diff --git a/crates/driver/src/boundary/mod.rs b/crates/driver/src/boundary/mod.rs
index 0e7cd2f395..c6aacc1f74 100644
--- a/crates/driver/src/boundary/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/driver/src/boundary/mod.rs
@@ -45,24 +45,26 @@ fn web3(eth: &Ethereum) -> Web3 {
 
 /// Builds a web3 client that buffers requests and sends them in a
 /// batch call.
-pub fn buffered_web3_client(ethrpc: &Url) -> Web3 {
-    web3_client(ethrpc, 20, 10)
+pub fn buffered_web3_client(ethrpc: &Url, ethrpc_args: &shared::ethrpc::Arguments) -> Web3 {
+    web3_client(ethrpc, ethrpc_args)
 }
 
 /// Builds a web3 client that sends requests one by one.
 pub fn unbuffered_web3_client(ethrpc: &Url) -> Web3 {
-    web3_client(ethrpc, 0, 0)
+    web3_client(
+        ethrpc,
+        &shared::ethrpc::Arguments {
+            ethrpc_max_batch_size: 0,
+            ethrpc_max_concurrent_requests: 0,
+            ethrpc_batch_delay: Default::default(),
+        },
+    )
 }
 
-fn web3_client(ethrpc: &Url, max_batch_size: usize, max_concurrent_requests: usize) -> Web3 {
-    let ethrpc_args = shared::ethrpc::Arguments {
-        ethrpc_max_batch_size: max_batch_size,
-        ethrpc_max_concurrent_requests: max_concurrent_requests,
-        ethrpc_batch_delay: Default::default(),
-    };
+fn web3_client(ethrpc: &Url, ethrpc_args: &shared::ethrpc::Arguments) -> Web3 {
     let http_factory =
         shared::http_client::HttpClientFactory::new(&shared::http_client::Arguments {
             http_timeout: std::time::Duration::from_secs(10),
         });
-    shared::ethrpc::web3(&ethrpc_args, &http_factory, ethrpc, "base")
+    shared::ethrpc::web3(ethrpc_args, &http_factory, ethrpc, "base")
 }
diff --git a/crates/driver/src/infra/blockchain/contracts.rs b/crates/driver/src/infra/blockchain/contracts.rs
index 835ff66130..664793a7ed 100644
--- a/crates/driver/src/infra/blockchain/contracts.rs
+++ b/crates/driver/src/infra/blockchain/contracts.rs
@@ -66,9 +66,9 @@ impl Contracts {
                 .0,
         );
 
-        let archive_node_web3 = archive_node_url
-            .as_ref()
-            .map_or(web3.clone(), |url| boundary::buffered_web3_client(url));
+        let archive_node_web3 = archive_node_url.as_ref().map_or(web3.clone(), |url| {
+            boundary::buffered_web3_client(url, &shared::ethrpc::Arguments::default())
+        }); // todo: provide it from the config
         let mut cow_amm_registry = cow_amm::Registry::new(archive_node_web3);
         for config in addresses.cow_amms {
             cow_amm_registry
diff --git a/crates/driver/src/infra/blockchain/mod.rs b/crates/driver/src/infra/blockchain/mod.rs
index 9115d203a0..76fa77deac 100644
--- a/crates/driver/src/infra/blockchain/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/driver/src/infra/blockchain/mod.rs
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ pub struct Rpc {
 impl Rpc {
     /// Instantiate an RPC client to an Ethereum (or Ethereum-compatible) node
     /// at the specifed URL.
-    pub async fn new(url: &url::Url) -> Result<Self, Error> {
-        let web3 = boundary::buffered_web3_client(url);
+    pub async fn new(url: &url::Url, args: &shared::ethrpc::Arguments) -> Result<Self, Error> {
+        let web3 = boundary::buffered_web3_client(url, args);
         let chain = web3.eth().chain_id().await?.into();
 
         Ok(Self {
diff --git a/crates/driver/src/infra/cli.rs b/crates/driver/src/infra/cli.rs
index 9159f990f7..f4c7dacd7b 100644
--- a/crates/driver/src/infra/cli.rs
+++ b/crates/driver/src/infra/cli.rs
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ pub struct Args {
     #[clap(long, env)]
     pub ethrpc: Url,
 
