diff --git a/websocket/_core.py b/websocket/_core.py
index 2d9959e..91e4342 100644
--- a/websocket/_core.py
+++ b/websocket/_core.py
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ def create_connection(url, timeout=None, **options):
     websock = WebSocket(sockopt=sockopt, sslopt=sslopt,
         fire_cont_frame = fire_cont_frame, enable_multithread=enable_multithread,
         skip_utf8_validation=skip_utf8_validation)
-    websock.settimeout(timeout if timeout is not None else default_timeout)
+    websock.settimeout(timeout if timeout is not None else getdefaulttimeout())
     websock.connect(url, **options)
     return websock
 
diff --git a/websocket/_socket.py b/websocket/_socket.py
index cfa719f..1ecf4c6 100644
--- a/websocket/_socket.py
+++ b/websocket/_socket.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ if hasattr(socket, "TCP_KEEPINTVL"):
 if hasattr(socket, "TCP_KEEPCNT"):
     DEFAULT_SOCKET_OPTION.append((socket.SOL_TCP, socket.TCP_KEEPCNT, 3))
 
-default_timeout = None
+_default_timeout = None
 
 def setdefaulttimeout(timeout):
     """
@@ -44,15 +44,15 @@ def setdefaulttimeout(timeout):
 
     timeout: default socket timeout time. This value is second.
     """
-    global default_timeout
-    default_timeout = timeout
+    global _default_timeout
+    _default_timeout = timeout
 
 
 def getdefaulttimeout():
     """
     Return the global timeout setting(second) to connect.
     """
-    return default_timeout
+    return _default_timeout
 
 
 def recv(sock, bufsize):