diff --git a/crates/ethereum/payload/src/config.rs b/crates/ethereum/payload/src/config.rs
index 94ac245f68..9b5de23312 100644
--- a/crates/ethereum/payload/src/config.rs
+++ b/crates/ethereum/payload/src/config.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ use reth_primitives_traits::constants::GAS_LIMIT_BOUND_DIVISOR;
 pub struct EthereumBuilderConfig {
     /// Desired gas limit.
     pub desired_gas_limit: u64,
-    /// Waits for a payload when there is no payload yet.
+    /// Waits for the first payload to be built if there is no payload built when the payload is
+    /// being resolved.
     pub await_payload_on_missing: bool,
 }
 
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ impl Default for EthereumBuilderConfig {
 impl EthereumBuilderConfig {
     /// Create new payload builder config.
     pub const fn new() -> Self {
-        Self { desired_gas_limit: ETHEREUM_BLOCK_GAS_LIMIT_30M, await_payload_on_missing: false }
+        Self { desired_gas_limit: ETHEREUM_BLOCK_GAS_LIMIT_30M, await_payload_on_missing: true }
     }
 
     /// Set desired gas limit.
@@ -27,6 +28,13 @@ impl EthereumBuilderConfig {
         self.desired_gas_limit = desired_gas_limit;
         self
     }
+
+    /// Configures whether the initial payload should be awaited when the payload job is being
+    /// resolved and no payload has been built yet.
+    pub const fn with_await_payload_on_missing(mut self, await_payload_on_missing: bool) -> Self {
+        self.await_payload_on_missing = await_payload_on_missing;
+        self
+    }
 }
 
 impl EthereumBuilderConfig {