diff --git a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_amqqueue.erl b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_amqqueue.erl
index 3bdf8ad6a177..5dde1629fd64 100644
--- a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_amqqueue.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_amqqueue.erl
@@ -252,22 +252,30 @@ get_queue_type(Args, DefaultQueueType) ->
             rabbit_queue_type:discover(V)
     end.
 
--spec internal_declare(amqqueue:amqqueue(), boolean()) ->
-    {created | existing, amqqueue:amqqueue()} | queue_absent().
+-spec internal_declare(Queue, Recover) -> Ret when
+      Queue :: amqqueue:amqqueue(),
+      Recover :: boolean(),
+      Ret :: {created | existing, amqqueue:amqqueue()} |
+             queue_absent() |
+             rabbit_khepri:timeout_error().
 
 internal_declare(Q, Recover) ->
     do_internal_declare(Q, Recover).
 
 do_internal_declare(Q0, true) ->
-    %% TODO Why do we return the old state instead of the actual one?
-    %% I'm leaving it like it was before the khepri refactor, because
-    %% rabbit_amqqueue_process:init_it2 compares the result of this declare to decide
-    %% if continue or stop. If we return the actual one, it fails and the queue stops
-    %% silently during init.
-    %% Maybe we should review this bit of code at some point.
     Q = amqqueue:set_state(Q0, live),
-    ok = store_queue(Q),
-    {created, Q0};
+    case store_queue(Q) of
+        ok ->
+            %% TODO Why do we return the old state instead of the actual one?
+            %% I'm leaving it like it was before the khepri refactor, because
+            %% rabbit_amqqueue_process:init_it2 compares the result of this
+            %% declare to decide if continue or stop. If we return the actual
+            %% one, it fails and the queue stops silently during init.
+            %% Maybe we should review this bit of code at some point.
+            {created, Q0};
+        {error, timeout} = Err ->
+            Err
+    end;
 do_internal_declare(Q0, false) ->
     Q = rabbit_policy:set(amqqueue:set_state(Q0, live)),
     Queue = rabbit_queue_decorator:set(Q),
@@ -280,12 +288,18 @@ do_internal_declare(Q0, false) ->
 update(Name, Fun) ->
     rabbit_db_queue:update(Name, Fun).
 
-%% only really used for quorum queues to ensure the rabbit_queue record
+-spec ensure_rabbit_queue_record_is_initialized(Queue) -> Ret when
+      Queue :: amqqueue:amqqueue(),
+      Ret :: ok | {error, timeout}.
+
+%% only really used for stream queues to ensure the rabbit_queue record
 %% is initialised
 ensure_rabbit_queue_record_is_initialized(Q) ->
     store_queue(Q).
 
--spec store_queue(amqqueue:amqqueue()) -> 'ok'.
+-spec store_queue(Queue) -> Ret when
+      Queue :: amqqueue:amqqueue(),
+      Ret :: ok | {error, timeout}.
 
 store_queue(Q0) ->
     Q = rabbit_queue_decorator:set(Q0),
@@ -325,12 +339,10 @@ is_server_named_allowed(Args) ->
     Type = get_queue_type(Args),
     rabbit_queue_type:is_server_named_allowed(Type).
 
--spec lookup
-        (name()) ->
-            rabbit_types:ok(amqqueue:amqqueue()) |
-            rabbit_types:error('not_found');
-        ([name()]) ->
-            [amqqueue:amqqueue()].
+-spec lookup(QueueName) -> Ret when
+      QueueName :: name(),
+      Ret :: rabbit_types:ok(amqqueue:amqqueue())
+             | rabbit_types:error('not_found').
 
