diff --git a/chain/messagepool/provider.go b/chain/messagepool/provider.go
index 97a03e264..5a6c751bc 100644
--- a/chain/messagepool/provider.go
+++ b/chain/messagepool/provider.go
@@ -14,7 +14,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/types"
 )
 
-var HeadChangeCoalesceDelay = time.Second
+var (
+	HeadChangeCoalesceMinDelay      = 2 * time.Second
+	HeadChangeCoalesceMaxDelay      = 6 * time.Second
+	HeadChangeCoalesceMergeInterval = time.Second
+)
 
 type Provider interface {
 	SubscribeHeadChanges(func(rev, app []*types.TipSet) error) *types.TipSet
@@ -38,7 +42,13 @@ func NewProvider(sm *stmgr.StateManager, ps *pubsub.PubSub) Provider {
 }
 
 func (mpp *mpoolProvider) SubscribeHeadChanges(cb func(rev, app []*types.TipSet) error) *types.TipSet {
-	mpp.sm.ChainStore().SubscribeHeadChanges(store.WrapHeadChangeCoalescer(cb, HeadChangeCoalesceDelay))
+	mpp.sm.ChainStore().SubscribeHeadChanges(
+		store.WrapHeadChangeCoalescer(
+			cb,
+			HeadChangeCoalesceMinDelay,
+			HeadChangeCoalesceMaxDelay,
+			HeadChangeCoalesceMergeInterval,
+		))
 	return mpp.sm.ChainStore().GetHeaviestTipSet()
 }
 
diff --git a/chain/store/coalescer.go b/chain/store/coalescer.go
index 8e30c468c..443359c8a 100644
--- a/chain/store/coalescer.go
+++ b/chain/store/coalescer.go
@@ -8,8 +8,15 @@ import (
 )
 
 // WrapHeadChangeCoalescer wraps a ReorgNotifee with a head change coalescer.
-func WrapHeadChangeCoalescer(fn ReorgNotifee, delay time.Duration) ReorgNotifee {
-	c := NewHeadChangeCoalescer(fn, delay)
+// minDelay is the minimum coalesce delay; when a head change is first received, the coalescer will
+//  wait for that long to coalesce more head changes.
+// maxDelay is the maximum coalesce delay; the coalescer will not delay delivery of a head change
+//  more than that.
+// mergeInterval is the interval that triggers additional coalesce delay; if the last head change was
+//  within the merge interval when the coalesce timer fires, then the coalesce time is extended
+//  by min delay and up to max delay total.
+func WrapHeadChangeCoalescer(fn ReorgNotifee, minDelay, maxDelay, mergeInterval time.Duration) ReorgNotifee {
+	c := NewHeadChangeCoalescer(fn, minDelay, maxDelay, mergeInterval)
 	return c.HeadChange
 }
 
@@ -32,7 +39,7 @@ type headChange struct {
 }
 
 // NewHeadChangeCoalescer creates a HeadChangeCoalescer.
-func NewHeadChangeCoalescer(fn ReorgNotifee, delay time.Duration) *HeadChangeCoalescer {
+func NewHeadChangeCoalescer(fn ReorgNotifee, minDelay, maxDelay, mergeInterval time.Duration) *HeadChangeCoalescer {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	c := &HeadChangeCoalescer{
 		notify: fn,
@@ -41,7 +48,7 @@ func NewHeadChangeCoalescer(fn ReorgNotifee, delay time.Duration) *HeadChangeCoa
 		eventq: make(chan headChange),
 	}
 
-	go c.background(delay)
+	go c.background(minDelay, maxDelay, mergeInterval)
 
 	return c
 }
@@ -71,19 +78,46 @@ func (c *HeadChangeCoalescer) Close() error {
 
 // Implementation details
 
-func (c *HeadChangeCoalescer) background(delay time.Duration) {
+func (c *HeadChangeCoalescer) background(minDelay, maxDelay, mergeInterval time.Duration) {
 	var timerC <-chan time.Time
+	var first, last time.Time
+
 	for {
 		select {
 		case evt := <-c.eventq:
 			c.coalesce(evt.revert, evt.apply)
-			if timerC == nil {
-				timerC = time.After(delay)
+
+			now := time.Now()
+			last = now
+			if first.IsZero() {
+				first = now
 			}
 
-		case <-timerC:
-			c.dispatch()
-			timerC = nil
+			if timerC == nil {
+				timerC = time.After(minDelay)
+			}
+
+		case now := <-timerC:
+			sinceFirst := now.Sub(first)
+			sinceLast := now.Sub(last)
+
+			if sinceLast < mergeInterval && sinceFirst < maxDelay {
+				// coalesce some more
+				maxWait := maxDelay - sinceFirst
+				wait := minDelay
+				if maxWait < wait {
+					wait = maxWait
+				}
+
+				timerC = time.After(wait)
+			} else {
+				// dispatch
+				c.dispatch()
+
+				first = time.Time{}
+				last = time.Time{}
+				timerC = nil
+			}
 
 		case <-c.ctx.Done():
 			if c.revert != nil || c.apply != nil {
diff --git a/chain/store/coalescer_test.go b/chain/store/coalescer_test.go
index a93601954..d46285108 100644
--- a/chain/store/coalescer_test.go
+++ b/chain/store/coalescer_test.go
@@ -13,7 +13,11 @@ func TestHeadChangeCoalescer(t *testing.T) {
 	c := NewHeadChangeCoalescer(func(revert, apply []*types.TipSet) error {
 		notif <- headChange{apply: apply, revert: revert}
 		return nil
-	}, 100*time.Millisecond)
+	},
+		100*time.Millisecond,
+		200*time.Millisecond,
+		10*time.Millisecond,
+	)
 	defer c.Close() //nolint
 
 	b0 := mock.MkBlock(nil, 0, 0)
diff --git a/node/test/builder.go b/node/test/builder.go
index 727f46098..cf38792da 100644
--- a/node/test/builder.go
+++ b/node/test/builder.go
@@ -54,7 +54,9 @@ import (
 
 func init() {
 	chain.BootstrapPeerThreshold = 1
-	messagepool.HeadChangeCoalesceDelay = time.Microsecond
+	messagepool.HeadChangeCoalesceMinDelay = time.Microsecond
+	messagepool.HeadChangeCoalesceMaxDelay = 2 * time.Microsecond
+	messagepool.HeadChangeCoalesceMergeInterval = 100 * time.Nanosecond
 }
 
 func CreateTestStorageNode(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, waddr address.Address, act address.Address, pk crypto.PrivKey, tnd test.TestNode, mn mocknet.Mocknet, opts node.Option) test.TestStorageNode {