diff --git a/errors/errors.go b/errors/errors.go
index f44a324bfd9..3b1cad8e408 100644
--- a/errors/errors.go
+++ b/errors/errors.go
@@ -514,3 +514,6 @@ var ErrInvalidPID = errors.New("invalid PID")
 
 // ErrInvalidSignature signals that the given signature is invalid
 var ErrInvalidSignature = errors.New("invalid signature")
+
+// ErrInvalidHeartbeatV2Config signals that an invalid heartbeat v2 configuration has been provided
+var ErrInvalidHeartbeatV2Config = errors.New("invalid heartbeat v2 configuration")
diff --git a/factory/heartbeat/heartbeatV2Components.go b/factory/heartbeat/heartbeatV2Components.go
index 599d89c48dd..402fd72f9dd 100644
--- a/factory/heartbeat/heartbeatV2Components.go
+++ b/factory/heartbeat/heartbeatV2Components.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package heartbeat
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ElrondNetwork/elrond-go-core/core"
@@ -113,6 +114,11 @@ func (hcf *heartbeatV2ComponentsFactory) Create() (*heartbeatV2Components, error
 		}
 	}
 
+	cfg := hcf.config.HeartbeatV2
+	if cfg.HeartbeatExpiryTimespanInSec <= cfg.PeerAuthenticationTimeBetweenSendsInSec {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w, HeartbeatExpiryTimespanInSec must be greater than PeerAuthenticationTimeBetweenSendsInSec", errors.ErrInvalidHeartbeatV2Config)
+	}
+
 	peerSubType := core.RegularPeer
 	if hcf.prefs.Preferences.FullArchive {
 		peerSubType = core.FullHistoryObserver
@@ -121,8 +127,6 @@ func (hcf *heartbeatV2ComponentsFactory) Create() (*heartbeatV2Components, error
 	shardC := hcf.boostrapComponents.ShardCoordinator()
 	heartbeatTopic := common.HeartbeatV2Topic + shardC.CommunicationIdentifier(shardC.SelfId())
 
-	cfg := hcf.config.HeartbeatV2
-
 	argPeerTypeProvider := peer.ArgPeerTypeProvider{
 		NodesCoordinator:        hcf.processComponents.NodesCoordinator(),
 		StartEpoch:              hcf.processComponents.EpochStartTrigger().MetaEpoch(),
diff --git a/factory/heartbeat/heartbeatV2Components_test.go b/factory/heartbeat/heartbeatV2Components_test.go
index 8c923520902..8d2829c1f3c 100644
--- a/factory/heartbeat/heartbeatV2Components_test.go
+++ b/factory/heartbeat/heartbeatV2Components_test.go
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 package heartbeat_test
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/ElrondNetwork/elrond-go-core/core/check"
 	"github.com/ElrondNetwork/elrond-go/config"
+	errErd "github.com/ElrondNetwork/elrond-go/errors"
 	bootstrapComp "github.com/ElrondNetwork/elrond-go/factory/bootstrap"
 	heartbeatComp "github.com/ElrondNetwork/elrond-go/factory/heartbeat"
 	"github.com/ElrondNetwork/elrond-go/factory/mock"
@@ -72,25 +74,42 @@ func createMockHeartbeatV2ComponentsFactoryArgs() heartbeatComp.ArgHeartbeatV2Co
 	}
 }
 
-func Test_heartbeatV2Components_Create_ShouldWork(t *testing.T) {
+func Test_heartbeatV2Components_Create(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
-	defer func() {
-		r := recover()
-		if r != nil {
-			assert.Fail(t, "should not panic")
-		}
-	}()
+	t.Run("invalid config should error", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
 
-	args := createMockHeartbeatV2ComponentsFactoryArgs()
-	hcf, err := heartbeatComp.NewHeartbeatV2ComponentsFactory(args)
-	assert.False(t, check.IfNil(hcf))
-	assert.Nil(t, err)
+		args := createMockHeartbeatV2ComponentsFactoryArgs()
+		args.Config.HeartbeatV2.HeartbeatExpiryTimespanInSec = args.Config.HeartbeatV2.PeerAuthenticationTimeBetweenSendsInSec
+		hcf, err := heartbeatComp.NewHeartbeatV2ComponentsFactory(args)
+		assert.False(t, check.IfNil(hcf))
+		assert.Nil(t, err)
 
-	hc, err := hcf.Create()
-	assert.NotNil(t, hc)
-	assert.Nil(t, err)
+		hc, err := hcf.Create()
+		assert.Nil(t, hc)
+		assert.True(t, errors.Is(err, errErd.ErrInvalidHeartbeatV2Config))
+	})
+	t.Run("should work", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
 
-	err = hc.Close()
-	assert.Nil(t, err)
+		defer func() {
+			r := recover()
+			if r != nil {
+				assert.Fail(t, "should not panic")
+			}
+		}()
+
+		args := createMockHeartbeatV2ComponentsFactoryArgs()
+		hcf, err := heartbeatComp.NewHeartbeatV2ComponentsFactory(args)
+		assert.False(t, check.IfNil(hcf))
+		assert.Nil(t, err)
+
+		hc, err := hcf.Create()
+		assert.NotNil(t, hc)
+		assert.Nil(t, err)
+
+		err = hc.Close()
+		assert.Nil(t, err)
+	})
 }
diff --git a/heartbeat/processor/peerAuthenticationRequestsProcessor.go b/heartbeat/processor/peerAuthenticationRequestsProcessor.go
index d27769e4348..f8119b9c536 100644
--- a/heartbeat/processor/peerAuthenticationRequestsProcessor.go
+++ b/heartbeat/processor/peerAuthenticationRequestsProcessor.go
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ type peerAuthenticationRequestsProcessor struct {
 	epoch                   uint32
 	minPeersThreshold       float32
 	delayBetweenRequests    time.Duration
-	maxTimeout              time.Duration
 	maxMissingKeysInRequest uint32
 	randomizer              dataRetriever.IntRandomizer
 	cancel                  func()
@@ -69,7 +68,6 @@ func NewPeerAuthenticationRequestsProcessor(args ArgPeerAuthenticationRequestsPr
 		epoch:                   args.Epoch,
 		minPeersThreshold:       args.MinPeersThreshold,
 		delayBetweenRequests:    args.DelayBetweenRequests,
-		maxTimeout:              args.MaxTimeout,
 		maxMissingKeysInRequest: args.MaxMissingKeysInRequest,
 		randomizer:              args.Randomizer,
 	}