diff --git a/packages/server/src/constants/automations.ts b/packages/server/src/constants/automations.ts
index 5d83369f87..6688cbedb7 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/constants/automations.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/constants/automations.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 import { Duration } from "@budibase/backend-core"
+import env from "../environment"
 
+const defaults = env.getDefaults()
 export const AUTOMATION_SYNC_TIMEOUT = Duration.fromMinutes(2).toMs()
-export const AUTOMATION_ASYNC_TIMEOUT = Duration.fromSeconds(12).toMs()
+export const AUTOMATION_ASYNC_TIMEOUT = defaults.QUERY_THREAD_TIMEOUT
diff --git a/packages/server/src/environment.ts b/packages/server/src/environment.ts
index b3d75070a6..ec70ced66c 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/environment.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/environment.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,20 @@ function parseIntSafe(number?: string) {
   }
 }
 
+const DEFAULTS = {
+  QUERY_THREAD_TIMEOUT: 10000,
+  AUTOMATION_THREAD_TIMEOUT: 12000,
+  AUTOMATION_MAX_ITERATIONS: 200,
+  JS_PER_EXECUTION_TIME_LIMIT_MS: 1000,
+  TEMPLATE_REPOSITORY: "app",
+  PLUGINS_DIR: "/plugins",
+  FORKED_PROCESS_NAME: "main",
+  JS_RUNNER_MEMORY_LIMIT: 64,
+}
+
+const QUERY_THREAD_TIMEOUT =
+  parseIntSafe(process.env.QUERY_THREAD_TIMEOUT) ||
+  DEFAULTS.QUERY_THREAD_TIMEOUT
 const environment = {
   // features
   APP_FEATURES: process.env.APP_FEATURES,
@@ -42,7 +56,8 @@ const environment = {
   JEST_WORKER_ID: process.env.JEST_WORKER_ID,
   BUDIBASE_ENVIRONMENT: process.env.BUDIBASE_ENVIRONMENT,
   DISABLE_ACCOUNT_PORTAL: process.env.DISABLE_ACCOUNT_PORTAL,
-  TEMPLATE_REPOSITORY: process.env.TEMPLATE_REPOSITORY || "app",
+  TEMPLATE_REPOSITORY:
+    process.env.TEMPLATE_REPOSITORY || DEFAULTS.TEMPLATE_REPOSITORY,
   DISABLE_AUTO_PROD_APP_SYNC: process.env.DISABLE_AUTO_PROD_APP_SYNC,
   SESSION_UPDATE_PERIOD: process.env.SESSION_UPDATE_PERIOD,
   // minor
@@ -50,16 +65,20 @@ const environment = {
   LOGGER: process.env.LOGGER,
   ACCOUNT_PORTAL_URL: process.env.ACCOUNT_PORTAL_URL,
   AUTOMATION_MAX_ITERATIONS:
-    parseIntSafe(process.env.AUTOMATION_MAX_ITERATIONS) || 200,
+    parseIntSafe(process.env.AUTOMATION_MAX_ITERATIONS) ||
+    DEFAULTS.AUTOMATION_MAX_ITERATIONS,
   SENDGRID_API_KEY: process.env.SENDGRID_API_KEY,
   DYNAMO_ENDPOINT: process.env.DYNAMO_ENDPOINT,
-  QUERY_THREAD_TIMEOUT: parseIntSafe(process.env.QUERY_THREAD_TIMEOUT) || 10000,
+  QUERY_THREAD_TIMEOUT: QUERY_THREAD_TIMEOUT,
   AUTOMATION_THREAD_TIMEOUT:
-    parseIntSafe(process.env.AUTOMATION_THREAD_TIMEOUT) || 12000,
+    parseIntSafe(process.env.AUTOMATION_THREAD_TIMEOUT) ||
+    DEFAULTS.AUTOMATION_THREAD_TIMEOUT > QUERY_THREAD_TIMEOUT
+      ? DEFAULTS.AUTOMATION_THREAD_TIMEOUT
+      : QUERY_THREAD_TIMEOUT,
   SQL_MAX_ROWS: process.env.SQL_MAX_ROWS,
   BB_ADMIN_USER_EMAIL: process.env.BB_ADMIN_USER_EMAIL,
   BB_ADMIN_USER_PASSWORD: process.env.BB_ADMIN_USER_PASSWORD,
-  PLUGINS_DIR: process.env.PLUGINS_DIR || "/plugins",
+  PLUGINS_DIR: process.env.PLUGINS_DIR || DEFAULTS.PLUGINS_DIR,
   OPENAI_API_KEY: process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY,
   MAX_IMPORT_SIZE_MB: process.env.MAX_IMPORT_SIZE_MB,
   SESSION_EXPIRY_SECONDS: process.env.SESSION_EXPIRY_SECONDS,
@@ -72,12 +91,21 @@ const environment = {
   ENABLE_ANALYTICS: process.env.ENABLE_ANALYTICS,
   SELF_HOSTED: process.env.SELF_HOSTED,
   HTTP_MB_LIMIT: process.env.HTTP_MB_LIMIT,
-  FORKED_PROCESS_NAME: process.env.FORKED_PROCESS_NAME || "main",
+  FORKED_PROCESS_NAME:
+    process.env.FORKED_PROCESS_NAME || DEFAULTS.FORKED_PROCESS_NAME,
   JS_PER_INVOCATION_TIMEOUT_MS:
-    parseIntSafe(process.env.JS_PER_EXECUTION_TIME_LIMIT_MS) || 1000,
+    parseIntSafe(process.env.JS_PER_EXECUTION_TIME_LIMIT_MS) ||
+    DEFAULTS.JS_PER_EXECUTION_TIME_LIMIT_MS,
   JS_PER_REQUEST_TIMEOUT_MS: parseIntSafe(
     process.env.JS_PER_REQUEST_TIME_LIMIT_MS
   ),
+  TOP_LEVEL_PATH:
+    process.env.TOP_LEVEL_PATH || process.env.SERVER_TOP_LEVEL_PATH,
+  APP_MIGRATION_TIMEOUT: parseIntSafe(process.env.APP_MIGRATION_TIMEOUT),
+  JS_RUNNER_MEMORY_LIMIT:
+    parseIntSafe(process.env.JS_RUNNER_MEMORY_LIMIT) ||
+    DEFAULTS.JS_RUNNER_MEMORY_LIMIT,
+  LOG_JS_ERRORS: process.env.LOG_JS_ERRORS,
   // old
   CLIENT_ID: process.env.CLIENT_ID,
   _set(key: string, value: any) {
@@ -94,12 +122,9 @@ const environment = {
   isInThread: () => {
     return process.env.FORKED_PROCESS
   },
-  TOP_LEVEL_PATH:
-    process.env.TOP_LEVEL_PATH || process.env.SERVER_TOP_LEVEL_PATH,
-  APP_MIGRATION_TIMEOUT: parseIntSafe(process.env.APP_MIGRATION_TIMEOUT),
-  JS_RUNNER_MEMORY_LIMIT:
-    parseIntSafe(process.env.JS_RUNNER_MEMORY_LIMIT) || 64,
-  LOG_JS_ERRORS: process.env.LOG_JS_ERRORS,
+  getDefaults: () => {
+    return DEFAULTS
+  },
 }
 
 // clean up any environment variable edge cases