diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/MergeOp.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/MergeOp.java
index 1b1b7b5250..5572db2959 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/MergeOp.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/MergeOp.java
@@ -491,7 +491,12 @@ public class MergeOp implements AutoCloseable {
             }
             return null;
           },
-          RetryHelper.options().listener(retryTracker).build());
+          RetryHelper.options()
+              .listener(retryTracker)
+              // Up to the entire submit operation is retried, including possibly many projects.
+              // Multiply the timeout by the number of projects we're actually attempting to submit.
+              .timeout(retryHelper.getDefaultTimeout().multipliedBy(cs.projects().size()))
+              .build());
 
       if (projects > 1) {
         topicMetrics.topicSubmissionsCompleted.increment();
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/update/RetryHelper.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/update/RetryHelper.java
index 8a1674a6cd..d8a5278e6e 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/update/RetryHelper.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/update/RetryHelper.java
@@ -108,6 +108,10 @@ public class RetryHelper {
             WaitStrategies.randomWait(50, MILLISECONDS));
   }
 
+  public Duration getDefaultTimeout() {
+    return defaultTimeout;
+  }
+
   public <T> T execute(Action<T> action) throws RestApiException, UpdateException {
     return execute(action, defaults());
   }