diff --git a/easybuild/tools/config.py b/easybuild/tools/config.py
index 43344541e7..26868c85e9 100644
--- a/easybuild/tools/config.py
+++ b/easybuild/tools/config.py
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@
 DEFAULT_CONT_TYPE = CONT_TYPE_SINGULARITY
 
 DEFAULT_BRANCH = 'develop'
+DEFAULT_DOWNLOAD_TIMEOUT = 10
 DEFAULT_ENV_FOR_SHEBANG = '/usr/bin/env'
 DEFAULT_ENVVAR_USERS_MODULES = 'HOME'
 DEFAULT_INDEX_MAX_AGE = 7 * 24 * 60 * 60  # 1 week (in seconds)
@@ -209,7 +210,6 @@ def mk_full_default_path(name, prefix=DEFAULT_PREFIX):
         'cuda_cache_dir',
         'cuda_cache_maxsize',
         'cuda_compute_capabilities',
-        'download_timeout',
         'dump_test_report',
         'easyblock',
         'envvars_user_modules',
@@ -348,6 +348,9 @@ def mk_full_default_path(name, prefix=DEFAULT_PREFIX):
     DEFAULT_BRANCH: [
         'pr_target_branch',
     ],
+    DEFAULT_DOWNLOAD_TIMEOUT: [
+        'download_timeout',
+    ],
     DEFAULT_ENV_FOR_SHEBANG: [
         'env_for_shebang',
     ],
diff --git a/easybuild/tools/filetools.py b/easybuild/tools/filetools.py
index 6afe1f5d65..daa143b46c 100644
--- a/easybuild/tools/filetools.py
+++ b/easybuild/tools/filetools.py
@@ -753,10 +753,6 @@ def download_file(filename, url, path, forced=False):
     _log.debug("Trying to download %s from %s to %s", filename, url, path)
 
     timeout = build_option('download_timeout')
-    if timeout is None:
-        # default to 10sec timeout if none was specified
-        # default system timeout (used is nothing is specified) may be infinite (?)
-        timeout = 10
     _log.debug("Using timeout of %s seconds for initiating download" % timeout)
 
     # parse option HTTP header fields for URLs containing a pattern
diff --git a/easybuild/tools/options.py b/easybuild/tools/options.py
index 57ac2b89ef..761cdc262f 100644
--- a/easybuild/tools/options.py
+++ b/easybuild/tools/options.py
@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@
 from easybuild.tools.build_log import init_logging, log_start, print_msg, print_warning, raise_easybuilderror
 from easybuild.tools.config import CHECKSUM_PRIORITY_CHOICES, DEFAULT_CHECKSUM_PRIORITY
 from easybuild.tools.config import CONT_IMAGE_FORMATS, CONT_TYPES, DEFAULT_CONT_TYPE, DEFAULT_ALLOW_LOADED_MODULES
-from easybuild.tools.config import DEFAULT_BRANCH, DEFAULT_ENV_FOR_SHEBANG, DEFAULT_ENVVAR_USERS_MODULES
+from easybuild.tools.config import DEFAULT_BRANCH, DEFAULT_DOWNLOAD_TIMEOUT
+from easybuild.tools.config import DEFAULT_ENV_FOR_SHEBANG, DEFAULT_ENVVAR_USERS_MODULES
 from easybuild.tools.config import DEFAULT_FORCE_DOWNLOAD, DEFAULT_INDEX_MAX_AGE, DEFAULT_JOB_BACKEND
 from easybuild.tools.config import DEFAULT_JOB_EB_CMD, DEFAULT_LOGFILE_FORMAT, DEFAULT_MAX_FAIL_RATIO_PERMS
 from easybuild.tools.config import DEFAULT_MINIMAL_BUILD_ENV, DEFAULT_MNS, DEFAULT_MODULE_SYNTAX, DEFAULT_MODULES_TOOL
@@ -392,7 +393,8 @@ def override_options(self):
             'detect-loaded-modules': ("Detect loaded EasyBuild-generated modules, act accordingly; "
                                       "supported values: %s" % ', '.join(LOADED_MODULES_ACTIONS), None, 'store', WARN),
             'devel': ("Enable including of development log messages", None, 'store_true', False),
-            'download-timeout': ("Timeout for initiating downloads (in seconds)", float, 'store', None),
+            'download-timeout': ("Timeout for initiating downloads (in seconds)", float, 'store',
+                                 DEFAULT_DOWNLOAD_TIMEOUT),
             'dump-autopep8': ("Reformat easyconfigs using autopep8 when dumping them", None, 'store_true', False),
             'easyblock': ("easyblock to use for processing the spec file or dumping the options",
                           None, 'store', None, 'e', {'metavar': 'CLASS'}),