diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index c6a46467..3d8fb096 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ subprojects {
         api "org.slf4j:slf4j-simple:${project.ext.slf4jVersion}"
 
         // --- Security Overrides ---
-        // Pulled in by org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient:4.5.14
+        // Transitive dependency of org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient:4.5.14
         api("commons-codec:commons-codec:1.14") {
           because "Fixes Low Severity vulnerability SNYK-JAVA-COMMONSCODEC-561518"
         }
@@ -104,10 +104,10 @@ subprojects {
       testImplementation "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-api:${project.ext.junitVersion}"
     }
 
-    test { useJUnitPlatform() }
-
     compileJava { options.compilerArgs << "-parameters" }
 
+    test { useJUnitPlatform() }
+
     javadoc {
       classpath = configurations.compileClasspath
       options {
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ subprojects {
     if (it.name != platformProject) {
       publishing {
         publications {
-          maven(MavenPublication) {
+          register("maven", MavenPublication) {
             from components.java
           }
         }
@@ -193,11 +193,11 @@ nexusPublishing {
   }
 }
 
-task spotlessApply {
+tasks.register("spotlessApply") {
   dependsOn subprojects.findAll { it.name != platformProject }.collect { "${it.path}:spotlessApply" }
 }
 
-task subdependencies {
+tasks.register("subdependencies") {
   dependsOn subprojects.findAll { it.name != platformProject }.collect { "${it.path}:dependencies" }
 }
 
diff --git a/common/src/main/java/com/mx/path/core/common/connect/ConnectionSettings.java b/common/src/main/java/com/mx/path/core/common/connect/ConnectionSettings.java
index c1234359..18f184a9 100644
--- a/common/src/main/java/com/mx/path/core/common/connect/ConnectionSettings.java
+++ b/common/src/main/java/com/mx/path/core/common/connect/ConnectionSettings.java
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ default void describe(ObjectMap description) {
   Duration getRequestTimeout();
 
   /**
-   * @return true, if host name should be checked against the certificate
+   * @return true if host name should NOT be checked against the certificate, false otherwise
    */
   boolean getSkipHostNameVerify();
 
diff --git a/common/src/main/java/com/mx/path/core/common/reflection/Fields.java b/common/src/main/java/com/mx/path/core/common/reflection/Fields.java
index 68476318..163caf5b 100644
--- a/common/src/main/java/com/mx/path/core/common/reflection/Fields.java
+++ b/common/src/main/java/com/mx/path/core/common/reflection/Fields.java
@@ -105,6 +105,10 @@ public static Object coerceValueType(Class<?> targetType, Object value) {
       return null;
     }
 
+    if (targetType == value.getClass()) {
+      return value;
+    }
+
     if (targetType == byte.class || targetType == Byte.class) {
       return coerceToByte(value);
     }
diff --git a/gateway/src/main/java/com/mx/path/gateway/configuration/ConnectionBinder.java b/gateway/src/main/java/com/mx/path/gateway/configuration/ConnectionBinder.java
index b5703aa1..c83eea27 100644
--- a/gateway/src/main/java/com/mx/path/gateway/configuration/ConnectionBinder.java
+++ b/gateway/src/main/java/com/mx/path/gateway/configuration/ConnectionBinder.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 import com.mx.path.core.common.collection.ObjectMap;
 import com.mx.path.core.common.connect.AccessorConnectionSettings;
 import com.mx.path.core.common.gateway.GatewayException;
+import com.mx.path.core.common.lang.Durations;
 import com.mx.path.core.common.lang.Strings;
 import com.mx.path.gateway.connect.filter.CallbacksFilter;
 import com.mx.path.gateway.connect.filter.ErrorHandlerFilter;
@@ -64,7 +65,15 @@ public static AccessorConnectionSettings buildConnection(ObjectMap map, String c
     if (passwordString != null) {
       connection.keystorePassword(passwordString.toCharArray());
     }
-    connection.skipHostNameVerify(Boolean.parseBoolean(String.valueOf(map.getMap(connectionName).get("skipHostNameVerify"))));
+    String connectTimeoutString = map.getMap(connectionName).getAsString("connectTimeout");
+    if (connectTimeoutString != null) {
+      connection.connectTimeout(Durations.fromCompactString(connectTimeoutString));
+    }
+    String requestTimeoutString = map.getMap(connectionName).getAsString("requestTimeout");
+    if (requestTimeoutString != null) {
+      connection.requestTimeout(Durations.fromCompactString(requestTimeoutString));
+    }
+    connection.skipHostNameVerify(map.getMap(connectionName).getAsBoolean("skipHostNameVerify", false));
 