+    #[clap(flatten)]
+    pub ethrpc_args: shared::ethrpc::Arguments,
+
     /// Path to the driver configuration file. This file should be in TOML
     /// format. For an example see
     /// https://github.com/cowprotocol/services/blob/main/crates/driver/example.toml.
diff --git a/crates/driver/src/run.rs b/crates/driver/src/run.rs
index 10e431208d..6eefa9c92c 100644
--- a/crates/driver/src/run.rs
+++ b/crates/driver/src/run.rs
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ fn simulator(config: &infra::Config, eth: &Ethereum) -> Simulator {
 }
 
 async fn ethrpc(args: &cli::Args) -> blockchain::Rpc {
-    blockchain::Rpc::new(&args.ethrpc)
+    blockchain::Rpc::new(&args.ethrpc, &args.ethrpc_args)
         .await
         .expect("connect ethereum RPC")
 }
diff --git a/crates/driver/src/tests/cases/settle.rs b/crates/driver/src/tests/cases/settle.rs
index 110d138734..c82b0bac03 100644
--- a/crates/driver/src/tests/cases/settle.rs
+++ b/crates/driver/src/tests/cases/settle.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use {
             setup::{ab_order, ab_pool, ab_solution},
         },
     },
+    futures::future::join_all,
     web3::Transport,
 };
 
@@ -110,3 +111,50 @@ async fn high_gas_limit() {
         .unwrap();
     test.settle(&id).await.ok().await;
 }
+
+#[tokio::test]
+#[ignore]
+async fn too_many_settle_calls() {
+    let test = tests::setup()
+        .allow_multiple_solve_requests()
+        .pool(ab_pool())
+        .order(ab_order())
+        .solution(ab_solution())
+        .ethrpc_args(shared::ethrpc::Arguments {
+            ethrpc_max_batch_size: 10,
+            ethrpc_max_concurrent_requests: 10,
+            ethrpc_batch_delay: std::time::Duration::from_secs(1),
+        })
+        .solve_deadline_timeout(chrono::Duration::seconds(4))
+        .done()
+        .await;
+
+    let id1 = test.solve().await.ok().id();
+    let id2 = test.solve().await.ok().id();
+    let id3 = test.solve().await.ok().id();
+    let id4 = test.solve().await.ok().id();
+
+    assert_ne!(id1, id2);
+    assert_ne!(id2, id3);
+    assert_ne!(id1, id3);
+    assert_ne!(id1, id4);
+
+    let results = join_all(vec![
+        test.settle(&id1),
+        test.settle(&id2),
+        test.settle(&id3),
+        test.settle(&id4),
+    ])
+    .await;
+
+    for (index, result) in results.into_iter().enumerate() {
+        match index {
+            0 => {
+                result.ok().await.ab_order_executed().await;
+            }
+            1 | 2 => result.err().kind("FailedToSubmit"),
+            3 => result.err().kind("QueueAwaitingDeadlineExceeded"),
+            _ => unreachable!(),
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/driver/src/tests/setup/driver.rs b/crates/driver/src/tests/setup/driver.rs
index 6cf08b1cc6..2c2d288416 100644
--- a/crates/driver/src/tests/setup/driver.rs
+++ b/crates/driver/src/tests/setup/driver.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ pub struct Config {
     pub enable_simulation: bool,
     pub mempools: Vec<Mempool>,
     pub order_priority_strategies: Vec<OrderPriorityStrategy>,
+    pub ethrpc_args: Option<shared::ethrpc::Arguments>,
 }
 
 pub struct Driver {
@@ -40,7 +41,8 @@ impl Driver {
             }
         };
         let (addr_sender, addr_receiver) = oneshot::channel();
-        let args = vec![
+
+        let mut args = vec![
             "/test/driver/path".to_owned(),
             "--addr".to_owned(),
             "0.0.0.0:0".to_owned(),
@@ -49,6 +51,14 @@ impl Driver {
             "--config".to_owned(),
             config_file.to_str().unwrap().to_owned(),
         ];
+        if let Some(ethrpc_arg) = &config.ethrpc_args {
+            args.push("--ethrpc-max-batch-size".to_owned());
+            args.push(ethrpc_arg.ethrpc_max_batch_size.to_string());
+            args.push("--ethrpc-max-concurrent-requests".to_owned());
+            args.push(ethrpc_arg.ethrpc_max_concurrent_requests.to_string());
+            args.push("--ethrpc-batch-delay".to_owned());
+            args.push(ethrpc_arg.ethrpc_batch_delay.as_millis().to_string() + "ms");
+        }
         tokio::spawn(crate::run(args.into_iter(), Some(addr_sender)));
         let addr = addr_receiver.await.unwrap();
         Self {
diff --git a/crates/driver/src/tests/setup/mod.rs b/crates/driver/src/tests/setup/mod.rs
index 63458971b0..8b7e3c1442 100644
--- a/crates/driver/src/tests/setup/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/driver/src/tests/setup/mod.rs
@@ -499,6 +499,7 @@ pub fn setup() -> Setup {
         rpc_args: vec!["--gas-limit".into(), "10000000".into()],
         allow_multiple_solve_requests: false,
         auction_id: 1,
+        solve_deadline_timeout: chrono::Duration::seconds(2),
         ..Default::default()
     }
 }
@@ -532,6 +533,9 @@ pub struct Setup {
     allow_multiple_solve_requests: bool,
     /// Auction ID used during tests
     auction_id: i64,
+    ethrpc_args: Option<shared::ethrpc::Arguments>,
+    /// Auction solving deadline timeout
+    solve_deadline_timeout: chrono::Duration,
 }
 
