diff --git a/apps/emqx_connector/src/emqx_connector.app.src b/apps/emqx_connector/src/emqx_connector.app.src
index 135d57dbe..ec57f2c85 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_connector/src/emqx_connector.app.src
+++ b/apps/emqx_connector/src/emqx_connector.app.src
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 %% -*- mode: erlang -*-
 {application, emqx_connector, [
     {description, "EMQX Data Integration Connectors"},
-    {vsn, "0.3.0"},
+    {vsn, "0.3.1"},
     {registered, []},
     {mod, {emqx_connector_app, []}},
     {applications, [
diff --git a/apps/emqx_connector/src/emqx_connector_api.erl b/apps/emqx_connector/src/emqx_connector_api.erl
index 97f68b7ef..4c7a0476e 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_connector/src/emqx_connector_api.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_connector/src/emqx_connector_api.erl
@@ -685,6 +685,10 @@ is_ok(OkResult = {ok, _}) ->
     OkResult;
 is_ok(Error = {error, _}) ->
     Error;
+is_ok(timeout) ->
+    %% Returned by `emqx_resource_manager:start' when the connector fails to reach either
+    %% `?status_connected' or `?status_disconnected' within `start_timeout'.
+    timeout;
 is_ok(ResL) ->
     case
         lists:filter(
@@ -723,6 +727,14 @@ call_operation(NodeOrAll, OperFunc, Args = [_Nodes, ConnectorType, ConnectorName
     case is_ok(do_bpapi_call(NodeOrAll, OperFunc, Args)) of
         Ok when Ok =:= ok; is_tuple(Ok), element(1, Ok) =:= ok ->
             ?NO_CONTENT;
+        timeout ->
+            %% Returned by `emqx_resource_manager:start' when the connector fails to reach
+            %% either `?status_connected' or `?status_disconnected' within
+            %% `start_timeout'.
+            ?BAD_REQUEST(<<
+                "Timeout while waiting for connector to reach connected status."
+                " Please try again."
+            >>);
         {error, not_implemented} ->
             ?NOT_IMPLEMENTED;
         {error, timeout} ->
diff --git a/apps/emqx_connector/test/emqx_connector_api_SUITE.erl b/apps/emqx_connector/test/emqx_connector_api_SUITE.erl
index 2b1ada37b..0f57e9034 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_connector/test/emqx_connector_api_SUITE.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_connector/test/emqx_connector_api_SUITE.erl
@@ -536,14 +536,20 @@ do_start_connector(TestType, Config) ->
         request_json(
             post,
             uri(["connectors"]),
-            ?KAFKA_CONNECTOR(BadName, BadServer),
+            (?KAFKA_CONNECTOR(BadName, BadServer))#{
+                <<"resource_opts">> => #{
+                    <<"start_timeout">> => <<"10ms">>
+                }
+            },
             Config
         )
     ),
     BadConnectorID = emqx_connector_resource:connector_id(?CONNECTOR_TYPE, BadName),
+    %% Checks that an `emqx_resource_manager:start' timeout when waiting for the resource to
+    %% be connected doesn't return a 500 error.
     ?assertMatch(
         %% request from product: return 400 on such errors
-        {ok, SC, _} when SC == 500 orelse SC == 400,
+        {ok, 400, _},
         request(post, {operation, TestType, start, BadConnectorID}, Config)
     ),
     ok = gen_tcp:close(Sock),
diff --git a/apps/emqx_resource/src/emqx_resource.app.src b/apps/emqx_resource/src/emqx_resource.app.src
index 913cc5e8c..39b8ec8d1 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_resource/src/emqx_resource.app.src
+++ b/apps/emqx_resource/src/emqx_resource.app.src
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 %% -*- mode: erlang -*-
 {application, emqx_resource, [
     {description, "Manager for all external resources"},
-    {vsn, "0.1.29"},
+    {vsn, "0.1.30"},
     {registered, []},
     {mod, {emqx_resource_app, []}},
     {applications, [
diff --git a/apps/emqx_resource/src/emqx_resource_manager.erl b/apps/emqx_resource/src/emqx_resource_manager.erl
index d650a2afb..a09a6e9f8 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_resource/src/emqx_resource_manager.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_resource/src/emqx_resource_manager.erl
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ restart(ResId, Opts) when is_binary(ResId) ->
     end.
 
 %% @doc Start the resource
--spec start(resource_id(), creation_opts()) -> ok | {error, Reason :: term()}.
+-spec start(resource_id(), creation_opts()) -> ok | timeout | {error, Reason :: term()}.
 start(ResId, Opts) ->
     StartTimeout = maps:get(start_timeout, Opts, ?T_OPERATION),
     case safe_call(ResId, start, StartTimeout) of
diff --git a/changes/ce/fix-13148.en.md b/changes/ce/fix-13148.en.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..15002e132
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/ce/fix-13148.en.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fixed an issue where a 500 HTTP status code could be returned by `/connectors/:connector-id/start` when there is a timeout waiting for the resource to be connected.