diff --git a/blockchain/pool.go b/blockchain/pool.go
index 528c6654..3de2c296 100644
--- a/blockchain/pool.go
+++ b/blockchain/pool.go
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import (
 const (
 	maxOutstandingRequestsPerPeer = 10
 	eventsChannelCapacity         = 100
-	requestTimeoutSeconds         = 10
 	maxTries                      = 3
 	requestIntervalMS             = 500
 	requestBatchSize              = 50
@@ -21,6 +20,10 @@ const (
 	maxPeersPerRequest            = 1
 )
 
+var (
+	requestTimeoutSeconds = time.Duration(10)
+)
+
 type BlockRequest struct {
 	Height uint
 	PeerId string
diff --git a/blockchain/pool_test.go b/blockchain/pool_test.go
index 4376f3ac..a2578aa1 100644
--- a/blockchain/pool_test.go
+++ b/blockchain/pool_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package blockchain
 import (
 	"math/rand"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	. "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/common"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/types"
@@ -74,6 +75,10 @@ func TestBasic(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestTimeout(t *testing.T) {
+	origRequestTimeoutSeconds := requestTimeoutSeconds
+	requestTimeoutSeconds = time.Duration(0)
+	defer func() { requestTimeoutSeconds = origRequestTimeoutSeconds }()
+
 	peers := makePeers(100, 0, 1000)
 	start := uint(42)
 	timeoutsCh := make(chan string, 10)