diff --git a/validator-engine/validator-engine.cpp b/validator-engine/validator-engine.cpp
index f52fe8cf7..0c423f7a9 100644
--- a/validator-engine/validator-engine.cpp
+++ b/validator-engine/validator-engine.cpp
@@ -1372,6 +1372,9 @@ td::Status ValidatorEngine::load_global_config() {
   if (celldb_cache_size_) {
     validator_options_.write().set_celldb_cache_size(celldb_cache_size_.value());
   }
+  if (catchain_max_block_delay_) {
+    validator_options_.write().set_catchain_max_block_delay(catchain_max_block_delay_.value());
+  }
 
   std::vector<ton::BlockIdExt> h;
   for (auto &x : conf.validator_->hardforks_) {
@@ -3981,6 +3984,16 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
         acts.push_back([&x, v]() { td::actor::send_closure(x, &ValidatorEngine::set_celldb_cache_size, v); });
         return td::Status::OK();
       });
+  p.add_checked_option(
+      '\0', "catchain-max-block-delay", "delay before creating a new catchain block, in seconds (default: 0.5)",
+      [&](td::Slice s) -> td::Status {
+        auto v = td::to_double(s);
+        if (v < 0) {
+          return td::Status::Error("catchain-max-block-delay should be non-negative");
+        }
+        acts.push_back([&x, v]() { td::actor::send_closure(x, &ValidatorEngine::set_catchain_max_block_delay, v); });
+        return td::Status::OK();
+      });
   auto S = p.run(argc, argv);
   if (S.is_error()) {
     LOG(ERROR) << "failed to parse options: " << S.move_as_error();
diff --git a/validator-engine/validator-engine.hpp b/validator-engine/validator-engine.hpp
index 39685f9d6..265bb9e40 100644
--- a/validator-engine/validator-engine.hpp
+++ b/validator-engine/validator-engine.hpp
@@ -210,6 +210,7 @@ class ValidatorEngine : public td::actor::Actor {
   bool disable_rocksdb_stats_ = false;
   bool nonfinal_ls_queries_enabled_ = false;
   td::optional<td::uint64> celldb_cache_size_;
+  td::optional<double> catchain_max_block_delay_;
   bool read_config_ = false;
   bool started_keyring_ = false;
   bool started_ = false;
@@ -285,6 +286,9 @@ class ValidatorEngine : public td::actor::Actor {
   void set_celldb_cache_size(td::uint64 value) {
     celldb_cache_size_ = value;
   }
+  void set_catchain_max_block_delay(double value) {
+    catchain_max_block_delay_ = value;
+  }
   void start_up() override;
   ValidatorEngine() {
   }
diff --git a/validator-session/validator-session.cpp b/validator-session/validator-session.cpp
index d2fe64589..46dd44403 100644
--- a/validator-session/validator-session.cpp
+++ b/validator-session/validator-session.cpp
@@ -807,8 +807,8 @@ void ValidatorSessionImpl::request_new_block(bool now) {
   } else {
     double lambda = 10.0 / description().get_total_nodes();
     double x = -1 / lambda * log(td::Random::fast(1, 999) * 0.001);
-    if (x > 0.5) {
-      x = 0.5;
+    if (x > catchain_max_block_delay_) {  // default = 0.5
+      x = catchain_max_block_delay_;
     }
     td::actor::send_closure(catchain_, &catchain::CatChain::need_new_block, td::Timestamp::in(x));
   }
diff --git a/validator-session/validator-session.h b/validator-session/validator-session.h
index 2dd6625c1..0870f6718 100644
--- a/validator-session/validator-session.h
+++ b/validator-session/validator-session.h
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ class ValidatorSession : public td::actor::Actor {
   virtual void get_validator_group_info_for_litequery(
       td::uint32 cur_round,
       td::Promise<std::vector<tl_object_ptr<lite_api::liteServer_nonfinal_candidateInfo>>> promise) = 0;
+  virtual void set_catchain_max_block_delay(double value) = 0;
 
   static td::actor::ActorOwn<ValidatorSession> create(
       catchain::CatChainSessionId session_id, ValidatorSessionOptions opts, PublicKeyHash local_id,
diff --git a/validator-session/validator-session.hpp b/validator-session/validator-session.hpp
index 005292c03..b6a9ab0ca 100644
--- a/validator-session/validator-session.hpp
+++ b/validator-session/validator-session.hpp
@@ -90,6 +90,8 @@ class ValidatorSessionImpl : public ValidatorSession {
   td::actor::ActorOwn<catchain::CatChain> catchain_;
   std::unique_ptr<ValidatorSessionDescription> description_;
 
+  double catchain_max_block_delay_ = 0.5;
+
   void on_new_round(td::uint32 round);
   void on_catchain_started();
   void check_vote_for_slot(td::uint32 att);
@@ -188,6 +190,9 @@ class ValidatorSessionImpl : public ValidatorSession {
   void get_validator_group_info_for_litequery(
       td::uint32 cur_round,
       td::Promise<std::vector<tl_object_ptr<lite_api::liteServer_nonfinal_candidateInfo>>> promise) override;
+  void set_catchain_max_block_delay(double value) override {
+    catchain_max_block_delay_ = value;
+  }
 
