diff --git a/auth/roles-metadata.cc b/auth/roles-metadata.cc
index 07063494ad..1b7a8ac110 100644
--- a/auth/roles-metadata.cc
+++ b/auth/roles-metadata.cc
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ future<bool> default_role_row_satisfies(
                 return qp.process(
                         query,
                         db::consistency_level::QUORUM,
-                        infinite_timeout_config,
+                        internal_distributed_timeout_config(),
                         {meta::DEFAULT_SUPERUSER_NAME},
                         true).then([&p](::shared_ptr<cql3::untyped_result_set> results) {
                     if (results->empty()) {
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ future<bool> any_nondefault_role_row_satisfies(
         return qp.process(
                 query,
                 db::consistency_level::QUORUM,
-                infinite_timeout_config).then([&p](::shared_ptr<cql3::untyped_result_set> results) {
+                internal_distributed_timeout_config()).then([&p](::shared_ptr<cql3::untyped_result_set> results) {
             if (results->empty()) {
                 return false;
             }