diff --git a/web3.js/src/util/send-and-confirm-raw-transaction.js b/web3.js/src/util/send-and-confirm-raw-transaction.js
index b4e0b6b44e..b73df5c82a 100644
--- a/web3.js/src/util/send-and-confirm-raw-transaction.js
+++ b/web3.js/src/util/send-and-confirm-raw-transaction.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import {Connection} from '../connection';
 import {sleep} from './sleep';
 import type {TransactionSignature} from '../transaction';
+import {DEFAULT_TICKS_PER_SLOT, NUM_TICKS_PER_SECOND} from '../timing';
 
 /**
  * Sign, send and confirm a raw transaction
@@ -14,16 +15,18 @@ export async function sendAndConfirmRawTransaction(
   const start = Date.now();
   let signature = await connection.sendRawTransaction(rawTransaction);
 
-  // Wait up to a couple seconds for a confirmation
+  // Wait up to a couple slots for a confirmation
   let status = '';
-  let statusRetries = 4;
+  let statusRetries = 6;
   for (;;) {
     status = await connection.getSignatureStatus(signature);
     if (status !== 'SignatureNotFound') {
       break;
     }
 
-    await sleep(500);
+    // Sleep for approximately half a slot
+    await sleep((500 * DEFAULT_TICKS_PER_SLOT) / NUM_TICKS_PER_SECOND);
+
     if (--statusRetries <= 0) {
       const duration = (Date.now() - start) / 1000;
       throw new Error(
diff --git a/web3.js/src/util/send-and-confirm-transaction.js b/web3.js/src/util/send-and-confirm-transaction.js
index 9a1986d011..a4a3535a92 100644
--- a/web3.js/src/util/send-and-confirm-transaction.js
+++ b/web3.js/src/util/send-and-confirm-transaction.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import {Transaction} from '../transaction';
 import {sleep} from './sleep';
 import type {Account} from '../account';
 import type {TransactionSignature} from '../transaction';
+import {DEFAULT_TICKS_PER_SLOT, NUM_TICKS_PER_SECOND} from '../timing';
 
 /**
  * Sign, send and confirm a transaction
@@ -22,9 +23,9 @@ export async function sendAndConfirmTransaction(
     const start = Date.now();
     signature = await connection.sendTransaction(transaction, ...signers);
 
-    // Wait up to a couple seconds for a confirmation
+    // Wait up to a couple slots for a confirmation
     let status = 'SignatureNotFound';
-    let statusRetries = 4;
+    let statusRetries = 6;
     for (;;) {
       status = await connection.getSignatureStatus(signature);
       if (status !== 'SignatureNotFound') {
@@ -34,7 +35,8 @@ export async function sendAndConfirmTransaction(
       if (--statusRetries <= 0) {
         break;
       }
-      await sleep(500);
+      // Sleep for approximately half a slot
+      await sleep((500 * DEFAULT_TICKS_PER_SLOT) / NUM_TICKS_PER_SECOND);
     }
 
     if (status === 'Confirmed') {