diff --git a/qa/pull-tester/run-bitcoind-for-test.sh.in b/qa/pull-tester/run-bitcoind-for-test.sh.in
index 94f3cdda2..b0b8811a0 100755
--- a/qa/pull-tester/run-bitcoind-for-test.sh.in
+++ b/qa/pull-tester/run-bitcoind-for-test.sh.in
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 # Distributed under the MIT software license, see the accompanying
 # file COPYING or http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php.
 #
+ZCASH_LOAD_TIMEOUT=500
 DATADIR="@abs_top_builddir@/.zcash"
 rm -rf "$DATADIR"
 mkdir -p "$DATADIR"/regtest
@@ -14,7 +15,7 @@ PORT=`expr 10000 + $$ % 55536`
 BITCOIND=$!
 
 #Install a watchdog.
-(sleep 10 && kill -0 $WAITER 2>/dev/null && kill -9 $BITCOIND $$)&
+(sleep "$ZCASH_LOAD_TIMEOUT" && kill -0 $WAITER 2>/dev/null && kill -9 $BITCOIND $$)&
 wait $WAITER
 
 if [ -n "$TIMEOUT" ]; then
@@ -25,7 +26,7 @@ else
   RETURN=$?
 fi
 
-(sleep 15 && kill -0 $BITCOIND 2>/dev/null && kill -9 $BITCOIND $$)&
+(sleep "$ZCASH_LOAD_TIMEOUT" && kill -0 $BITCOIND 2>/dev/null && kill -9 $BITCOIND $$)&
 kill $BITCOIND && wait $BITCOIND
 
 # timeout returns 124 on timeout, otherwise the return value of the child