diff --git a/acceptance-tests/dsl/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/dsl/condition/net/AwaitNetPeerCount.java b/acceptance-tests/dsl/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/dsl/condition/net/AwaitNetPeerCount.java
index 47ed7a7e5..52e3dea1e 100644
--- a/acceptance-tests/dsl/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/dsl/condition/net/AwaitNetPeerCount.java
+++ b/acceptance-tests/dsl/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/dsl/condition/net/AwaitNetPeerCount.java
@@ -27,15 +27,25 @@ public class AwaitNetPeerCount implements Condition {
 
   private final NetPeerCountTransaction transaction;
   private final BigInteger expectedPeerCount;
+  private final int timeout;
 
   public AwaitNetPeerCount(
       final NetPeerCountTransaction transaction, final BigInteger expectedPeerCount) {
+    this(transaction, expectedPeerCount, 30);
+  }
+
+  public AwaitNetPeerCount(
+      final NetPeerCountTransaction transaction,
+      final BigInteger expectedPeerCount,
+      final int timeout) {
     this.transaction = transaction;
     this.expectedPeerCount = expectedPeerCount;
+    this.timeout = timeout;
   }
 
   @Override
   public void verify(final Node node) {
-    WaitUtils.waitFor(50, () -> assertThat(node.execute(transaction)).isEqualTo(expectedPeerCount));
+    WaitUtils.waitFor(
+        timeout, () -> assertThat(node.execute(transaction)).isEqualTo(expectedPeerCount));
   }
 }
diff --git a/acceptance-tests/dsl/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/dsl/condition/net/NetConditions.java b/acceptance-tests/dsl/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/dsl/condition/net/NetConditions.java
index 004b12b91..c9b669e7f 100644
--- a/acceptance-tests/dsl/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/dsl/condition/net/NetConditions.java
+++ b/acceptance-tests/dsl/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/dsl/condition/net/NetConditions.java
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@ public class NetConditions {
     return new AwaitNetPeerCount(transactions.peerCount(), BigInteger.valueOf(awaitPeerCount));
   }
 
+  public Condition awaitPeerCount(final int awaitPeerCount, final int timeout) {
+    return new AwaitNetPeerCount(
+        transactions.peerCount(), BigInteger.valueOf(awaitPeerCount), timeout);
+  }
+
   public Condition netVersionExceptional(final String expectedMessage) {
     return new ExpectNetVersionConnectionException(transactions.netVersion(), expectedMessage);
   }
diff --git a/acceptance-tests/dsl/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/dsl/node/cluster/Cluster.java b/acceptance-tests/dsl/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/dsl/node/cluster/Cluster.java
index b454894e0..acd0ac37f 100644
--- a/acceptance-tests/dsl/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/dsl/node/cluster/Cluster.java
+++ b/acceptance-tests/dsl/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/dsl/node/cluster/Cluster.java
@@ -91,12 +91,14 @@ public class Cluster implements AutoCloseable {
         .forEach(this::startNode);
 
     if (clusterConfiguration.isAwaitPeerDiscovery()) {
+      int timeoutSeconds = clusterConfiguration.getPeerDiscoveryTimeoutSeconds();
       for (final RunnableNode node : nodes) {
         LOG.info(
-            "Awaiting peer discovery for node {}, expecting {} peers",
+            "Awaiting peer discovery for node {}, expecting {} peers, timeout {} seconds",
             node.getName(),
-            nodes.size() - 1);
-        node.awaitPeerDiscovery(net.awaitPeerCount(nodes.size() - 1));
+            nodes.size() - 1,
+            timeoutSeconds);
+        node.awaitPeerDiscovery(net.awaitPeerCount(nodes.size() - 1, timeoutSeconds));
       }
     }
     LOG.info("Cluster startup complete.");
diff --git a/acceptance-tests/dsl/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/dsl/node/cluster/ClusterConfiguration.java b/acceptance-tests/dsl/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/dsl/node/cluster/ClusterConfiguration.java
index 4d0505478..232ecd8ef 100644
--- a/acceptance-tests/dsl/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/dsl/node/cluster/ClusterConfiguration.java
+++ b/acceptance-tests/dsl/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/dsl/node/cluster/ClusterConfiguration.java
@@ -17,12 +17,18 @@ package org.hyperledger.besu.tests.acceptance.dsl.node.cluster;
 public class ClusterConfiguration {
 
   private final boolean awaitPeerDiscovery;
+  private final int peerDiscoveryTimeoutSeconds;
 
