diff --git a/cmd/neofs-node/config/apiclient/config.go b/cmd/neofs-node/config/apiclient/config.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4961de7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/neofs-node/config/apiclient/config.go
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+package apiclientconfig
+
+import (
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-node/cmd/neofs-node/config"
+)
+
+const (
+	subsection = "apiclient"
+
+	// DialTimeoutDefault is a default dial timeout of NeoFS API client connection.
+	DialTimeoutDefault = 5 * time.Second
+)
+
+// DialTimeout returns value of "dial_timeout" config parameter
+// from "apiclient" section.
+//
+// Returns DialTimeoutDefault if value is not positive duration.
+func DialTimeout(c *config.Config) time.Duration {
+	v := config.DurationSafe(c.Sub(subsection), "dial_timeout")
+	if v != 0 {
+		return v
+	}
+
+	return DialTimeoutDefault
+}
diff --git a/cmd/neofs-node/config/apiclient/config_test.go b/cmd/neofs-node/config/apiclient/config_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..85644cb1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/neofs-node/config/apiclient/config_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+package apiclientconfig_test
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-node/cmd/neofs-node/config"
+	apiclientconfig "github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-node/cmd/neofs-node/config/apiclient"
+	configtest "github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-node/cmd/neofs-node/config/test"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestApiclientSection(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("defaults", func(t *testing.T) {
+		empty := configtest.EmptyConfig()
+
+		require.Equal(t, apiclientconfig.DialTimeoutDefault, apiclientconfig.DialTimeout(empty))
+	})
+
+	const path = "../../../../config/example/node"
+
+	var fileConfigTest = func(c *config.Config) {
+		require.Equal(t, 15*time.Second, apiclientconfig.DialTimeout(c))
+	}
+
+	configtest.ForEachFileType(path, fileConfigTest)
+
+	t.Run("ENV", func(t *testing.T) {
+		configtest.ForEnvFileType(path, fileConfigTest)
+	})
+}
diff --git a/config/example/node.env b/config/example/node.env
index 21e1fbbf..a0984af2 100644
--- a/config/example/node.env
+++ b/config/example/node.env
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ NEOFS_MORPH_NOTIFICATION_ENDPOINT=wss://rpc1.morph.fs.neo.org:40341/ws wss://rpc
 NEOFS_MAINCHAIN_DIAL_TIMEOUT=30s
 NEOFS_MAINCHAIN_RPC_ENDPOINT=https://rpc1.n3.nspcc.ru:30341 https://rpc2.n3.nspcc.ru:30341
 
+# API Client section
+NEOFS_APICLIENT_DIAL_TIMEOUT=15s
+
 # Storage engine section
 NEOFS_STORAGE_SHARD_NUM=2
 ## 0 shard
diff --git a/config/example/node.json b/config/example/node.json
index 1ac54255..26bb4343 100644
--- a/config/example/node.json
+++ b/config/example/node.json
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@
       "https://rpc2.n3.nspcc.ru:30341"
     ]
   },
+  "apiclient": {
+    "dial_timeout": "15s"
+  },
   "storage": {
     "shard_num": 2,
     "shard": {
diff --git a/config/example/node.yaml b/config/example/node.yaml
index b96aaca0..ab4a6902 100644
--- a/config/example/node.yaml
+++ b/config/example/node.yaml
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ mainchain:
     - https://rpc1.n3.nspcc.ru:30341
     - https://rpc2.n3.nspcc.ru:30341
 
+apiclient:
+  dial_timeout: 15s
+
 storage:
   shard_num: 2
   shard: