diff --git a/src/eth/relayer/external.rs b/src/eth/relayer/external.rs
index 740141163..da49277e1 100644
--- a/src/eth/relayer/external.rs
+++ b/src/eth/relayer/external.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ use sqlx::postgres::PgPoolOptions;
 use sqlx::PgPool;
 use tokio::fs::File;
 use tokio::io::AsyncWriteExt;
+use tokio::time::timeout;
 use tokio::time::Instant;
 use tracing::Span;
 
@@ -142,7 +143,12 @@ impl ExternalRelayer {
         let start = Instant::now();
         let mut substrate_receipt = substrate_pending_transaction;
         loop {
-            match substrate_receipt.await {
+            let Ok(receipt) = timeout(Duration::from_secs(30), substrate_receipt).await else {
+                tracing::error!(?tx_hash, "no receipt returned by substrate for more than 30 seconds, retrying block");
+                return Err(RelayError::CompareTimeout(anyhow!("no receipt returned by substrate for more than 30 seconds")));
+            };
+
+            match receipt {
                 Ok(Some(substrate_receipt)) =>
                     if let Err(compare_error) = substrate_receipt.compare(&stratus_receipt) {
                         let err_string = compare_error.to_string();
diff --git a/src/infra/blockchain_client/pending_transaction.rs b/src/infra/blockchain_client/pending_transaction.rs
index 4f1efaf6d..4ea2f7729 100644
--- a/src/infra/blockchain_client/pending_transaction.rs
+++ b/src/infra/blockchain_client/pending_transaction.rs
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ impl<'a> Future for PendingTransaction<'a> {
 
     fn poll(self: Pin<&mut Self>, ctx: &mut Context) -> Poll<Self::Output> {
         let this = self.project();
-        tracing::debug!(?this.state);
+        tracing::debug!(?this.state, ?this.retries_remaining);
 
         match this.state {
             PendingTxState::InitialDelay(fut) => {
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ impl<'a> Future for PendingTransaction<'a> {
                 let tx_opt = tx_res.unwrap();
 
                 if tx_opt.is_none() {
-                    if *this.retries_remaining == 0 {
+                    if *this.retries_remaining <= 0 {
                         *this.state = PendingTxState::Completed;
                         return Poll::Ready(Ok(None));
                     }