diff --git a/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/gossipsub.nim b/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/gossipsub.nim
index 0b9194f420..cc9ade6ca9 100644
--- a/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/gossipsub.nim
+++ b/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/gossipsub.nim
@@ -83,7 +83,8 @@ proc init*(_: type[GossipSubParams]): GossipSubParams =
       enablePX: false,
       bandwidthEstimatebps: 100_000_000, # 100 Mbps or 12.5 MBps
       overheadRateLimit: Opt.none(tuple[bytes: int, interval: Duration]),
-      disconnectPeerAboveRateLimit: false
+      disconnectPeerAboveRateLimit: false,
+      maxDurationInNonPriorityQueue: Opt.none(Duration),
     )
 
 proc validateParameters*(parameters: GossipSubParams): Result[void, cstring] =
@@ -751,4 +752,5 @@ method getOrCreatePeer*(
   let peer = procCall PubSub(g).getOrCreatePeer(peerId, protos)
   g.parameters.overheadRateLimit.withValue(overheadRateLimit):
     peer.overheadRateLimitOpt = Opt.some(TokenBucket.new(overheadRateLimit.bytes, overheadRateLimit.interval))
+  peer.rpcmessagequeue.maxDurationInNonPriorityQueue = g.parameters.maxDurationInNonPriorityQueue
   return peer
diff --git a/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/gossipsub/types.nim b/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/gossipsub/types.nim
index 06fa55eb30..81db8f3793 100644
--- a/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/gossipsub/types.nim
+++ b/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/gossipsub/types.nim
@@ -147,6 +147,10 @@ type
     overheadRateLimit*: Opt[tuple[bytes: int, interval: Duration]]
     disconnectPeerAboveRateLimit*: bool
 
+    # The maximum duration a message can stay in the non-priority queue. If it exceeds this duration, it will be discarded
+    # as soon as it is dequeued, instead of being sent to the remote peer. The default value is none, i.e., no maximum duration.
+    maxDurationInNonPriorityQueue*: Opt[Duration]
+
   BackoffTable* = Table[string, Table[PeerId, Moment]]
   ValidationSeenTable* = Table[MessageId, HashSet[PubSubPeer]]
 
diff --git a/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/pubsubpeer.nim b/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/pubsubpeer.nim
index 362b1984d2..bc5122dc14 100644
--- a/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/pubsubpeer.nim
+++ b/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/pubsubpeer.nim
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ type
     # Task for processing non-priority message queue.
     sendNonPriorityTask: Future[void]
     # The max duration a message to be relayed can wait to be sent before it is dropped. The default is 500ms.
-    maxDurationInNonPriorityQueue: Duration
+    maxDurationInNonPriorityQueue*: Opt[Duration]
 
   PubSubPeer* = ref object of RootObj
     getConn*: GetConn                   # callback to establish a new send connection
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ type
     behaviourPenalty*: float64 # the eventual penalty score
     overheadRateLimitOpt*: Opt[TokenBucket]
 
-    rpcmessagequeue: RpcMessageQueue
+    rpcmessagequeue*: RpcMessageQueue
 
   RPCHandler* = proc(peer: PubSubPeer, data: seq[byte]): Future[void]
     {.gcsafe, raises: [].}
@@ -395,10 +395,11 @@ proc sendNonPriorityTask(p: PubSubPeer) {.async.} =
         await p.rpcmessagequeue.sendPriorityQueue[^1]
      when defined(libp2p_expensive_metrics):
        libp2p_gossipsub_non_priority_queue_size.dec(labelValues = [$p.peerId])
-     if Moment.now() - ttlMsg.addedAt >= p.rpcmessagequeue.maxDurationInNonPriorityQueue:
-       when defined(libp2p_expensive_metrics):
-        libp2p_gossipsub_non_priority_msgs_dropped.inc(labelValues = [$p.peerId])
-       continue
+     p.rpcmessagequeue.maxDurationInNonPriorityQueue.withValue(maxDurationInNonPriorityQueue):
+       if Moment.now() - ttlMsg.addedAt >= maxDurationInNonPriorityQueue:
+         when defined(libp2p_expensive_metrics):
+          libp2p_gossipsub_non_priority_msgs_dropped.inc(labelValues = [$p.peerId])
+         continue
      await p.sendMsg(ttlMsg.msg)
 
 proc startSendNonPriorityTask(p: PubSubPeer) =
@@ -417,7 +418,7 @@ proc stopSendNonPriorityTask*(p: PubSubPeer) =
       libp2p_gossipsub_priority_queue_size.set(labelValues = [$p.peerId], value = 0)
       libp2p_gossipsub_non_priority_queue_size.set(labelValues = [$p.peerId], value = 0)
 
-proc new(T: typedesc[RpcMessageQueue], maxDurationInNonPriorityQueue = 1.seconds): T =
+proc new(T: typedesc[RpcMessageQueue], maxDurationInNonPriorityQueue = Opt.none(Duration)): T =
   return T(
     sendPriorityQueue: initDeque[Future[void]](),
     nonPriorityQueue: newAsyncQueue[QueuedMessage](),
@@ -431,7 +432,8 @@ proc new*(
   onEvent: OnEvent,
   codec: string,
   maxMessageSize: int,
-  overheadRateLimitOpt: Opt[TokenBucket] = Opt.none(TokenBucket)): T =
+  overheadRateLimitOpt: Opt[TokenBucket] = Opt.none(TokenBucket),
+  maxDurationInNonPriorityQueue = Opt.none(Duration)): T =
 
   result = T(
     getConn: getConn,
@@ -441,7 +443,7 @@ proc new*(
     connectedFut: newFuture[void](),
     maxMessageSize: maxMessageSize,
     overheadRateLimitOpt: overheadRateLimitOpt,
-    rpcmessagequeue: RpcMessageQueue.new(),
+    rpcmessagequeue: RpcMessageQueue.new(maxDurationInNonPriorityQueue),
   )
   result.sentIHaves.addFirst(default(HashSet[MessageId]))
   result.heDontWants.addFirst(default(HashSet[MessageId]))