 lookup(Name) when is_record(Name, resource) ->
     rabbit_db_queue:get(Name).
diff --git a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_amqqueue_process.erl b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_amqqueue_process.erl
index e2334235c335..ed4fc3ccaf78 100644
--- a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_amqqueue_process.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_amqqueue_process.erl
@@ -226,6 +226,12 @@ init_it2(Recover, From, State = #q{q                   = Q,
                 false ->
                     {stop, normal, {existing, Q1}, State}
             end;
+        {error, timeout} ->
+            Reason = {protocol_error, internal_error,
+                      "Could not declare ~ts on node '~ts' because the "
+                      "metadata store operation timed out",
+                      [rabbit_misc:rs(amqqueue:get_name(Q)), node()]},
+            {stop, normal, Reason, State};
         Err ->
             {stop, normal, Err, State}
     end.
@@ -311,7 +317,7 @@ terminate(normal,            State) -> %% delete case
 terminate(_Reason,           State = #q{q = Q}) ->
     terminate_shutdown(fun (BQS) ->
                                Q2 = amqqueue:set_state(Q, crashed),
-                               rabbit_amqqueue:store_queue(Q2),
+                               _ = rabbit_amqqueue:store_queue(Q2),
                                BQS
                        end, State).
 
diff --git a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_db_queue.erl b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_db_queue.erl
index d1e1829d5873..da5c8da47dff 100644
--- a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_db_queue.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_db_queue.erl
@@ -875,7 +875,10 @@ get_all_by_type_and_node_in_khepri(VHostName, Type, Node) ->
 
 -spec create_or_get(Queue) -> Ret when
       Queue :: amqqueue:amqqueue(),
-      Ret :: {created, Queue} | {existing, Queue} | {absent, Queue, nodedown}.
+      Ret :: {created, Queue} |
+             {existing, Queue} |
+             {absent, Queue, nodedown} |
+             rabbit_khepri:timeout_error().
 %% @doc Writes a queue record if it doesn't exist already or returns the existing one
 %%
 %% @returns the existing record if there is one in the database already, or the newly
@@ -924,8 +927,9 @@ create_or_get_in_khepri(Q) ->
 %% set().
 %% -------------------------------------------------------------------
 
--spec set(Queue) -> ok when
-      Queue :: amqqueue:amqqueue().
+-spec set(Queue) -> Ret when
+      Queue :: amqqueue:amqqueue(),
+      Ret :: ok | rabbit_khepri:timeout_error().
 %% @doc Writes a queue record. If the queue is durable, it writes both instances:
 %% durable and transient. For the durable one, it resets decorators.
 %% The transient one is left as it is.
diff --git a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_quorum_queue.erl b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_quorum_queue.erl
index e9a492a66881..88205a82942b 100644
--- a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_quorum_queue.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_quorum_queue.erl
@@ -295,7 +295,12 @@ start_cluster(Q) ->
                     declare_queue_error(Error, NewQ, LeaderNode, ActingUser)
             end;
         {existing, _} = Ex ->
-            Ex
+            Ex;
+        {error, timeout} ->
+            {protocol_error, internal_error,
+             "Could not declare quorum ~ts on node '~ts' because the metadata "
+             "store operation timed out",
+             [rabbit_misc:rs(QName), node()]}
     end.
 
