diff --git a/fendermint/app/settings/src/lib.rs b/fendermint/app/settings/src/lib.rs
index 3b0fb0247..b46c59fc1 100644
--- a/fendermint/app/settings/src/lib.rs
+++ b/fendermint/app/settings/src/lib.rs
@@ -128,6 +128,9 @@ pub struct TopDownSettings {
     pub exponential_retry_limit: usize,
     /// The parent rpc http endpoint
     pub parent_http_endpoint: Url,
+    /// Timeout for calls to the parent Ethereum API.
+    #[serde_as(as = "Option<DurationSeconds<u64>>")]
+    pub parent_http_timeout: Option<Duration>,
     /// The parent registry address
     #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_eth_address_from_str")]
     pub parent_registry: Address,
diff --git a/fendermint/app/src/cmd/genesis.rs b/fendermint/app/src/cmd/genesis.rs
index 00cebc7c8..261ceb111 100644
--- a/fendermint/app/src/cmd/genesis.rs
+++ b/fendermint/app/src/cmd/genesis.rs
@@ -294,6 +294,7 @@ async fn new_genesis_from_parent(
                 .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("subnet is not a child"))?,
             config: SubnetConfig::Fevm(EVMSubnet {
                 provider_http: args.parent_endpoint.clone(),
+                provider_timeout: None,
                 auth_token: None,
                 registry_addr: args.parent_registry,
                 gateway_addr: args.parent_gateway,
diff --git a/fendermint/app/src/cmd/run.rs b/fendermint/app/src/cmd/run.rs
index fc4327f77..a55fe4b5d 100644
--- a/fendermint/app/src/cmd/run.rs
+++ b/fendermint/app/src/cmd/run.rs
@@ -348,6 +348,7 @@ fn make_ipc_provider_proxy(settings: &Settings) -> anyhow::Result<IPCProviderPro
                 .to_string()
                 .parse()
                 .unwrap(),
+            provider_timeout: topdown_config.parent_http_timeout,
             auth_token: None,
             registry_addr: topdown_config.parent_registry,
             gateway_addr: topdown_config.parent_gateway,
diff --git a/fendermint/vm/topdown/src/sync/syncer.rs b/fendermint/vm/topdown/src/sync/syncer.rs
index ec52bb9dd..e66449f78 100644
--- a/fendermint/vm/topdown/src/sync/syncer.rs
+++ b/fendermint/vm/topdown/src/sync/syncer.rs
@@ -170,7 +170,10 @@ where
 
                     return Ok(height);
                 }
-                return Err(Error::CannotQueryParent(err, height));
+                return Err(Error::CannotQueryParent(
+                    format!("get_block_hash: {e}"),
+                    height,
+                ));
             }
         };
 
@@ -249,7 +252,7 @@ where
             .parent_proxy
             .get_validator_changes(height)
             .await
-            .map_err(|e| Error::CannotQueryParent(e.to_string(), height))?;
+            .map_err(|e| Error::CannotQueryParent(format!("get_validator_changes: {e}"), height))?;
 
         if changes_res.block_hash != block_hash {
             tracing::warn!(
@@ -265,7 +268,7 @@ where
             .parent_proxy
             .get_top_down_msgs(height)
             .await
-            .map_err(|e| Error::CannotQueryParent(e.to_string(), height))?;
+            .map_err(|e| Error::CannotQueryParent(format!("get_top_down_msgs: {e}"), height))?;
 
