diff --git a/apps/api/src/mailer.ts b/apps/api/src/mailer.ts
index 9389938..da482bb 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/mailer.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/mailer.ts
@@ -118,6 +118,15 @@ class RoutingMailer implements Mailer {
           cfg.smtp.user && cfg.smtp.password
             ? { user: cfg.smtp.user, pass: cfg.smtp.password }
             : undefined,
+        // Nodemailer's default connection timeout is 2 MINUTES — longer
+        // than the platform gateway's ~60s, so a misconfigured host (wrong
+        // hostname, filtered port) surfaced as an opaque 504 instead of
+        // our clean ETIMEDOUT/ECONNREFUSED error, and a real send (partner
+        // invite, signup) could pin its request just as long. Fail fast:
+        // a healthy SMTP handshake completes in single-digit seconds.
+        connectionTimeout: 10_000,
+        greetingTimeout: 10_000,
+        socketTimeout: 30_000,
       });
       await transporter.sendMail({
         from,
diff --git a/apps/portal/src/pages/admin/Settings.tsx b/apps/portal/src/pages/admin/Settings.tsx
index 96fd372..c42c77a 100644
--- a/apps/portal/src/pages/admin/Settings.tsx
+++ b/apps/portal/src/pages/admin/Settings.tsx
@@ -882,7 +882,7 @@ function MailSection() {
               type="password"
               value={smtpPass}
               onChange={(e) => setSmtpPass(e.target.value)}
-              placeholder={hasStoredSmtpPassword ? '•••••••• (leave blank to keep)' : ''}
+              placeholder={hasStoredSmtpPassword ? 'Saved — leave blank to keep, type to replace' : ''}
             />
           </div>
           <label style={{ display: 'flex', alignItems: 'center', gap: 8, fontSize: 13, color: theme.textMuted, marginBottom: 16 }}>
@@ -904,7 +904,7 @@ function MailSection() {
               type="password"
               value={pmToken}
               onChange={(e) => setPmToken(e.target.value)}
-              placeholder={hasStoredPmToken ? '•••••••• (leave blank to keep)' : ''}
+              placeholder={hasStoredPmToken ? 'Saved — leave blank to keep, type to replace' : ''}
             />
           </div>
           <div style={{ marginBottom: 16 }}>
@@ -933,7 +933,8 @@ function MailSection() {
       {testResult && (
         <div style={{ color: testResult.ok ? theme.success : theme.danger, fontSize: 13, marginTop: 10 }}>
           {testResult.text}
-          {!testResult.ok && ' — unsaved changes aren’t tested; save first, then retry.'}
+          {!testResult.ok &&
+            ' — check the host/port/credentials above (a connection timeout usually means a wrong hostname or filtered port). The test uses the last SAVED settings, so save any edits before retrying.'}
         </div>
       )}
     </Card>