--- a/cubicweb/server/repository.py	Mon Mar 30 15:45:40 2020 +0200
+++ b/cubicweb/server/repository.py	Mon Mar 30 15:46:12 2020 +0200
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 from logging import getLogger
 import queue
 import threading
+import time
 
 from logilab.common.decorators import cached, clear_cache
 
@@ -171,13 +172,15 @@
 
 class _CnxSetPool(_BaseCnxSet):
 
-    def __init__(self, source, min_size=1, max_size=4):
+    def __init__(self, source, min_size=1, max_size=4, idle_timeout=300):
         super().__init__(source)
         self._cnxsets = []
         self._queue = queue.LifoQueue()
         self.lock = threading.Lock()
         self.min_size = min_size
         self.max_size = max_size
+        self.idle = time.time()
+        self.idle_timeout = idle_timeout
 
         for i in range(min_size):
             self._queue.put_nowait(self._new_cnxset())
@@ -188,6 +191,19 @@
             self._cnxsets.append(cnxset)
         return cnxset
 
+    def _close_idle_cnxset(self):
+        # close connections not being used since idle_timeout
+        if abs(time.time() - self.idle) > self.idle_timeout and self.size() > self.min_size:
+            try:
+                cnxset = self._queue.get_nowait()
+            except queue.Empty:
+                # the queue has been used since we checked it size
+                pass
+            else:
+                cnxset.close(True)
+                with self.lock:
+                    self._cnxsets.remove(cnxset)
+
     def size(self):
         with self.lock:
             return len(self._cnxsets)
@@ -198,8 +214,11 @@
     def get(self):
         try:
             cnxset = self._queue.get_nowait()
+            self._close_idle_cnxset()
             return cnxset
         except queue.Empty:
+            # reset idle time
+            self.idle = time.time()
             if self.max_size and self.size() >= self.max_size:
                 try:
                     return self._queue.get(True, timeout=5)
@@ -213,6 +232,7 @@
 
     def release(self, cnxset):
         self._queue.put_nowait(cnxset)
+        self._close_idle_cnxset()
 
     def __iter__(self):
         with self.lock: