diff --git a/cluster.go b/cluster.go
index 9bb30caa4..16796d7e6 100644
--- a/cluster.go
+++ b/cluster.go
@@ -51,15 +51,28 @@ type ClusterConfig struct {
 	// versions the protocol selected is not defined (ie, it can be any of the supported in the cluster)
 	ProtoVersion int
 
-	// Connection timeout (default: 600ms)
-	// ConnectTimeout is used to set up the default dialer and is ignored if Dialer or HostDialer is provided.
+	// Timeout limits the time spent on the client side while executing a query.
+	// Specifically, query or batch execution will return an error if the client does not receive a response
+	// from the server within the Timeout period.
+	// Timeout is also used to configure the read timeout on the underlying network connection.
+	// Client Timeout should always be higher than the request timeouts configured on the server,
+	// so that retries don't overload the server.
+	// Timeout has a default value of 11 seconds, which is higher than default server timeout for most query types.
+	// Timeout is not applied to requests during initial connection setup, see ConnectTimeout.
 	Timeout time.Duration
 
-	// Initial connection timeout, used during initial dial to server (default: 600ms)
-	// ConnectTimeout is used to set up the default dialer and is ignored if Dialer or HostDialer is provided.
+	// ConnectTimeout limits the time spent during connection setup.
+	// During initial connection setup, internal queries, AUTH requests will return an error if the client
+	// does not receive a response within the ConnectTimeout period.
+	// ConnectTimeout is applied to the connection setup queries independently.
+	// ConnectTimeout also limits the duration of dialing a new TCP connection
+	// in case there is no Dialer nor HostDialer configured.
+	// ConnectTimeout has a default value of 11 seconds.
 	ConnectTimeout time.Duration
 
-	// Timeout for writing a query. Defaults to Timeout if not specified.
+	// WriteTimeout limits the time the driver waits to write a request to a network connection.
+	// WriteTimeout should be lower than or equal to Timeout.
+	// WriteTimeout defaults to the value of Timeout.
 	WriteTimeout time.Duration
 
 	// Port used when dialing.
@@ -282,24 +295,24 @@ type Dialer interface {
 // the same host, and will not mark the node being down or up from events.
 func NewCluster(hosts ...string) *ClusterConfig {
 	cfg := &ClusterConfig{
-		Hosts:                  hosts,
-		CQLVersion:             "3.0.0",
-		Timeout:                600 * time.Millisecond,
-		ConnectTimeout:         600 * time.Millisecond,
-		Port:                   9042,
-		NumConns:               2,
-		HeavyLoadedConnectionThreshold: 512,
+		Hosts:                                 hosts,
+		CQLVersion:                            "3.0.0",
+		Timeout:                               11 * time.Second,
+		ConnectTimeout:                        11 * time.Second,
+		Port:                                  9042,
+		NumConns:                              2,
+		HeavyLoadedConnectionThreshold:        512,
 		HeavyLoadedSwitchConnectionPercentage: 20,
-		Consistency:            Quorum,
-		MaxPreparedStmts:       defaultMaxPreparedStmts,
-		MaxRoutingKeyInfo:      1000,
-		PageSize:               5000,
-		DefaultTimestamp:       true,
-		MaxWaitSchemaAgreement: 60 * time.Second,
-		ReconnectInterval:      60 * time.Second,
-		ConvictionPolicy:       &SimpleConvictionPolicy{},
-		ReconnectionPolicy:     &ConstantReconnectionPolicy{MaxRetries: 3, Interval: 1 * time.Second},
-		WriteCoalesceWaitTime:  200 * time.Microsecond,
+		Consistency:                           Quorum,
+		MaxPreparedStmts:                      defaultMaxPreparedStmts,
+		MaxRoutingKeyInfo:                     1000,
+		PageSize:                              5000,
+		DefaultTimestamp:                      true,
+		MaxWaitSchemaAgreement:                60 * time.Second,
+		ReconnectInterval:                     60 * time.Second,
+		ConvictionPolicy:                      &SimpleConvictionPolicy{},
+		ReconnectionPolicy:                    &ConstantReconnectionPolicy{MaxRetries: 3, Interval: 1 * time.Second},
+		WriteCoalesceWaitTime:                 200 * time.Microsecond,
 	}
 
 	return cfg
diff --git a/cluster_test.go b/cluster_test.go
index f7fe5acbf..0d580dbd4 100644
--- a/cluster_test.go
+++ b/cluster_test.go
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import (
 func TestNewCluster_Defaults(t *testing.T) {
 	cfg := NewCluster()
 	assertEqual(t, "cluster config cql version", "3.0.0", cfg.CQLVersion)
-	assertEqual(t, "cluster config timeout", 600*time.Millisecond, cfg.Timeout)
+	assertEqual(t, "cluster config timeout", 11*time.Second, cfg.Timeout)
 	assertEqual(t, "cluster config port", 9042, cfg.Port)
 	assertEqual(t, "cluster config num-conns", 2, cfg.NumConns)
 	assertEqual(t, "cluster config consistency", Quorum, cfg.Consistency)
diff --git a/conn_test.go b/conn_test.go
index 40e46e44e..69d775664 100644
--- a/conn_test.go
+++ b/conn_test.go
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@ func TestStartupTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 	// Set very long query connection timeout
 	// so we know CreateSession() is using the ConnectTimeout
 	cluster.Timeout = time.Second * 5
+	cluster.ConnectTimeout = 600 * time.Millisecond
 
 	// Create session should timeout during connect attempt
 	_, err := cluster.CreateSession()
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index eb3d82cf6..0a9154a0d 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -15,11 +15,4 @@ require (
 	sigs.k8s.io/yaml v1.3.0
 )
 
-retract (
-    v1.8.0  // tag from kiwicom/gocql added by mistake to scylladb/gocql
-    v1.8.1  // tag from kiwicom/gocql added by mistake to scylladb/gocql
-    v1.9.0  // tag from kiwicom/gocql added by mistake to scylladb/gocql
-    v1.10.0 // tag from kiwicom/gocql added by mistake to scylladb/gocql
-)
-
 go 1.13