep open in a pool. (integer