diff --git a/nano/lib/constants.hpp b/nano/lib/constants.hpp
index aeef2474e..4eaffde86 100644
--- a/nano/lib/constants.hpp
+++ b/nano/lib/constants.hpp
@@ -132,7 +132,6 @@ public:
 			telemetry_cache_cutoff = 2000ms;
 			telemetry_request_interval = 500ms;
 			telemetry_broadcast_interval = 500ms;
-			optimistic_activation_delay = 2s;
 			rep_crawler_normal_interval = 500ms;
 			rep_crawler_warmup_interval = 500ms;
 		}
@@ -183,9 +182,6 @@ public:
 	/** Telemetry data older than this value is considered stale */
 	std::chrono::milliseconds telemetry_cache_cutoff{ 1000 * 130 }; // 2 * `telemetry_broadcast_interval` + some margin
 
-	/** How much to delay activation of optimistic elections to avoid interfering with election scheduler */
-	std::chrono::seconds optimistic_activation_delay{ 30 };
-
 	std::chrono::milliseconds rep_crawler_normal_interval{ 1000 * 7 };
 	std::chrono::milliseconds rep_crawler_warmup_interval{ 1000 * 3 };
 
diff --git a/nano/node/scheduler/optimistic.cpp b/nano/node/scheduler/optimistic.cpp
index cd38ab9ae..1ba7f764e 100644
--- a/nano/node/scheduler/optimistic.cpp
+++ b/nano/node/scheduler/optimistic.cpp
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ bool nano::scheduler::optimistic::predicate () const
 	auto candidate = candidates.get<tag_unconfirmed_height> ().begin ();
 	debug_assert (candidate != candidates.get<tag_unconfirmed_height> ().end ());
 
-	return elapsed (candidate->timestamp, network_constants.optimistic_activation_delay);
+	return elapsed (candidate->timestamp, config.activation_delay);
 }
 
 void nano::scheduler::optimistic::run ()
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ void nano::scheduler::optimistic::run ()
 	{
 		stats.inc (nano::stat::type::optimistic_scheduler, nano::stat::detail::loop);
 
-		condition.wait_for (lock, network_constants.optimistic_activation_delay / 2, [this] () {
+		condition.wait_for (lock, config.activation_delay / 2, [this] () {
 			return stopped || predicate ();
 		});
 
@@ -204,6 +204,7 @@ nano::error nano::scheduler::optimistic_config::deserialize (nano::tomlconfig &
 	toml.get ("enable", enable);
 	toml.get ("gap_threshold", gap_threshold);
 	toml.get ("max_size", max_size);
+	toml.get_duration ("activation_delay", activation_delay);
 
 	return toml.get_error ();
 }
@@ -213,6 +214,7 @@ nano::error nano::scheduler::optimistic_config::serialize (nano::tomlconfig & to
 	toml.put ("enable", enable, "Enable or disable optimistic elections\ntype:bool");
 	toml.put ("gap_threshold", gap_threshold, "Minimum difference between confirmation frontier and account frontier to become a candidate for optimistic confirmation\ntype:uint64");
 	toml.put ("max_size", max_size, "Maximum number of candidates stored in memory\ntype:uint64");
+	toml.put ("activation_delay", activation_delay.count (), "How much to delay activation of optimistic elections to avoid interfering with election scheduler\ntype:milliseconds");
 
 	return toml.get_error ();
 }
diff --git a/nano/node/scheduler/optimistic.hpp b/nano/node/scheduler/optimistic.hpp
index 32557263d..6977c0ada 100644
--- a/nano/node/scheduler/optimistic.hpp
+++ b/nano/node/scheduler/optimistic.hpp
@@ -33,10 +33,13 @@ public:
 	bool enable{ true };
 
 	/** Minimum difference between confirmation frontier and account frontier to become a candidate for optimistic confirmation */
-	uint64_t gap_threshold{ 32 };
+	uint64_t gap_threshold{ 16 };
 
 	/** Maximum number of candidates stored in memory */
 	std::size_t max_size{ 1024 * 4 };
+
+	/** How much to delay activation of optimistic elections to avoid interfering with election scheduler */
+	std::chrono::milliseconds activation_delay{ 1s };
 };
 
 class optimistic final