     // Default request filters
     // todo: Provide way to configure the request filters in connection block
diff --git a/gateway/src/test/groovy/com/mx/path/gateway/configuration/ConnectionBinderTest.groovy b/gateway/src/test/groovy/com/mx/path/gateway/configuration/ConnectionBinderTest.groovy
index 9b871d85..d819fbdc 100644
--- a/gateway/src/test/groovy/com/mx/path/gateway/configuration/ConnectionBinderTest.groovy
+++ b/gateway/src/test/groovy/com/mx/path/gateway/configuration/ConnectionBinderTest.groovy
@@ -1,11 +1,15 @@
 package com.mx.path.gateway.configuration
 
+import java.time.Duration
+
 import com.mx.path.core.common.accessor.PathResponseStatus
 import com.mx.path.core.common.collection.ObjectMap
+import com.mx.path.core.common.configuration.ConfigurationException
 import com.mx.path.core.common.gateway.GatewayException
 import com.mx.testing.binding.ConnectionWithBoundConfiguration
 
 import spock.lang.Specification
+import spock.lang.Unroll
 
 class ConnectionBinderTest extends Specification {
 
@@ -40,6 +44,9 @@ class ConnectionBinderTest extends Specification {
       certificateAlias == "alias"
       keystorePath == "path"
       keystorePassword.toString() == "password"
+      connectTimeout == null
+      requestTimeout == null
+      !skipHostNameVerify
     }
   }
 
@@ -73,6 +80,9 @@ class ConnectionBinderTest extends Specification {
         put("certificateAlias", "alias")
         put("keystorePath", "path")
         put("keystorePassword", "password")
+        put("connectTimeout", "500ms")
+        put("requestTimeout", "20s")
+        put("skipHostNameVerify", true)
       }
     }
 
@@ -85,7 +95,34 @@ class ConnectionBinderTest extends Specification {
       certificateAlias == "alias"
       keystorePath == "path"
       keystorePassword.toString() == "password"
+      connectTimeout == Duration.ofMillis(500)
+      requestTimeout == Duration.ofSeconds(20)
+      skipHostNameVerify
+    }
+  }
+
+  @Unroll
+  def "build connection throws on invalid #fieldName format"(String fieldName) {
+    given:
+    def configuration = new ObjectMap().tap {
+      createMap("TestConnection").tap {
+        put("baseUrl", "url")
+        put(fieldName, "not-a-valid-duration")
+      }
     }
+
+    when:
+    subject.buildConnection(configuration, "TestConnection")
+
+    then:
+    def e = thrown(ConfigurationException)
+    e.message == "Invalid duration string: not-a-valid-duration"
+
+    where:
+    fieldName << [
+      "connectTimeout",
+      "requestTimeout"
+    ]
   }
 
   def "build connection and fail validation"() {
diff --git a/utilities/build.gradle b/utilities/build.gradle
index b3402751..014cff3a 100644
--- a/utilities/build.gradle
+++ b/utilities/build.gradle
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ dependencies {
   api "com.auth0:java-jwt:[4.5.1, 5.0.0)" // For JWT Parsing Library
 
   constraints {
-    // Pulled in by com.auth0:java-jwt:4.5.1
+    // Transitive dependency of com.auth0:java-jwt:4.5.1
     api("com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-core:2.21.1") {
       because "Fixes High Severity vulnerability SNYK-JAVA-COMFASTERXMLJACKSONCORE-15365924"
     }