diff --git a/config/tendermint/config.go b/config/tendermint/config.go
index a48f801e..2e8d9025 100644
--- a/config/tendermint/config.go
+++ b/config/tendermint/config.go
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ func GetConfig(rootDir string) cfg.Config {
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("timeout_precommit", 1000)
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("timeout_precommit_delta", 500)
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("timeout_commit", 1000)
+	// make progress asap (no `timeout_commit`) on full precommit votes
+	mapConfig.SetDefault("skip_timeout_commit", false)
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("mempool_recheck", true)
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("mempool_recheck_empty", true)
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("mempool_broadcast", true)
diff --git a/config/tendermint_test/config.go b/config/tendermint_test/config.go
index 28b1da80..2913546c 100644
--- a/config/tendermint_test/config.go
+++ b/config/tendermint_test/config.go
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ func ResetConfig(localPath string) cfg.Config {
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("timeout_precommit", 10)
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("timeout_precommit_delta", 1)
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("timeout_commit", 10)
+	mapConfig.SetDefault("skip_timeout_commit", false)
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("mempool_recheck", true)
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("mempool_recheck_empty", true)
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("mempool_broadcast", true)
diff --git a/consensus/reactor_test.go b/consensus/reactor_test.go
index 995f4a38..d7fd3ba5 100644
--- a/consensus/reactor_test.go
+++ b/consensus/reactor_test.go
@@ -149,6 +149,12 @@ func TestValidatorSetChanges(t *testing.T) {
 	nPeers := 8
 	nVals := 4
 	css := randConsensusNetWithPeers(nVals, nPeers, "consensus_val_set_changes_test", newMockTickerFunc(true), newPersistentDummy)
+
+	// otherwise, the test is failing with timeout error
+	for i := 0; i < nPeers; i++ {
+		css[i].timeoutParams.SkipCommit0 = true
+	}
+
 	reactors := make([]*ConsensusReactor, nPeers)
 	eventChans := make([]chan interface{}, nPeers)
 	for i := 0; i < nPeers; i++ {
diff --git a/consensus/state.go b/consensus/state.go
index 3020a214..13125a5d 100644
--- a/consensus/state.go
+++ b/consensus/state.go
@@ -24,15 +24,17 @@ import (
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Timeout Parameters
 
-// All in milliseconds
+// TimeoutParams holds timeouts and deltas for each round step.
+// All timeouts and deltas in milliseconds.
 type TimeoutParams struct {
-	Propose0       int
-	ProposeDelta   int
-	Prevote0       int
-	PrevoteDelta   int
-	Precommit0     int
-	PrecommitDelta int
-	Commit0        int
+	Propose0          int
+	ProposeDelta      int
+	Prevote0          int
+	PrevoteDelta      int
+	Precommit0        int
+	PrecommitDelta    int
+	Commit0           int
+	SkipTimeoutCommit bool
 }
 
 // Wait this long for a proposal
@@ -55,16 +57,17 @@ func (tp *TimeoutParams) Commit(t time.Time) time.Time {
 	return t.Add(time.Duration(tp.Commit0) * time.Millisecond)
 }
 
-// Initialize parameters from config
+// InitTimeoutParamsFromConfig initializes parameters from config
 func InitTimeoutParamsFromConfig(config cfg.Config) *TimeoutParams {
 	return &TimeoutParams{
-		Propose0:       config.GetInt("timeout_propose"),
-		ProposeDelta:   config.GetInt("timeout_propose_delta"),
-		Prevote0:       config.GetInt("timeout_prevote"),
-		PrevoteDelta:   config.GetInt("timeout_prevote_delta"),
-		Precommit0:     config.GetInt("timeout_precommit"),
-		PrecommitDelta: config.GetInt("timeout_precommit_delta"),
-		Commit0:        config.GetInt("timeout_commit"),
+		Propose0:          config.GetInt("timeout_propose"),
+		ProposeDelta:      config.GetInt("timeout_propose_delta"),
+		Prevote0:          config.GetInt("timeout_prevote"),
+		PrevoteDelta:      config.GetInt("timeout_prevote_delta"),
+		Precommit0:        config.GetInt("timeout_precommit"),
+		PrecommitDelta:    config.GetInt("timeout_precommit_delta"),
+		Commit0:           config.GetInt("timeout_commit"),
+		SkipTimeoutCommit: config.GetBool("skip_timeout_commit"),
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1388,8 +1391,8 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) addVote(vote *types.Vote, peerKey string) (added bool,
 			log.Info(Fmt("Added to lastPrecommits: %v", cs.LastCommit.StringShort()))
 			types.FireEventVote(cs.evsw, types.EventDataVote{vote})
 
-			if cs.LastCommit.HasAll() {
-				// if we have all the votes now,
+			// if we can skip timeoutCommit and have all the votes now,
+			if cs.timeoutParams.SkipTimeoutCommit && cs.LastCommit.HasAll() {
 				// go straight to new round (skip timeout commit)
 				// cs.scheduleTimeout(time.Duration(0), cs.Height, 0, RoundStepNewHeight)
 				cs.enterNewRound(cs.Height, 0)
@@ -1452,7 +1455,7 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) addVote(vote *types.Vote, peerKey string) (added bool,
 						cs.enterPrecommit(height, vote.Round)
 						cs.enterCommit(height, vote.Round)
 
-						if precommits.HasAll() {
+						if cs.timeoutParams.SkipTimeoutCommit && cs.LastCommit.HasAll() {
 							// if we have all the votes now,
 							// go straight to new round (skip timeout commit)
 							// cs.scheduleTimeout(time.Duration(0), cs.Height, 0, RoundStepNewHeight)