diff --git a/pkg/interchain/relayer/relayer.go b/pkg/interchain/relayer/relayer.go
index 3c791ca0c..83840a167 100644
--- a/pkg/interchain/relayer/relayer.go
+++ b/pkg/interchain/relayer/relayer.go
@@ -30,11 +30,12 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	localRelayerSetupTime         = 2 * time.Second
-	localRelayerCheckPoolTime     = 100 * time.Millisecond
-	localRelayerCheckTimeout      = 3 * time.Second
-	defaultDBWriteIntervalSeconds = 10
-	defaultSignatureCacheSize     = 1024 * 1024
+	localRelayerSetupTime                  = 2 * time.Second
+	localRelayerCheckPoolTime              = 100 * time.Millisecond
+	localRelayerCheckTimeout               = 3 * time.Second
+	defaultDBWriteIntervalSeconds          = 10
+	defaultSignatureCacheSize              = 1024 * 1024
+	defaultInitialConnectionTimeoutSeconds = 60
 )
 
 var relayerRequiredBalance = big.NewInt(0).Mul(big.NewInt(1e18), big.NewInt(500)) // 500 AVAX
@@ -408,14 +409,15 @@ func CreateBaseRelayerConfig(
 			BaseURL:     network.Endpoint,
 			QueryParams: map[string]string{},
 		},
-		StorageLocation:        storageLocation,
-		ProcessMissedBlocks:    false,
-		SourceBlockchains:      []*config.SourceBlockchain{},
-		DestinationBlockchains: []*config.DestinationBlockchain{},
-		MetricsPort:            metricsPort,
-		DBWriteIntervalSeconds: defaultDBWriteIntervalSeconds,
-		SignatureCacheSize:     defaultSignatureCacheSize,
-		AllowPrivateIPs:        allowPrivateIPs,
+		StorageLocation:                 storageLocation,
+		ProcessMissedBlocks:             false,
+		SourceBlockchains:               []*config.SourceBlockchain{},
+		DestinationBlockchains:          []*config.DestinationBlockchain{},
+		MetricsPort:                     metricsPort,
+		DBWriteIntervalSeconds:          defaultDBWriteIntervalSeconds,
+		SignatureCacheSize:              defaultSignatureCacheSize,
+		AllowPrivateIPs:                 allowPrivateIPs,
+		InitialConnectionTimeoutSeconds: defaultInitialConnectionTimeoutSeconds,
 	}
 	return saveRelayerConfig(awmRelayerConfig, relayerConfigPath)
 }