diff --git a/plugins/inputs/syslog/syslog.go b/plugins/inputs/syslog/syslog.go
index 21f6a770f..6f8d959ec 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/syslog/syslog.go
+++ b/plugins/inputs/syslog/syslog.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/influxdata/telegraf/plugins/inputs"
 )
 
-const defaultReadTimeout = time.Millisecond * 500
+const defaultReadTimeout = time.Second * 5
 const ipMaxPacketSize = 64 * 1024
 
 // Syslog is a syslog plugin
@@ -279,19 +279,23 @@ func (s *Syslog) handle(conn net.Conn, acc telegraf.Accumulator) {
 		conn.Close()
 	}()
 
-	if s.ReadTimeout != nil && s.ReadTimeout.Duration > 0 {
-		conn.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().Add(s.ReadTimeout.Duration))
-	}
-
 	var p *rfc5425.Parser
+
 	if s.BestEffort {
 		p = rfc5425.NewParser(conn, rfc5425.WithBestEffort())
 	} else {
 		p = rfc5425.NewParser(conn)
 	}
 
+	if s.ReadTimeout != nil && s.ReadTimeout.Duration > 0 {
+		conn.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().Add(s.ReadTimeout.Duration))
+	}
+
 	p.ParseExecuting(func(r *rfc5425.Result) {
 		s.store(*r, acc)
+		if s.ReadTimeout != nil && s.ReadTimeout.Duration > 0 {
+			conn.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().Add(s.ReadTimeout.Duration))
+		}
 	})
 }
 
@@ -361,7 +365,7 @@ func fields(msg rfc5424.SyslogMessage, s *Syslog) map[string]interface{} {
 	}
 
 	if msg.Message() != nil {
-		flds["message"] = *msg.Message()
+		flds["message"] = strings.TrimSpace(*msg.Message())
 	}
 
 	if msg.StructuredData() != nil {