diff --git a/web3.js/module.d.ts b/web3.js/module.d.ts
index 86fdb5b93e..abc70c5d80 100644
--- a/web3.js/module.d.ts
+++ b/web3.js/module.d.ts
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ declare module '@solana/web3.js' {
 
   export type Commitment = 'max' | 'recent';
 
+  export type SignatureStatusConfig = {
+    searchTransactionHistory: boolean;
+  };
+
   export type SignatureStatus = {
     slot: number;
     err: TransactionError | null;
@@ -160,6 +164,7 @@ declare module '@solana/web3.js' {
 
   export class Connection {
     constructor(endpoint: string, commitment?: Commitment);
+    commitment?: Commitment;
     getAccountInfoAndContext(
       publicKey: PublicKey,
       commitment?: Commitment,
@@ -192,11 +197,11 @@ declare module '@solana/web3.js' {
     getSlotLeader(commitment?: Commitment): Promise<string>;
     getSignatureStatus(
       signature: TransactionSignature,
-      commitment?: Commitment,
+      config?: SignatureStatusConfig,
     ): Promise<RpcResponseAndContext<SignatureStatus | null>>;
     getSignatureStatuses(
       signatures: Array<TransactionSignature>,
-      commitment?: Commitment,
+      config?: SignatureStatusConfig,
     ): Promise<RpcResponseAndContext<Array<SignatureStatus | null>>>;
     getTransactionCount(commitment?: Commitment): Promise<number>;
     getTotalSupply(commitment?: Commitment): Promise<number>;
diff --git a/web3.js/module.flow.js b/web3.js/module.flow.js
index 6484ccd8ab..7ee0b66453 100644
--- a/web3.js/module.flow.js
+++ b/web3.js/module.flow.js
@@ -61,6 +61,10 @@ declare module '@solana/web3.js' {
 
   declare export type Commitment = 'max' | 'recent';
 
+  declare export type SignatureStatusConfig = {
+    searchTransactionHistory: boolean,
+  };
+
   declare export type SignatureStatus = {
     slot: number,
     err: TransactionError | null,
@@ -173,6 +177,7 @@ declare module '@solana/web3.js' {
 
   declare export class Connection {
     constructor(endpoint: string, commitment: ?Commitment): Connection;
+    commitment: ?Commitment;
     getAccountInfoAndContext(
       publicKey: PublicKey,
       commitment: ?Commitment,
@@ -205,11 +210,11 @@ declare module '@solana/web3.js' {
     getSlotLeader(commitment: ?Commitment): Promise<string>;
     getSignatureStatus(
       signature: TransactionSignature,
-      commitment: ?Commitment,
+      config: ?SignatureStatusConfig,
     ): Promise<RpcResponseAndContext<SignatureStatus | null>>;
     getSignatureStatuses(
       signatures: Array<TransactionSignature>,
-      commitment: ?Commitment,
+      config: ?SignatureStatusConfig,
     ): Promise<RpcResponseAndContext<Array<SignatureStatus | null>>>;
     getTransactionCount(commitment: ?Commitment): Promise<number>;
     getTotalSupply(commitment: ?Commitment): Promise<number>;
diff --git a/web3.js/src/connection.js b/web3.js/src/connection.js
index e541ed779e..5547e83eac 100644
--- a/web3.js/src/connection.js
+++ b/web3.js/src/connection.js
@@ -96,6 +96,16 @@ function notificationResultAndContext(resultDescription: any) {
  */
 export type Commitment = 'max' | 'recent';
 
+/**
+ * Configuration object for changing query behavior
+ *
+ * @typedef {Object} SignatureStatusConfig
+ * @property {boolean} searchTransactionHistory enable searching status history, not needed for recent transactions
+ */
+export type SignatureStatusConfig = {
+  searchTransactionHistory: boolean,
+};
+
 /**
  * Information describing a cluster node
  *
@@ -829,6 +839,13 @@ export class Connection {
     );
   }
 
+  /**
+   * The default commitment used for requests
+   */
+  get commitment(): ?Commitment {
+    return this._commitment;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Fetch the balance for the specified public key, return with context
    */
@@ -1033,25 +1050,28 @@ export class Connection {
    */
   async getSignatureStatus(
     signature: TransactionSignature,
-    commitment: ?Commitment,
+    config: ?SignatureStatusConfig,
   ): Promise<RpcResponseAndContext<SignatureStatus | null>> {
     const {context, value} = await this.getSignatureStatuses(
       [signature],
-      commitment,
+      config,
     );
     assert(value.length === 1);
     return {context, value: value[0]};
   }
 
   /**
-   * Fetch the current status of a signature
+   * Fetch the current statuses of a batch of signatures
    */
   async getSignatureStatuses(
     signatures: Array<TransactionSignature>,
-    commitment: ?Commitment,
+    config: ?SignatureStatusConfig,
   ): Promise<RpcResponseAndContext<Array<SignatureStatus | null>>> {
-    const args = this._argsWithCommitment([signatures], commitment);
-    const unsafeRes = await this._rpcRequest('getSignatureStatuses', args);
+    const params = [signatures];
+    if (config) {
+      params.push(config);
+    }
+    const unsafeRes = await this._rpcRequest('getSignatureStatuses', params);
     const res = GetSignatureStatusesRpcResult(unsafeRes);
     if (res.error) {
       throw new Error(res.error.message);
diff --git a/web3.js/src/util/send-and-confirm-raw-transaction.js b/web3.js/src/util/send-and-confirm-raw-transaction.js
index 3d980dc6f9..7171fa7e93 100644
--- a/web3.js/src/util/send-and-confirm-raw-transaction.js
+++ b/web3.js/src/util/send-and-confirm-raw-transaction.js
@@ -15,15 +15,20 @@ export async function sendAndConfirmRawTransaction(
   commitment: ?Commitment,
 ): Promise<TransactionSignature> {
   const start = Date.now();
+  const statusCommitment = commitment || connection.commitment || 'max';
   let signature = await connection.sendRawTransaction(rawTransaction);
 