-  ClusterConfiguration(final boolean awaitPeerDiscovery) {
+  ClusterConfiguration(final boolean awaitPeerDiscovery, final int peerDiscoveryTimeoutSeconds) {
     this.awaitPeerDiscovery = awaitPeerDiscovery;
+    this.peerDiscoveryTimeoutSeconds = peerDiscoveryTimeoutSeconds;
   }
 
   public boolean isAwaitPeerDiscovery() {
     return awaitPeerDiscovery;
   }
+
+  public int getPeerDiscoveryTimeoutSeconds() {
+    return peerDiscoveryTimeoutSeconds;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/acceptance-tests/dsl/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/dsl/node/cluster/ClusterConfigurationBuilder.java b/acceptance-tests/dsl/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/dsl/node/cluster/ClusterConfigurationBuilder.java
index 1e434e54c..75ddad988 100644
--- a/acceptance-tests/dsl/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/dsl/node/cluster/ClusterConfigurationBuilder.java
+++ b/acceptance-tests/dsl/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/dsl/node/cluster/ClusterConfigurationBuilder.java
@@ -16,13 +16,19 @@ package org.hyperledger.besu.tests.acceptance.dsl.node.cluster;
 
 public class ClusterConfigurationBuilder {
   private boolean awaitPeerDiscovery = true;
+  private int peerDiscoveryTimeoutSeconds = 60; // Default 60 second timeout
 
   public ClusterConfigurationBuilder awaitPeerDiscovery(final boolean awaitPeerDiscovery) {
     this.awaitPeerDiscovery = awaitPeerDiscovery;
     return this;
   }
 
+  public ClusterConfigurationBuilder peerDiscoveryTimeout(final int timeoutSeconds) {
+    this.peerDiscoveryTimeoutSeconds = timeoutSeconds;
+    return this;
+  }
+
   public ClusterConfiguration build() {
-    return new ClusterConfiguration(awaitPeerDiscovery);
+    return new ClusterConfiguration(awaitPeerDiscovery, peerDiscoveryTimeoutSeconds);
   }
 }
diff --git a/acceptance-tests/tests/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/bftsoak/BftMiningSoakTest.java b/acceptance-tests/tests/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/bftsoak/BftMiningSoakTest.java
index 1577c259f..6c050dd97 100644
--- a/acceptance-tests/tests/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/bftsoak/BftMiningSoakTest.java
+++ b/acceptance-tests/tests/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/tests/acceptance/bftsoak/BftMiningSoakTest.java
@@ -155,9 +155,9 @@ public class BftMiningSoakTest extends ParameterizedBftTestBase {
     chainHeight = minerNode1.execute(ethTransactions.blockNumber());
     lastChainHeight = chainHeight;
 
-    // Leave the chain stalled for 3 minutes. Check no new blocks are mined. Then
+    // Leave the chain stalled for 1 minute. Check no new blocks are mined. Then
     // resume the other validators.
-    nextStepEndTime = previousStepEndTime.plus(3, ChronoUnit.MINUTES);
+    nextStepEndTime = previousStepEndTime.plus(1, ChronoUnit.MINUTES);
     while (System.currentTimeMillis() < nextStepEndTime.toEpochMilli()) {
       Thread.sleep(ONE_MINUTE);
       chainHeight = minerNode1.execute(ethTransactions.blockNumber());