diff --git a/testnet/stacks-node/src/config.rs b/testnet/stacks-node/src/config.rs
index 65eea9134..ad0234134 100644
--- a/testnet/stacks-node/src/config.rs
+++ b/testnet/stacks-node/src/config.rs
@@ -1795,6 +1795,13 @@ pub struct NodeConfig {
     pub max_microblocks: u64,
     pub wait_time_for_microblocks: u64,
     pub wait_time_for_blocks: u64,
+    /// Controls how frequently, in milliseconds, the nakamoto miner's relay thread acts on its own initiative
+    /// (as opposed to responding to an event from the networking thread, etc.). This is roughly
+    /// how frequently the miner checks if a new burnchain block has been processed.
+    ///
+    /// Default value of 10 seconds is reasonable in mainnet (where bitcoin blocks are ~10 minutes),
+    /// but environments where burn blocks are more frequent may want to decrease this value.
+    pub next_initiative_delay: u64,
     pub prometheus_bind: Option<String>,
     pub marf_cache_strategy: Option<String>,
     pub marf_defer_hashing: bool,
@@ -2080,6 +2087,7 @@ impl Default for NodeConfig {
             max_microblocks: u16::MAX as u64,
             wait_time_for_microblocks: 30_000,
             wait_time_for_blocks: 30_000,
+            next_initiative_delay: 10_000,
             prometheus_bind: None,
             marf_cache_strategy: None,
             marf_defer_hashing: true,
@@ -2530,6 +2538,7 @@ pub struct NodeConfigFile {
     pub max_microblocks: Option<u64>,
     pub wait_time_for_microblocks: Option<u64>,
     pub wait_time_for_blocks: Option<u64>,
+    pub next_initiative_delay: Option<u64>,
     pub prometheus_bind: Option<String>,
     pub marf_cache_strategy: Option<String>,
     pub marf_defer_hashing: Option<bool>,
@@ -2590,6 +2599,9 @@ impl NodeConfigFile {
             wait_time_for_blocks: self
                 .wait_time_for_blocks
                 .unwrap_or(default_node_config.wait_time_for_blocks),
+            next_initiative_delay: self
+                .next_initiative_delay
+                .unwrap_or(default_node_config.next_initiative_delay),
             prometheus_bind: self.prometheus_bind,
             marf_cache_strategy: self.marf_cache_strategy,
             marf_defer_hashing: self
diff --git a/testnet/stacks-node/src/nakamoto_node/relayer.rs b/testnet/stacks-node/src/nakamoto_node/relayer.rs
index c337418fa..fc4ca1ae0 100644
--- a/testnet/stacks-node/src/nakamoto_node/relayer.rs
+++ b/testnet/stacks-node/src/nakamoto_node/relayer.rs
@@ -190,8 +190,10 @@ impl RelayerThread {
 
         let bitcoin_controller = BitcoinRegtestController::new_dummy(config.clone());
 
+        let next_initiative_delay = config.node.next_initiative_delay;
+
         RelayerThread {
-            config: config,
+            config,
             sortdb,
             chainstate,
             mempool,
@@ -215,7 +217,7 @@ impl RelayerThread {
 
             miner_thread: None,
             is_miner,
-            next_initiative: Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(10),
+            next_initiative: Instant::now() + Duration::from_millis(next_initiative_delay),
             last_committed: None,
         }
     }
@@ -819,10 +821,12 @@ impl RelayerThread {
     pub fn main(mut self, relay_rcv: Receiver<RelayerDirective>) {
         debug!("relayer thread ID is {:?}", std::thread::current().id());
 
-        self.next_initiative = Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(10);
+        self.next_initiative =
+            Instant::now() + Duration::from_millis(self.config.node.next_initiative_delay);
         while self.globals.keep_running() {
             let directive = if Instant::now() >= self.next_initiative {
-                self.next_initiative = Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(10);
+                self.next_initiative =
+                    Instant::now() + Duration::from_millis(self.config.node.next_initiative_delay);
                 self.initiative()
             } else {
                 None