Allow Settings for Message Expiration Timeout Interval and NDR
For some error codes related to sending mails, the senders may receive the NDR immediately. However, for some other error codes, the mail server marks the undeliverable messages as a temporary error and the senders doesn't immediately receive an NDR. Instead, Exchange Online repeatedly tries to deliver the message over two days. Only after two days of unsuccessful delivery attempts does the sender receive this NDR.
For some time critical businesses this is not acceptable. The user has to be informed very quickly (<6 hours) that his Mail was not delivered by now. Then the user can phone the recipient or sent the mail to another address. I do not care if exchange online continues trying to send the message after 6 hours, but the user has to be informed.
Exchange Server 2016 an older allowed customization of the Message Expiration Timeout Interval and NDR Settings. Please add this to ExchangeOnline

Today, based on feedback, we’ve lowered the timeout to 24 hours. In the future, we are planning more improvements, although we do not have any dates or details to share at this time. Thank you for the continued feedback.
50 comments
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Anonymous commented
I'm surprised this hasn't been implemented yet. Come on Microsoft, this should be available.
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Francis St-PIerre commented
Please fix this issue. It has important consequences for urgent matters. Only for this I regret swicthing our business to the exchange service. We just lost a sale because of this. We sent our quote for the job in time, but there was an error in the mail adress, we received the failed delivery message after the last day of wich we could postulate on the job. Serious problem with serious money implications.
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Sascha Stops commented
Agreeing with others here. We enforce TLS using a mail flow rule and users get only notified 48 hours after they send the email. This is not feasible. There should be an option to notify the user after the first or second failed attempt of delivery. Users might be sending urgent messages and do not get notified if they don't get through.
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Matt Skorupski commented
More than 2 years later...Has this topic been forgotten? 2 day-retry may have been necessary in the past with lag and internet connectivity issues. These days of instant and reliable connectivity, if something is down for more than two hours a notice should be sent.
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Paul Kecun commented
Chiming in. We're enforcing TLS everywhere and we don't even get a delivery delayed message - just a bounce after 2 days.
I'd expect a non-TLS negotiation to be rejected immediately, not queued for 2 days because STARTTLS was unavailable.
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Anonymous commented
Found this while looking for a solution to the error as I know the email address is good.
I also support the need for a quicker delivery of the NDR -
Nathan commented
2 day timeout is a problem for us, is TLS is not excepted and e-mail is not delivered the user has to know within a few hours
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Ken commented
ONCE AGAIN 2 DAY TIMEOUT LIMIT HAS LED TO TAX RETURNS NOT BEING FILED IN TIME
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Matthew commented
Please allow IT administrators the ability to configure the Message Expiration Timeout Interval and NDR settings beyond the 2 day default value, this is far too long for many companies we support.
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Jason commented
Bump, 2 days is too long by default.
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Ole Gunnar Deila commented
Update please- This has to be changed.... it is urgent. It is unacceptable that we must wait 48 hours to not know email delivery...... !
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Claire Simmons commented
Is there any update on this at all? We are finding the timeout unacceptable.
My users are finding this very frustrating.
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Fabian Schulte commented
Anything new according to this topic? Had the same problem with my Office 365 / Exchange Online Plan.
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Bryan Heindel commented
This causes delays, all messages that cannot be delivered should send an NDR immediately, then retry sending as it does. Do this or allow the setting to be changed. It is not Microsoft's job to dictate how someones workflow works, some people need to know when a message cannot be delivered so they can contact them by other means for time sensitive items. If they can't rely on email, then whats the point of paying Microsoft so much money for it?
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Blake Sims commented
I agree wholeheartedly with everyone else here, 2 day NDR with no way to adjust is totally unacceptable. This is seriously affecting our ability to support our customers and does nothing for our company's image, especially when sending customers time sensitive documents that they may need within a 24 hour window.
This issue has been languishing for over a year now. Is there ANY movement on getting this resolved?
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Anonymous commented
Please allow this setting to be changed. We had sent an email and did not receive any notification for 3 days that it was undeliverable! 3 days is simply unacceptable for a business plan. The user who sends an email needs a notification email within 30 minutes of sending the original email if it did not go through.
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Anonymous commented
Ist there any news here?
Run in the same Problem, topic open now since January 2016 :( -
Chris Sharpe commented
Hi Admin. Can you tell me if these recommendations have been taken on board for aqdmin to adjust times of NDR. '550 5.4.316 Message expired, connection refused(Socket error code 10061). The email was sent 2 days ago but no notifications to the sender that there was a problem. We now have a very annoyed customer that did not receive their information on time.
Can you advise if this feature has now been added to 365 Admin? Many Thanks -
Anonymous commented
2 days is too long. we had a legal deadline expire during this time and it was assumed the client received the email.
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Ryan commented
To admin: I understand what you're saying with regards to balancing. But, at the very least, the user who has sent it should receive immediate notice that the message was non-deliverable. That way the impetus is on them to either contact the recipient or the admin depending on how time-critical the message is.