 /// The validity of a solution.
@@ -842,6 +846,11 @@ impl Setup {
         self
     }
 
+    pub fn ethrpc_args(mut self, ethrpc_args: shared::ethrpc::Arguments) -> Self {
+        self.ethrpc_args = Some(ethrpc_args);
+        self
+    }
+
     /// Create the test: set up onchain contracts and pools, start a mock HTTP
     /// server for the solver and start the HTTP server for the driver.
     pub async fn done(self) -> Test {
@@ -945,6 +954,7 @@ impl Setup {
                 enable_simulation: self.enable_simulation,
                 mempools: self.mempools,
                 order_priority_strategies: self.order_priority_strategies,
+                ethrpc_args: self.ethrpc_args,
             },
             &solvers_with_address,
             &blockchain,
@@ -981,7 +991,12 @@ impl Setup {
     }
 
     fn deadline(&self) -> chrono::DateTime<chrono::Utc> {
-        crate::infra::time::now() + chrono::Duration::seconds(2)
+        crate::infra::time::now() + self.solve_deadline_timeout
+    }
+
+    pub fn solve_deadline_timeout(mut self, timeout: chrono::Duration) -> Self {
+        self.solve_deadline_timeout = timeout;
+        self
     }
 
     pub fn allow_multiple_solve_requests(mut self) -> Self {
diff --git a/crates/driver/src/tests/setup/solver.rs b/crates/driver/src/tests/setup/solver.rs
index 777e6416d2..9194ab8a58 100644
--- a/crates/driver/src/tests/setup/solver.rs
+++ b/crates/driver/src/tests/setup/solver.rs
@@ -381,7 +381,9 @@ impl Solver {
             .collect::<HashMap<_, _>>();
 
         let url = config.blockchain.web3_url.parse().unwrap();
-        let rpc = infra::blockchain::Rpc::new(&url).await.unwrap();
+        let rpc = infra::blockchain::Rpc::new(&url, &shared::ethrpc::Arguments::default())
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
         let gas = Arc::new(
             infra::blockchain::GasPriceEstimator::new(
                 rpc.web3(),
diff --git a/crates/shared/src/ethrpc.rs b/crates/shared/src/ethrpc.rs
index 8f2a0ab9c0..0e3b1d00eb 100644
--- a/crates/shared/src/ethrpc.rs
+++ b/crates/shared/src/ethrpc.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ pub use ethrpc::{
 };
 use {
     crate::http_client::HttpClientFactory,
+    clap::Parser,
     reqwest::Url,
     std::{
         fmt::{self, Display, Formatter},
@@ -17,12 +18,12 @@ use {
 pub const MAX_BATCH_SIZE: usize = 100;
 
 /// Command line arguments for the common Ethereum RPC connections.
-#[derive(clap::Parser)]
+#[derive(clap::Parser, Debug)]
 #[group(skip)]
 pub struct Arguments {
     /// Maximum batch size for Ethereum RPC requests. Use '0' to disable
     /// batching.
-    #[clap(long, env, default_value = "100")]
+    #[clap(long, env, default_value = "20")]
     pub ethrpc_max_batch_size: usize,
 
     /// Maximum number of concurrent requests to send to the node. Use '0' for
@@ -36,6 +37,12 @@ pub struct Arguments {
     pub ethrpc_batch_delay: Duration,
 }
 
+impl Default for Arguments {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Arguments::parse_from([""])
+    }
+}
+
 impl Display for Arguments {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
         let Self {