         if topdown_msgs_res.block_hash != block_hash {
             tracing::warn!(
diff --git a/infra/fendermint/scripts/fendermint.toml b/infra/fendermint/scripts/fendermint.toml
index 353583907..dcba0511a 100644
--- a/infra/fendermint/scripts/fendermint.toml
+++ b/infra/fendermint/scripts/fendermint.toml
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ docker run \
   --env FM_IPC__SUBNET_ID=${SUBNET_ID} \
   --env FM_IPC__TOPDOWN__CHAIN_HEAD_DELAY=${TOPDOWN_CHAIN_HEAD_DELAY} \
   --env FM_IPC__TOPDOWN__PARENT_HTTP_ENDPOINT=${PARENT_ENDPOINT} \
+  --env FM_IPC__TOPDOWN__PARENT_HTTP_TIMEOUT=60 \
   --env FM_IPC__TOPDOWN__PARENT_REGISTRY=${PARENT_REGISTRY} \
   --env FM_IPC__TOPDOWN__PARENT_GATEWAY=${PARENT_GATEWAY} \
   --env FM_IPC__TOPDOWN__EXPONENTIAL_BACK_OFF=5 \
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@ docker run \
   --env FM_VALIDATOR_KEY__PATH=/data/${NODE_NAME}/${VALIDATOR_PRIV_KEY_PATH} \
   --env FM_VALIDATOR_KEY__KIND=ethereum \
   --env TENDERMINT_RPC_URL=http://${CMT_CONTAINER_NAME}:26657 \
-  --env LOG_LEVEL=${LOG_LEVEL} \
+  --env LOG_LEVEL=${FM_LOG_LEVEL} \
   --env RUST_BACKTRACE=1 \
   ${FM_DOCKER_IMAGE} \
   --network=${FM_NETWORK} \
@@ -104,6 +105,7 @@ docker run \
   --env FM_IPC__SUBNET_ID=${SUBNET_ID} \
   --env FM_IPC__TOPDOWN__CHAIN_HEAD_DELAY=${TOPDOWN_CHAIN_HEAD_DELAY} \
   --env FM_IPC__TOPDOWN__PARENT_HTTP_ENDPOINT=${PARENT_ENDPOINT} \
+  --env FM_IPC__TOPDOWN__PARENT_HTTP_TIMEOUT=60 \
   --env FM_IPC__TOPDOWN__PARENT_REGISTRY=${PARENT_REGISTRY} \
   --env FM_IPC__TOPDOWN__PARENT_GATEWAY=${PARENT_GATEWAY} \
   --env FM_IPC__TOPDOWN__EXPONENTIAL_BACK_OFF=5 \
@@ -116,7 +118,7 @@ docker run \
   --env FM_RESOLVER__DISCOVERY__STATIC_ADDRESSES=${RESOLVER_BOOTSTRAPS} \
   --env FM_TENDERMINT_RPC_URL=http://${CMT_CONTAINER_NAME}:26657 \
   --env TENDERMINT_RPC_URL=http://${CMT_CONTAINER_NAME}:26657 \
-  --env LOG_LEVEL=${LOG_LEVEL} \
+  --env LOG_LEVEL=${FM_LOG_LEVEL} \
   --env RUST_BACKTRACE=1 \
   ${FM_DOCKER_IMAGE} \
   --network=${FM_NETWORK} \
@@ -131,7 +133,7 @@ docker run \
   --init \
   --user $(id -u) \
   --volume ${BASE_DIR}:/data \
-  --env LOG_LEVEL=${LOG_LEVEL} \
+  --env LOG_LEVEL=${FM_LOG_LEVEL} \
   --env RUST_BACKTRACE=1 \
   ${FM_DOCKER_IMAGE} \
   --network=${FM_NETWORK} \
diff --git a/ipc/provider/src/config/serialize.rs b/ipc/provider/src/config/serialize.rs
index 52696f3e5..267359640 100644
--- a/ipc/provider/src/config/serialize.rs
+++ b/ipc/provider/src/config/serialize.rs
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ mod tests {
             config: SubnetConfig::Fevm(EVMSubnet {
                 gateway_addr: Address::from(eth_addr1),
                 provider_http: "http://127.0.0.1:3030/rpc/v1".parse().unwrap(),
+                provider_timeout: None,
                 auth_token: None,
                 registry_addr: Address::from(eth_addr1),
             }),
diff --git a/ipc/provider/src/config/subnet.rs b/ipc/provider/src/config/subnet.rs
index ccef3cb83..b4a9c1147 100644
--- a/ipc/provider/src/config/subnet.rs
+++ b/ipc/provider/src/config/subnet.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+use std::time::Duration;
+
 // Copyright 2022-2024 Protocol Labs
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 use fvm_shared::address::Address;
@@ -53,6 +55,12 @@ impl Subnet {
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn rpc_timeout(&self) -> Option<Duration> {
+        match &self.config {
+            SubnetConfig::Fevm(s) => s.provider_timeout,
+        }
+    }
+
     pub fn gateway_addr(&self) -> Address {
         match &self.config {
             SubnetConfig::Fevm(s) => s.gateway_addr,
@@ -74,10 +82,13 @@ pub struct FVMSubnet {
 #[derive(Deserialize, Serialize, Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub struct EVMSubnet {
     pub provider_http: Url,
+    pub provider_timeout: Option<Duration>,
     pub auth_token: Option<String>,
+
     #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_eth_address_from_str")]
     #[serde(serialize_with = "serialize_eth_address_to_str")]
     pub registry_addr: Address,
+
     #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_eth_address_from_str")]
     #[serde(serialize_with = "serialize_eth_address_to_str")]
     pub gateway_addr: Address,
diff --git a/ipc/provider/src/manager/evm/manager.rs b/ipc/provider/src/manager/evm/manager.rs
index f95c8885d..915ab0c4c 100644
--- a/ipc/provider/src/manager/evm/manager.rs
+++ b/ipc/provider/src/manager/evm/manager.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ use ipc_actors_abis::{
 };
 use ipc_api::evm::{fil_to_eth_amount, payload_to_evm_address, subnet_id_to_evm_addresses};
 use ipc_api::validator::from_contract_validators;
+use reqwest::header::HeaderValue;
+use reqwest::Client;
 use std::net::{IpAddr, SocketAddr};
 
 use ipc_api::subnet::{PermissionMode, SupplyKind, SupplySource};
@@ -65,7 +67,7 @@ const ETH_PROVIDER_POLLING_TIME: Duration = Duration::from_secs(1);
 const TRANSACTION_RECEIPT_RETRIES: usize = 200;
 
 /// The majority vote percentage for checkpoint submission when creating a subnet.
-const SUBNET_MAJORITY_PERCENTAGE: u8 = 60;
+const SUBNET_MAJORITY_PERCENTAGE: u8 = 67;
 
 pub struct EthSubnetManager {
     keystore: Option<Arc<RwLock<PersistentKeyStore<EthKeyAddress>>>>,
@@ -937,11 +939,26 @@ impl EthSubnetManager {
 
         let SubnetConfig::Fevm(config) = &subnet.config;
 
-        let provider = if auth_token.is_some() {
-            Http::new_with_auth(url, Authorization::Bearer(auth_token.unwrap()))?
-        } else {
-            Http::new(url)
-        };
+        let mut client = Client::builder();
+
+        if let Some(auth_token) = auth_token {
+            let auth = Authorization::Bearer(auth_token);
+            let mut auth_value = HeaderValue::from_str(&auth.to_string())?;
+            auth_value.set_sensitive(true);
+
+            let mut headers = reqwest::header::HeaderMap::new();
+            headers.insert(reqwest::header::AUTHORIZATION, auth_value);
+
+            client = client.default_headers(headers);
+        }
+
+        if let Some(timeout) = subnet.rpc_timeout() {
+            client = client.timeout(timeout);
+        }
+
+        let client = client.build()?;
+
+        let provider = Http::new_with_client(url, client);
 
         let mut provider = Provider::new(provider);
         // set polling interval for provider to fit fast child subnets block times.