diff --git a/polkadot/node/service/src/lib.rs b/polkadot/node/service/src/lib.rs
index e3d0b579ed..23c6ae698d 100644
--- a/polkadot/node/service/src/lib.rs
+++ b/polkadot/node/service/src/lib.rs
@@ -615,12 +615,22 @@ pub fn new_full<RuntimeApi, Executor>(
 
 	let role = config.role.clone();
 	let force_authoring = config.force_authoring;
-	let backoff_authoring_blocks =
-		Some(sc_consensus_slots::BackoffAuthoringOnFinalizedHeadLagging {
+	let backoff_authoring_blocks = {
+		let mut backoff = sc_consensus_slots::BackoffAuthoringOnFinalizedHeadLagging {
 			#[cfg(feature = "real-overseer")]
 			unfinalized_slack: 100,
 			..Default::default()
-		});
+		};
+
+		if config.chain_spec.is_rococo() {
+			// it's a testnet that's in flux, finality has stalled sometimes due
+			// to operational issues and it's annoying to slow down block
+			// production to 1 block per hour.
+			backoff.max_interval = 10;
+		}
+
+		Some(backoff)
+	};
 
 	let disable_grandpa = config.disable_grandpa;
 	let name = config.network.node_name.clone();