 declare_queue_error(Error, Queue, Leader, ActingUser) ->
diff --git a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_stream_coordinator.erl b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_stream_coordinator.erl
index 954030b98581..0846dd58d1e0 100644
--- a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_stream_coordinator.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_stream_coordinator.erl
@@ -1231,7 +1231,7 @@ phase_update_mnesia(StreamId, Args, #{reference := QName,
                                 #{name := S} when S == StreamId ->
                                     rabbit_log:debug("~ts: initializing queue record for stream id  ~ts",
                                                      [?MODULE, StreamId]),
-                                    _ = rabbit_amqqueue:ensure_rabbit_queue_record_is_initialized(Fun(Q)),
+                                    ok = rabbit_amqqueue:ensure_rabbit_queue_record_is_initialized(Fun(Q)),
                                     ok;
                                 _ ->
                                     ok
diff --git a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_stream_queue.erl b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_stream_queue.erl
index 37f3b52e2e42..e36ad708eb9a 100644
--- a/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_stream_queue.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbit/src/rabbit_stream_queue.erl
@@ -177,25 +177,37 @@ create_stream(Q0) ->
             case rabbit_stream_coordinator:new_stream(Q, Leader) of
                 {ok, {ok, LeaderPid}, _} ->
                     %% update record with leader pid
-                    set_leader_pid(LeaderPid, amqqueue:get_name(Q)),
-                    rabbit_event:notify(queue_created,
-                                        [{name, QName},
-                                         {durable, true},
-                                         {auto_delete, false},
-                                         {arguments, Arguments},
-                                         {type, amqqueue:get_type(Q1)},
-                                         {user_who_performed_action,
-                                          ActingUser}]),
-                    {new, Q};
+                    case set_leader_pid(LeaderPid, amqqueue:get_name(Q)) of
+                        ok ->
+                            rabbit_event:notify(queue_created,
+                                                [{name, QName},
+                                                 {durable, true},
+                                                 {auto_delete, false},
+                                                 {arguments, Arguments},
+                                                 {type, amqqueue:get_type(Q1)},
+                                                 {user_who_performed_action,
+                                                  ActingUser}]),
+                            {new, Q};
+                        {error, timeout} ->
+                            {protocol_error, internal_error,
+                             "Could not set leader PID for ~ts on node '~ts' "
+                             "because the metadata store operation timed out",
+                             [rabbit_misc:rs(QName), node()]}
+                    end;
                 Error ->
                     _ = rabbit_amqqueue:internal_delete(Q, ActingUser),
-                    {protocol_error, internal_error, "Cannot declare a queue '~ts' on node '~ts': ~255p",
+                    {protocol_error, internal_error, "Cannot declare ~ts on node '~ts': ~255p",
                      [rabbit_misc:rs(QName), node(), Error]}
             end;
         {existing, Q} ->
             {existing, Q};
         {absent, Q, Reason} ->
-            {absent, Q, Reason}
+            {absent, Q, Reason};
+        {error, timeout} ->
+            {protocol_error, internal_error,
+             "Could not declare ~ts on node '~ts' because the metadata store "
+             "operation timed out",
+             [rabbit_misc:rs(QName), node()]}
     end.
 
 -spec delete(amqqueue:amqqueue(), boolean(),
@@ -1291,6 +1303,11 @@ resend_all(#stream_client{leader = LeaderPid,
      end || {Seq, Msg} <- Msgs],
     State.
 
+-spec set_leader_pid(Pid, QName) -> Ret when
+      Pid :: pid(),
+      QName :: rabbit_amqqueue:name(),
+      Ret :: ok | {error, timeout}.
+
 set_leader_pid(Pid, QName) ->
     %% TODO this should probably be a single khepri transaction for better performance.
     Fun = fun (Q) ->
diff --git a/deps/rabbitmq_mqtt/src/rabbit_mqtt_qos0_queue.erl b/deps/rabbitmq_mqtt/src/rabbit_mqtt_qos0_queue.erl
index 920276966c6c..47cf18e976a2 100644
--- a/deps/rabbitmq_mqtt/src/rabbit_mqtt_qos0_queue.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbitmq_mqtt/src/rabbit_mqtt_qos0_queue.erl
@@ -70,8 +70,10 @@ is_stateful() ->
 
 -spec declare(amqqueue:amqqueue(), node()) ->
     {'new' | 'existing' | 'owner_died', amqqueue:amqqueue()} |
-    {'absent', amqqueue:amqqueue(), rabbit_amqqueue:absent_reason()}.
+    {'absent', amqqueue:amqqueue(), rabbit_amqqueue:absent_reason()} |
+    {protocol_error, internal_error, string(), [string()]}.
 declare(Q0, _Node) ->
+    QName = amqqueue:get_name(Q0),
     Q1 = case amqqueue:get_pid(Q0) of
              none ->
                  %% declaring process becomes the queue
@@ -86,7 +88,7 @@ declare(Q0, _Node) ->
             Opts = amqqueue:get_options(Q),
             ActingUser = maps:get(user, Opts, ?UNKNOWN_USER),
             rabbit_event:notify(queue_created,
-                                [{name, amqqueue:get_name(Q)},
+                                [{name, QName},
                                  {durable, true},
                                  {auto_delete, false},
                                  {exclusive, true},
@@ -94,6 +96,11 @@ declare(Q0, _Node) ->
                                  {arguments, amqqueue:get_arguments(Q)},
                                  {user_who_performed_action, ActingUser}]),
             {new, Q};
+        {error, timeout} ->
+            {protocol_error, internal_error,
+             "Could not declare ~ts because the metadata store operation "
+             "timed out",
+             [rabbit_misc:rs(QName)]};
         Other ->
             Other
     end.