diff --git a/CHANGELOG.rst b/CHANGELOG.rst
index 196cb001cc..86b68c3d4d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.rst
+++ b/CHANGELOG.rst
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ Added
 * Add ``get_entrypoint()`` method to ``ActionResourceManager`` attribute of st2client.
   #4791
 * Add support for orquesta task retry. (new feature)
+* Add config option ``scheduler.execution_scheduling_timeout_threshold_min`` to better control the cleanup of scheduled actions that were orphaned. #4886
 
 Changed
 ~~~~~~~
diff --git a/conf/st2.conf.sample b/conf/st2.conf.sample
index 967ed611fa..bd99093c24 100644
--- a/conf/st2.conf.sample
+++ b/conf/st2.conf.sample
@@ -273,6 +273,8 @@ retry_max_attempt = 10
 logging = /etc/st2/logging.scheduler.conf
 # How long (in seconds) to sleep between each action scheduler main loop run interval.
 sleep_interval = 0.1
+# How long GC to search back in minutes for orphaned scheduled actions
+execution_scheduling_timeout_threshold_min = 1
 # The size of the pool used by the scheduler for scheduling executions.
 pool_size = 10
 # The number of milliseconds to wait in between retries.
diff --git a/st2actions/st2actions/scheduler/config.py b/st2actions/st2actions/scheduler/config.py
index e507796007..ceee6d0d6c 100644
--- a/st2actions/st2actions/scheduler/config.py
+++ b/st2actions/st2actions/scheduler/config.py
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ def _register_service_opts():
             default='/etc/st2/logging.scheduler.conf',
             help='Location of the logging configuration file.'
         ),
+        cfg.FloatOpt(
+            'execution_scheduling_timeout_threshold_min', default=1,
+            help='How long GC to search back in minutes for orphaned scheduled actions'),
         cfg.IntOpt(
             'pool_size', default=10,
             help='The size of the pool used by the scheduler for scheduling executions.'),
diff --git a/st2actions/st2actions/scheduler/handler.py b/st2actions/st2actions/scheduler/handler.py
index b252c520e1..c0a1e4e8b4 100644
--- a/st2actions/st2actions/scheduler/handler.py
+++ b/st2actions/st2actions/scheduler/handler.py
@@ -44,14 +44,6 @@
 
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
-# If an ActionExecutionSchedulingQueueItemDB object hasn't been updated fore more than this amount
-# of milliseconds, it will be marked as "handled=False".
-# As soon as an item is picked by scheduler to be processed, it should be processed very fast
-# (< 5 seconds). If an item is still being marked as processing it likely indicates that the
-# scheduler process which was processing that item crashed or similar so we need to mark it as
-# "handling=False" so some other scheduler process can pick it up.
-EXECUTION_SCHEDUELING_TIMEOUT_THRESHOLD_MS = (60 * 1000)
-
 # When a policy delayed execution is detected it will be try to be rescheduled by the scheduler
 # again in this amount of milliseconds.
 POLICY_DELAYED_EXECUTION_RESCHEDULE_TIME_MS = 2500
@@ -62,6 +54,14 @@ def __init__(self):
         self.message_type = LiveActionDB
         self._shutdown = False
         self._pool = eventlet.GreenPool(size=cfg.CONF.scheduler.pool_size)
+        # If an ActionExecutionSchedulingQueueItemDB object hasn't been updated fore more than
+        # this amount of milliseconds, it will be marked as "handled=False".
+        # As soon as an item is picked by scheduler to be processed, it should be processed very
+        # fast (< 5 seconds). If an item is still being marked as processing it likely indicates
+        # that the scheduler process which was processing that item crashed or similar so we need
+        # to mark it as "handling=False" so some other scheduler process can pick it up.
+        self._execution_scheduling_timeout_threshold_ms = \
+            cfg.CONF.scheduler.execution_scheduling_timeout_threshold_min * 60 * 1000
         self._coordinator = coordination_service.get_coordinator(start_heart=True)
         self._main_thread = None
         self._cleanup_thread = None
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ def _reset_handling_flag(self):
         query = {
             'scheduled_start_timestamp__lte': date.append_milliseconds_to_time(
                 date.get_datetime_utc_now(),
-                -EXECUTION_SCHEDUELING_TIMEOUT_THRESHOLD_MS
+                -self._execution_scheduling_timeout_threshold_ms
             ),
             'handling': True
         }
diff --git a/st2tests/st2tests/config.py b/st2tests/st2tests/config.py
index 3f67d4c119..169af5117a 100644
--- a/st2tests/st2tests/config.py
+++ b/st2tests/st2tests/config.py
@@ -283,6 +283,9 @@ def _register_ssh_runner_opts():
 
 def _register_scheduler_opts():
     scheduler_opts = [
+        cfg.FloatOpt(
+            'execution_scheduling_timeout_threshold_min', default=1,
+            help='How long GC to search back in minutes for orphaned scheduled actions'),
         cfg.IntOpt(
             'pool_size', default=10,
             help='The size of the pool used by the scheduler for scheduling executions.'),