diff --git a/go/enclave/nodetype/common.go b/go/enclave/nodetype/common.go
index bff4a94447..c414f63c81 100644
--- a/go/enclave/nodetype/common.go
+++ b/go/enclave/nodetype/common.go
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ func ExportCrossChainData(ctx context.Context, storage storage.Storage, fromSeqN
 		return nil, errutil.ErrCrossChainBundleNoBatches
 	}
 
-	//todo - siliev - all those fetches need to be atomic
+	// todo - siliev - all those fetches need to be atomic
 	header, err := storage.FetchHeadBatchHeader(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/tools/walletextension/rpcapi/transaction_api.go b/tools/walletextension/rpcapi/transaction_api.go
index 3833db0e77..a0a8baedd4 100644
--- a/tools/walletextension/rpcapi/transaction_api.go
+++ b/tools/walletextension/rpcapi/transaction_api.go
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ func (s *TransactionAPI) GetTransactionReceipt(ctx context.Context, hash common.
 }
 
 func (s *TransactionAPI) SendTransaction(ctx context.Context, args gethapi.TransactionArgs) (common.Hash, error) {
-	txRec, err := ExecAuthRPC[common.Hash](ctx, s.we, &ExecCfg{account: args.From}, "eth_sendTransaction", args)
+	txRec, err := ExecAuthRPC[common.Hash](ctx, s.we, &ExecCfg{account: args.From, timeout: sendTransactionDuration}, "eth_sendTransaction", args)
 	if err != nil {
 		return common.Hash{}, err
 	}
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ func (s *TransactionAPI) FillTransaction(ctx context.Context, args gethapi.Trans
 }
 
 func (s *TransactionAPI) SendRawTransaction(ctx context.Context, input hexutil.Bytes) (common.Hash, error) {
-	txRec, err := ExecAuthRPC[common.Hash](ctx, s.we, &ExecCfg{tryAll: true}, "eth_sendRawTransaction", input)
+	txRec, err := ExecAuthRPC[common.Hash](ctx, s.we, &ExecCfg{tryAll: true, timeout: sendTransactionDuration}, "eth_sendRawTransaction", input)
 	if err != nil {
 		return common.Hash{}, err
 	}
diff --git a/tools/walletextension/rpcapi/utils.go b/tools/walletextension/rpcapi/utils.go
index 732fd45d2e..13d6197b2d 100644
--- a/tools/walletextension/rpcapi/utils.go
+++ b/tools/walletextension/rpcapi/utils.go
@@ -34,13 +34,15 @@ const (
 	ethCallAddrPadding  = "000000000000000000000000"
 
 	notAuthorised = "not authorised"
+	serverBusy    = "server busy. please retry later"
 
 	longCacheTTL  = 5 * time.Hour
 	shortCacheTTL = 1 * time.Minute
 
 	// hardcoding the maximum time for an RPC request
 	// this value will be propagated to the node and enclave and all the operations
-	maximumRPCCallDuration = 5 * time.Second
+	maximumRPCCallDuration  = 5 * time.Second
+	sendTransactionDuration = 20 * time.Second
 )
 
 var rpcNotImplemented = fmt.Errorf("rpc endpoint not implemented")
@@ -52,6 +54,7 @@ type ExecCfg struct {
 	tryUntilAuthorised  bool
 	adjustArgs          func(acct *GWAccount) []any
 	cacheCfg            *CacheCfg
+	timeout             time.Duration
 }
 
 type CacheStrategy uint8
@@ -136,10 +139,19 @@ func ExecAuthRPC[R any](ctx context.Context, w *Services, cfg *ExecCfg, method s
 				}
 
 				// wrap the context with a timeout to prevent long executions
-				timeoutContext, cancelCtx := context.WithTimeout(ctx, maximumRPCCallDuration)
+				deadline := cfg.timeout
+				// if not set, use default
+				if deadline == 0 {
+					deadline = maximumRPCCallDuration
+				}
+				timeoutContext, cancelCtx := context.WithTimeout(ctx, deadline)
 				defer cancelCtx()
 
 				err := rpcClient.CallContext(timeoutContext, &result, method, adjustedArgs...)
+				// return a friendly error to the user
+				if err != nil && errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+					return nil, fmt.Errorf(serverBusy)
+				}
 				return result, err
 			})
 			if err != nil {