diff --git a/creator-node/src/config.js b/creator-node/src/config.js
index 44eb84c0131..6ee0ef1bc31 100644
--- a/creator-node/src/config.js
+++ b/creator-node/src/config.js
@@ -607,6 +607,12 @@ const config = convict({
     env: 'enableAsyncIPFSAdd',
     // TODO: probably want to change this to true if only hashing logic + async ipfs add is proven worthwhile
     default: false
+  },
+  healthCheckIpfsTimeoutMs: {
+    doc: 'Default timeout for the ipfs health check route in timing add content',
+    format: 'nat',
+    env: 'healthCheckIpfsTimeoutMs',
+    default: 30000 // 30s
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/creator-node/src/monitors/ipfs.js b/creator-node/src/monitors/ipfs.js
index fceab40c61e..69aa75c1ac4 100644
--- a/creator-node/src/monitors/ipfs.js
+++ b/creator-node/src/monitors/ipfs.js
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ const getIPFSReadWriteStatus = async () => {
       throw new Error('Read bytes differ from written bytes')
     }
 
-    const duration = `${Date.now() - start}ms`
+    const duration = Date.now() - start
 
     return JSON.stringify({ hash, duration })
   } catch (e) {
diff --git a/creator-node/src/monitors/monitors.js b/creator-node/src/monitors/monitors.js
index 9fd6196b5b0..f1df6de943e 100644
--- a/creator-node/src/monitors/monitors.js
+++ b/creator-node/src/monitors/monitors.js
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ const REDIS_TOTAL_MEMORY = {
 const IPFS_READ_WRITE_STATUS = {
   name: 'IPFSReadWriteStatus',
   func: getIPFSReadWriteStatus,
-  ttl: 60 * 5,
+  ttl: 60 * 1,
   type: 'json'
 }
 
diff --git a/creator-node/src/routes/healthCheck.js b/creator-node/src/routes/healthCheck.js
index b58601ca1c8..222c2537055 100644
--- a/creator-node/src/routes/healthCheck.js
+++ b/creator-node/src/routes/healthCheck.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ const {
 const DiskManager = require('../diskManager')
 
 const MAX_DB_CONNECTIONS = config.get('dbConnectionPoolMax')
+const HEALTH_CHECK_IPFS_TIMEOUT_MS = config.get('healthCheckIpfsTimeoutMs')
 
 module.exports = function (app) {
   /**
@@ -19,13 +20,20 @@ module.exports = function (app) {
       return errorResponseServerError()
     }
 
+    const timeout = parseInt(req.query.timeout) || HEALTH_CHECK_IPFS_TIMEOUT_MS
+
     const [value] = await getMonitors([MONITORS.IPFS_READ_WRITE_STATUS])
     if (!value) {
       return errorResponseServerError({ error: 'IPFS not healthy' })
     }
 
     const { hash, duration } = value
-    return successResponse({ hash, duration })
+
+    if (duration > timeout) {
+      return errorResponseServerError({ error: `IPFS took over the specified timeout of ${timeout}ms. Time taken ${duration}ms` })
+    }
+
+    return successResponse({ hash, duration: `${duration}ms` })
   }))
 
   /**