diff --git a/ansible/baremetal-compute-inspect.yml b/ansible/baremetal-compute-inspect.yml
index f6319c820..d66061ced 100644
--- a/ansible/baremetal-compute-inspect.yml
+++ b/ansible/baremetal-compute-inspect.yml
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
     baremetal_compute_wait: True
     # Time to wait for state transition to complete, if baremetal_compute_wait
     # is True.
-    baremetal_compute_timeout: 1200
+    baremetal_compute_timeout: "{{ inspector_inspection_timeout }}"
   tasks:
     - name: Ensure baremetal compute nodes are inspected in ironic
       os_ironic_inspect:
diff --git a/ansible/group_vars/all/bifrost b/ansible/group_vars/all/bifrost
index 56f89e3b9..4e17df455 100644
--- a/ansible/group_vars/all/bifrost
+++ b/ansible/group_vars/all/bifrost
@@ -87,6 +87,10 @@ kolla_bifrost_inspector_deploy_kernel: "http://{{ provision_oc_net_name | net_ip
 # Ironic inspector deployment ramdisk location.
 kolla_bifrost_inspector_deploy_ramdisk: "http://{{ provision_oc_net_name | net_ip }}:8080/ipa.initramfs"
 
+# Timeout of hardware inspection on overcloud nodes, in seconds. Default is
+# {{ inspector_inspection_timeout }}.
+kolla_bifrost_inspection_timeout: "{{ inspector_inspection_timeout }}"
+
 ###############################################################################
 # Ironic Python Agent (IPA) configuration.
 
diff --git a/ansible/group_vars/all/inspector b/ansible/group_vars/all/inspector
index b51f8eb4b..1c28d8a97 100644
--- a/ansible/group_vars/all/inspector
+++ b/ansible/group_vars/all/inspector
@@ -1,4 +1,11 @@
 ---
+###############################################################################
+# General configuration of inspection.
+
+# Timeout of hardware inspection on baremetal compute nodes, in seconds.
+# Default is 1200.
+inspector_inspection_timeout: 1200
+
 ###############################################################################
 # Ironic inspector PXE configuration.
 
diff --git a/ansible/overcloud-hardware-inspect.yml b/ansible/overcloud-hardware-inspect.yml
index 869309838..aa6c22a8f 100644
--- a/ansible/overcloud-hardware-inspect.yml
+++ b/ansible/overcloud-hardware-inspect.yml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
   vars:
     # Set to False to avoid waiting for the nodes to become active.
     wait_inspected: True
-    wait_inspected_timeout: 600
+    wait_inspected_timeout: "{{ kolla_bifrost_inspection_timeout }}"
     wait_inspected_interval: 10
     # List of states from which we can get to inspecting.
     inspectable_states:
diff --git a/doc/source/configuration/bifrost.rst b/doc/source/configuration/bifrost.rst
index 98c5cc7f4..b26098e6e 100644
--- a/doc/source/configuration/bifrost.rst
+++ b/doc/source/configuration/bifrost.rst
@@ -227,6 +227,10 @@ The following options configure the Ironic Inspector service in the
 ``kolla_bifrost_inspector_deploy_ramdisk``
     Ironic inspector deployment ramdisk location. Default is ``http://{{
     provision_oc_net_name | net_ip }}:8080/ipa.initramfs``.
+``kolla_bifrost_inspection_timeout``
+    Timeout of hardware inspection on overcloud nodes, in seconds. Default is
+    ``{{ inspector_inspection_timeout }}``, defined in
+    ``${KAYOBE_CONFIG_PATH}/inspector.yml``.
 
 Ironic Python Agent (IPA) configuration
 =======================================
diff --git a/etc/kayobe/bifrost.yml b/etc/kayobe/bifrost.yml
index 61710b5e4..b14f8d306 100644
--- a/etc/kayobe/bifrost.yml
+++ b/etc/kayobe/bifrost.yml
@@ -86,6 +86,10 @@
 # Ironic inspector deployment ramdisk location.
 #kolla_bifrost_inspector_deploy_ramdisk:
 
+# Timeout of hardware inspection on overcloud nodes, in seconds. Default is
+# {{ inspector_inspection_timeout }}.
+#kolla_bifrost_inspection_timeout:
+
 ###############################################################################
 # Ironic Python Agent (IPA) configuration.
 
diff --git a/etc/kayobe/inspector.yml b/etc/kayobe/inspector.yml
index b99780e30..9e5f05414 100644
--- a/etc/kayobe/inspector.yml
+++ b/etc/kayobe/inspector.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,11 @@
 ---
+###############################################################################
+# General configuration of inspection.
+
+# Timeout of hardware inspection on baremetal compute nodes, in seconds.
+# Default is 1200.
+#inspector_inspection_timeout:
+
 ###############################################################################
 # Ironic inspector PXE configuration.
 
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/hardware-inspection-timeouts-777f3bb569929f0f.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/hardware-inspection-timeouts-777f3bb569929f0f.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d982465ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/hardware-inspection-timeouts-777f3bb569929f0f.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+---
+features:
+  - |
+    Adds two new configuration variables, ``kolla_bifrost_inspection_timeout``
+    and ``inspector_inspection_timeout``, which allow to customise timeouts of
+    hardware inspection (in seconds) respectively for overcloud nodes and
+    baremetal compute nodes. ``inspector_inspection_timeout`` defaults to
+    ``1200`` and ``kolla_bifrost_inspection_timeout`` defaults to the value of
+    ``inspector_inspection_timeout``. See `story 2007844
+    <https://storyboard.openstack.org/#!/story/2007844>`__ for details.
+upgrade:
+  - |
+    The default timeout for the overcloud hardware inspection operation is
+    increased from 10 minutes to 20 minutes, to avoid issues when using the
+    ``extra-hardware`` collector on hardware booting slowly.