diff --git a/build/params_mainnet.go b/build/params_mainnet.go
index 93cdb66bd..1612f4ab9 100644
--- a/build/params_mainnet.go
+++ b/build/params_mainnet.go
@@ -130,4 +130,4 @@ var WhitelistedBlock = MustParseCid("bafy2bzaceapyg2uyzk7vueh3xccxkuwbz3nxewjygu
 
 // CBDeliveryDelay is the delay before deliver in the synchronous consistent broadcast.
 // This determines the wait time for the detection of potential equivocations.
-const CBDeliveryDelay = 6 * time.Second
+var CBDeliveryDelay = 6 * time.Second
diff --git a/itests/kit/init.go b/itests/kit/init.go
index 9397c53a2..c6545edda 100644
--- a/itests/kit/init.go
+++ b/itests/kit/init.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package kit
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"time"
 
 	logging "github.com/ipfs/go-log/v2"
 
@@ -40,6 +41,12 @@ func init() {
 
 	build.InsecurePoStValidation = true
 
+	// NOTE: If we want the payment channel itests to pass that use a
+	// block time of 5*millisecond, we need to set the consistent broadcast
+	// delay to something lower than that block time.
+	// todo: configure such a low delay only for paych tests.
+	build.CBDeliveryDelay = 2 * time.Millisecond
+
 	if err := os.Setenv("BELLMAN_NO_GPU", "1"); err != nil {
 		panic(fmt.Sprintf("failed to set BELLMAN_NO_GPU env variable: %s", err))
 	}