   void process_blocks(std::vector<catchain::CatChainBlock *> blocks);
   void finished_processing();
diff --git a/validator/manager.cpp b/validator/manager.cpp
index 82cc10c23..3d5440037 100644
--- a/validator/manager.cpp
+++ b/validator/manager.cpp
@@ -2135,7 +2135,7 @@ td::actor::ActorOwn<ValidatorGroup> ValidatorManagerImpl::create_validator_group
     auto G = td::actor::create_actor<ValidatorGroup>(
         "validatorgroup", shard, validator_id, session_id, validator_set, opts, keyring_, adnl_, rldp_, overlays_,
         db_root_, actor_id(this), init_session,
-        opts_->check_unsafe_resync_allowed(validator_set->get_catchain_seqno()));
+        opts_->check_unsafe_resync_allowed(validator_set->get_catchain_seqno()), opts_);
     return G;
   }
 }
diff --git a/validator/validator-group.cpp b/validator/validator-group.cpp
index 6a71d306a..68e2b07ec 100644
--- a/validator/validator-group.cpp
+++ b/validator/validator-group.cpp
@@ -348,6 +348,10 @@ void ValidatorGroup::create_session() {
                   << ".",
         allow_unsafe_self_blocks_resync_);
   }
+  if (opts_->get_catchain_max_block_delay()) {
+    td::actor::send_closure(session_, &validatorsession::ValidatorSession::set_catchain_max_block_delay,
+                            opts_->get_catchain_max_block_delay().value());
+  }
   if (started_) {
     td::actor::send_closure(session_, &validatorsession::ValidatorSession::start);
   }
diff --git a/validator/validator-group.hpp b/validator/validator-group.hpp
index cb3f7a630..f99402647 100644
--- a/validator/validator-group.hpp
+++ b/validator/validator-group.hpp
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ class ValidatorGroup : public td::actor::Actor {
                  td::actor::ActorId<keyring::Keyring> keyring, td::actor::ActorId<adnl::Adnl> adnl,
                  td::actor::ActorId<rldp::Rldp> rldp, td::actor::ActorId<overlay::Overlays> overlays,
                  std::string db_root, td::actor::ActorId<ValidatorManager> validator_manager, bool create_session,
-                 bool allow_unsafe_self_blocks_resync)
+                 bool allow_unsafe_self_blocks_resync, td::Ref<ValidatorManagerOptions> opts)
       : shard_(shard)
       , local_id_(std::move(local_id))
       , session_id_(session_id)
@@ -82,7 +82,8 @@ class ValidatorGroup : public td::actor::Actor {
       , db_root_(std::move(db_root))
       , manager_(validator_manager)
       , init_(create_session)
-      , allow_unsafe_self_blocks_resync_(allow_unsafe_self_blocks_resync) {
+      , allow_unsafe_self_blocks_resync_(allow_unsafe_self_blocks_resync)
+      , opts_(std::move(opts)) {
   }
 
  private:
@@ -123,6 +124,7 @@ class ValidatorGroup : public td::actor::Actor {
   bool init_ = false;
   bool started_ = false;
   bool allow_unsafe_self_blocks_resync_;
+  td::Ref<ValidatorManagerOptions> opts_;
   td::uint32 last_known_round_id_ = 0;
 
   struct CachedCollatedBlock {
diff --git a/validator/validator-options.hpp b/validator/validator-options.hpp
index 2dd85b569..34f7fdf9f 100644
--- a/validator/validator-options.hpp
+++ b/validator/validator-options.hpp
@@ -132,6 +132,9 @@ struct ValidatorManagerOptionsImpl : public ValidatorManagerOptions {
   td::optional<td::uint64> get_celldb_cache_size() const override {
     return celldb_cache_size_;
   }
+  td::optional<double> get_catchain_max_block_delay() const override {
+    return catchain_max_block_delay_;
+  }
 
   void set_zero_block_id(BlockIdExt block_id) override {
     zero_block_id_ = block_id;
@@ -203,6 +206,9 @@ struct ValidatorManagerOptionsImpl : public ValidatorManagerOptions {
   void set_celldb_cache_size(td::uint64 value) override {
     celldb_cache_size_ = value;
   }
+  void set_catchain_max_block_delay(double value) override {
+    catchain_max_block_delay_ = value;
+  }
 
   ValidatorManagerOptionsImpl *make_copy() const override {
     return new ValidatorManagerOptionsImpl(*this);
@@ -251,6 +257,7 @@ struct ValidatorManagerOptionsImpl : public ValidatorManagerOptions {
   bool disable_rocksdb_stats_;
   bool nonfinal_ls_queries_enabled_ = false;
   td::optional<td::uint64> celldb_cache_size_;
+  td::optional<double> catchain_max_block_delay_;
 };
 
 }  // namespace validator
diff --git a/validator/validator.h b/validator/validator.h
index 92332e55f..81dfe7a39 100644
--- a/validator/validator.h
+++ b/validator/validator.h
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ struct ValidatorManagerOptions : public td::CntObject {
   virtual bool get_disable_rocksdb_stats() const = 0;
   virtual bool nonfinal_ls_queries_enabled() const = 0;
   virtual td::optional<td::uint64> get_celldb_cache_size() const = 0;
+  virtual td::optional<double> get_catchain_max_block_delay() const = 0;
 
   virtual void set_zero_block_id(BlockIdExt block_id) = 0;
   virtual void set_init_block_id(BlockIdExt block_id) = 0;
@@ -112,6 +113,7 @@ struct ValidatorManagerOptions : public td::CntObject {
   virtual void set_disable_rocksdb_stats(bool value) = 0;
   virtual void set_nonfinal_ls_queries_enabled(bool value) = 0;
   virtual void set_celldb_cache_size(td::uint64 value) = 0;
+  virtual void set_catchain_max_block_delay(double value) = 0;
 
   static td::Ref<ValidatorManagerOptions> create(
       BlockIdExt zero_block_id, BlockIdExt init_block_id,