   // Wait up to a couple slots for a confirmation
   let status = null;
   let statusRetries = 6;
   for (;;) {
-    status = (await connection.getSignatureStatus(signature, commitment)).value;
+    status = (await connection.getSignatureStatus(signature)).value;
     if (status) {
-      break;
+      if (statusCommitment === 'max' && status.confirmations === null) {
+        break;
+      } else if (statusCommitment === 'recent') {
+        break;
+      }
     }
 
     // Sleep for approximately half a slot
diff --git a/web3.js/src/util/send-and-confirm-transaction.js b/web3.js/src/util/send-and-confirm-transaction.js
index b0ee04b70e..a01b22ed4f 100644
--- a/web3.js/src/util/send-and-confirm-transaction.js
+++ b/web3.js/src/util/send-and-confirm-transaction.js
@@ -43,8 +43,11 @@ async function _sendAndConfirmTransaction(
   signers: Array<Account>,
   commitment: ?Commitment,
 ): Promise<TransactionSignature> {
+  const statusCommitment = commitment || connection.commitment || 'max';
+
   let sendRetries = 10;
   let signature;
+
   for (;;) {
     const start = Date.now();
     signature = await connection.sendTransaction(transaction, ...signers);
@@ -53,10 +56,13 @@ async function _sendAndConfirmTransaction(
     let status = null;
     let statusRetries = 6;
     for (;;) {
-      status = (await connection.getSignatureStatus(signature, commitment))
-        .value;
+      status = (await connection.getSignatureStatus(signature)).value;
       if (status) {
-        break;
+        if (statusCommitment === 'max' && status.confirmations === null) {
+          break;
+        } else if (statusCommitment === 'recent') {
+          break;
+        }
       }
 
       if (--statusRetries <= 0) {
diff --git a/web3.js/test/connection.test.js b/web3.js/test/connection.test.js
index f89ab87cce..decf23ecea 100644
--- a/web3.js/test/connection.test.js
+++ b/web3.js/test/connection.test.js
@@ -109,7 +109,6 @@ test('get program accounts', async () => {
         [
           '3WE5w4B7v59x6qjyC4FbG2FEKYKQfvsJwqSxNVmtMjT8TQ31hsZieDHcSgqzxiAoTL56n2w5TncjqEKjLhtF4Vk',
         ],
-        {commitment: 'recent'},
       ],
     },
     {
@@ -154,7 +153,6 @@ test('get program accounts', async () => {
         [
           '3WE5w4B7v59x6qjyC4FbG2FEKYKQfvsJwqSxNVmtMjT8TQ31hsZieDHcSgqzxiAoTL56n2w5TncjqEKjLhtF4Vk',
         ],
-        {commitment: 'recent'},
       ],
     },
     {
@@ -905,7 +903,6 @@ test('request airdrop - max commitment', async () => {
         [
           '1WE5w4B7v59x6qjyC4FbG2FEKYKQfvsJwqSxNVmtMjT8TQ31hsZieDHcSgqzxiAoTL56n2w5TncjqEKjLhtF4Vk',
         ],
-        {commitment: 'recent'},
       ],
     },
     {
@@ -926,7 +923,7 @@ test('request airdrop - max commitment', async () => {
     },
   ]);
 
-  const {value} = await connection.getSignatureStatus(signature, 'recent');
+  const {value} = await connection.getSignatureStatus(signature);
   if (value === null) {
     expect(value).not.toBeNull();
     return;
@@ -1050,7 +1047,6 @@ test('transaction failure', async () => {
         [
           '3WE5w4B7v59x6qjyC4FbG2FEKYKQfvsJwqSxNVmtMjT8TQ31hsZieDHcSgqzxiAoTL56n2w5TncjqEKjLhtF4Vk',
         ],
-        {commitment: 'recent'},
       ],
     },
     {
@@ -1249,7 +1245,6 @@ test('transaction', async () => {
         [
           '3WE5w4B7v59x6qjyC4FbG2FEKYKQfvsJwqSxNVmtMjT8TQ31hsZieDHcSgqzxiAoTL56n2w5TncjqEKjLhtF4Vk',
         ],
-        {commitment: 'recent'},
       ],
     },
     {
@@ -1297,7 +1292,6 @@ test('transaction', async () => {
           '3WE5w4B7v59x6qjyC4FbG2FEKYKQfvsJwqSxNVmtMjT8TQ31hsZieDHcSgqzxiAoTL56n2w5TncjqEKjLhtF4Vk',
           unprocessedSignature,
         ],
-        {commitment: 'recent'},
       ],
     },
     {
diff --git a/web3.js/test/transaction-payer.test.js b/web3.js/test/transaction-payer.test.js
index 629d87e79c..445b1e066e 100644
--- a/web3.js/test/transaction-payer.test.js
+++ b/web3.js/test/transaction-payer.test.js
@@ -151,7 +151,6 @@ test('transaction-payer', async () => {
         [
           '3WE5w4B7v59x6qjyC4FbG2FEKYKQfvsJwqSxNVmtMjT8TQ31hsZieDHcSgqzxiAoTL56n2w5TncjqEKjLhtF4Vk',
         ],
-        {commitment: 'recent'},
       ],
     },
     {