diff --git a/src/linkahead/configuration.py b/src/linkahead/configuration.py
index f57289d7dcb6d7ab062024dc697dbda557670d7a..017743e50a7c195fc78c29474cfdfb0aabdff757 100644
--- a/src/linkahead/configuration.py
+++ b/src/linkahead/configuration.py
@@ -30,6 +30,14 @@ import yaml
 try:
     optional_jsonschema_validate: Optional[Callable] = None
     from jsonschema import validate as optional_jsonschema_validate
+
+    # Adapted from https://github.com/python-jsonschema/jsonschema/issues/148
+    # Defines Validator to allow parsing of all iterables as array in jsonschema
+    from collections.abc import Iterable
+    from jsonschema import validators
+    default = validators._LATEST_VERSION
+    t_c = (default.TYPE_CHECKER.redefine('array', lambda x, y: isinstance(y, Iterable)))
+    CustomValidator = validators.extend(default, type_checker=t_c)
 except ImportError:
     pass
 
@@ -72,14 +80,20 @@ def get_config() -> ConfigParser:
     return _pycaosdbconf
 
 
-def config_to_yaml(config: ConfigParser) -> dict[str, dict[str, Union[int, str, bool]]]:
-    valobj: dict[str, dict[str, Union[int, str, bool]]] = {}
+def config_to_yaml(config: ConfigParser) -> dict[str, dict[str, Union[int, str, bool, tuple, None]]]:
+    valobj: dict[str, dict[str, Union[int, str, bool, tuple, None]]] = {}
     for s in config.sections():
         valobj[s] = {}
         for key, value in config[s].items():
             # TODO: Can the type be inferred from the config object?
             if key in ["timeout", "debug"]:
-                valobj[s][key] = int(value)
+                if str(value).lower() in ["none", "null"]:
+                    valobj[s][key] = None
+                elif value.startswith('(') and value.endswith(')'):
+                    content = [int(s) for s in value[1:-1].split(',')]
+                    valobj[s][key] = tuple(content)
+                else:
+                    valobj[s][key] = int(value)
             elif key in ["ssl_insecure"]:
                 valobj[s][key] = bool(value)
             else:
@@ -88,11 +102,12 @@ def config_to_yaml(config: ConfigParser) -> dict[str, dict[str, Union[int, str,
     return valobj
 
 
-def validate_yaml_schema(valobj: dict[str, dict[str, Union[int, str, bool]]]):
+def validate_yaml_schema(valobj: dict[str, dict[str, Union[int, str, bool, tuple, None]]]):
     if optional_jsonschema_validate:
         with open(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "schema-pycaosdb-ini.yml")) as f:
             schema = yaml.load(f, Loader=yaml.SafeLoader)
-        optional_jsonschema_validate(instance=valobj, schema=schema["schema-pycaosdb-ini"])
+        optional_jsonschema_validate(instance=valobj, schema=schema["schema-pycaosdb-ini"],
+                                     cls=CustomValidator)
     else:
         warnings.warn("""
             Warning: The validation could not be performed because `jsonschema` is not installed.
diff --git a/src/linkahead/connection/connection.py b/src/linkahead/connection/connection.py
index 4c40842a7eaf5bbf0e35c978e658d7b4494a58e7..a9f075672829bcd03b46185cdd18130f81f34fee 100644
--- a/src/linkahead/connection/connection.py
+++ b/src/linkahead/connection/connection.py
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ from requests.adapters import HTTPAdapter
 from requests.exceptions import ConnectionError as HTTPConnectionError
 from urllib3.poolmanager import PoolManager
 
-from ..configuration import get_config
+from ..configuration import get_config, config_to_yaml
 from ..exceptions import (ConfigurationError, HTTPClientError,
                           HTTPForbiddenError, HTTPResourceNotFoundError,
                           HTTPServerError, HTTPURITooLongError,
@@ -465,21 +465,29 @@ def configure_connection(**kwargs):
     global_conf = {}
     conf = get_config()
     # Convert config to dict, with preserving types
-    int_opts = ["timeout"]
+    int_opts = []
     bool_opts = ["ssl_insecure"]
+    other_opts = ["timeout"]
 
     if conf.has_section("Connection"):
         global_conf = dict(conf.items("Connection"))
-        # Integer options
 
+        # Integer options
         for opt in int_opts:
             if opt in global_conf:
                 global_conf[opt] = conf.getint("Connection", opt)
-        # Boolean options
 
+        # Boolean options
         for opt in bool_opts:
             if opt in global_conf:
                 global_conf[opt] = conf.getboolean("Connection", opt)
+
+        # Other options, defer parsing to configuration.config_to_yaml:
+        connection_config = config_to_yaml(conf)["Connection"]
+        for opt in other_opts:
+            if opt in global_conf:
+                global_conf[opt] = connection_config[opt]
+
     local_conf = _make_conf(_DEFAULT_CONF, global_conf, kwargs)
 
     connection = _Connection.get_instance()
diff --git a/src/linkahead/schema-pycaosdb-ini.yml b/src/linkahead/schema-pycaosdb-ini.yml
index 89ce98570738fdd29dba81de25a2c022c1581467..ae46b905c62d2ab168229d92ff138937279c7aed 100644
--- a/src/linkahead/schema-pycaosdb-ini.yml
+++ b/src/linkahead/schema-pycaosdb-ini.yml
@@ -67,7 +67,13 @@ schema-pycaosdb-ini:
           description: This option is used internally and for testing. Do not override.
           examples: [_DefaultCaosDBServerConnection]
         timeout:
-          type: integer
+          oneOf:
+            - type: [integer, "null"]
+            - type: array
+              items:
+                type: [integer, "null"]
+              minItems: 2
+              maxItems: 2
       allOf:
         - if:
             properties: