diff --git a/.changeset/khaki-bottles-matter.md b/.changeset/khaki-bottles-matter.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c117f06510c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/khaki-bottles-matter.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@eth-optimism/l2geth': patch
+---
+
+add --rpc.evmtimeout flag to configure timeout for eth_call
diff --git a/l2geth/cmd/geth/main.go b/l2geth/cmd/geth/main.go
index 57af9c98d4b7..bdc6a84a07ff 100644
--- a/l2geth/cmd/geth/main.go
+++ b/l2geth/cmd/geth/main.go
@@ -188,6 +188,7 @@ var (
 		utils.IPCPathFlag,
 		utils.InsecureUnlockAllowedFlag,
 		utils.RPCGlobalGasCap,
+		utils.RPCGlobalEVMTimeoutFlag,
 	}
 
 	whisperFlags = []cli.Flag{
diff --git a/l2geth/cmd/geth/usage.go b/l2geth/cmd/geth/usage.go
index 8a8a55bce483..5e91377c8a14 100644
--- a/l2geth/cmd/geth/usage.go
+++ b/l2geth/cmd/geth/usage.go
@@ -178,6 +178,7 @@ var AppHelpFlagGroups = []flagGroup{
 			utils.RPCPortFlag,
 			utils.RPCApiFlag,
 			utils.RPCGlobalGasCap,
+			utils.RPCGlobalEVMTimeoutFlag,
 			utils.RPCCORSDomainFlag,
 			utils.RPCVirtualHostsFlag,
 			utils.WSEnabledFlag,
diff --git a/l2geth/cmd/utils/flags.go b/l2geth/cmd/utils/flags.go
index 2747673fc0fc..27c838fa0267 100644
--- a/l2geth/cmd/utils/flags.go
+++ b/l2geth/cmd/utils/flags.go
@@ -518,6 +518,11 @@ var (
 		Name:  "rpc.gascap",
 		Usage: "Sets a cap on gas that can be used in eth_call/estimateGas",
 	}
+	RPCGlobalEVMTimeoutFlag = &cli.DurationFlag{
+		Name:  "rpc.evmtimeout",
+		Usage: "Sets a timeout used for eth_call (0=infinite)",
+		Value: eth.DefaultConfig.RPCEVMTimeout,
+	}
 	// Logging and debug settings
 	EthStatsURLFlag = cli.StringFlag{
 		Name:  "ethstats",
@@ -1660,6 +1665,9 @@ func SetEthConfig(ctx *cli.Context, stack *node.Node, cfg *eth.Config) {
 	if ctx.GlobalIsSet(RPCGlobalGasCap.Name) {
 		cfg.RPCGasCap = new(big.Int).SetUint64(ctx.GlobalUint64(RPCGlobalGasCap.Name))
 	}
+	if ctx.GlobalIsSet(RPCGlobalEVMTimeoutFlag.Name) {
+		cfg.RPCEVMTimeout = ctx.Duration(RPCGlobalEVMTimeoutFlag.Name)
+	}
 
 	// Override any default configs for hard coded networks.
 	switch {
diff --git a/l2geth/eth/api_backend.go b/l2geth/eth/api_backend.go
index 35de825c9757..247ef73bd384 100644
--- a/l2geth/eth/api_backend.go
+++ b/l2geth/eth/api_backend.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"math/big"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum-optimism/optimism/l2geth/accounts"
 	"github.com/ethereum-optimism/optimism/l2geth/common"
@@ -400,6 +401,10 @@ func (b *EthAPIBackend) RPCGasCap() *big.Int {
 	return b.eth.config.RPCGasCap
 }
 
+func (b *EthAPIBackend) RPCEVMTimeout() time.Duration {
+	return b.eth.config.RPCEVMTimeout
+}
+
 func (b *EthAPIBackend) BloomStatus() (uint64, uint64) {
 	sections, _, _ := b.eth.bloomIndexer.Sections()
 	return params.BloomBitsBlocks, sections
diff --git a/l2geth/eth/config.go b/l2geth/eth/config.go
index a1f84bf2f71a..9f0c85380017 100644
--- a/l2geth/eth/config.go
+++ b/l2geth/eth/config.go
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ var DefaultConfig = Config{
 		GasPrice: big.NewInt(params.GWei),
 		Recommit: 3 * time.Second,
 	},
-	TxPool: core.DefaultTxPoolConfig,
+	TxPool:        core.DefaultTxPoolConfig,
+	RPCEVMTimeout: 5 * time.Second,
 	GPO: gasprice.Config{
 		Blocks:     20,
 		Percentile: 60,
@@ -169,6 +170,9 @@ type Config struct {
 	// RPCGasCap is the global gas cap for eth-call variants.
 	RPCGasCap *big.Int `toml:",omitempty"`
 
+	// RPCEVMTimeout is the global timeout for eth-call. (0=infinite)
+	RPCEVMTimeout time.Duration
+
 	// Checkpoint is a hardcoded checkpoint which can be nil.
 	Checkpoint *params.TrustedCheckpoint `toml:",omitempty"`
 
diff --git a/l2geth/graphql/graphql.go b/l2geth/graphql/graphql.go
index 730a0a5ef008..b3039f5e08c7 100644
--- a/l2geth/graphql/graphql.go
+++ b/l2geth/graphql/graphql.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ package graphql
 import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
-	"time"
 
 	ethereum "github.com/ethereum-optimism/optimism/l2geth"
 	"github.com/ethereum-optimism/optimism/l2geth/common"
@@ -776,7 +775,7 @@ func (b *Block) Call(ctx context.Context, args struct {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
-	result, gas, failed, err := ethapi.DoCall(ctx, b.backend, args.Data, *b.numberOrHash, nil, &vm.Config{}, 5*time.Second, b.backend.RPCGasCap())
+	result, gas, failed, err := ethapi.DoCall(ctx, b.backend, args.Data, *b.numberOrHash, nil, &vm.Config{}, b.backend.RPCEVMTimeout(), b.backend.RPCGasCap())
 	status := hexutil.Uint64(1)
 	if failed {
 		status = 0
@@ -842,7 +841,7 @@ func (p *Pending) Call(ctx context.Context, args struct {
 	Data ethapi.CallArgs
 }) (*CallResult, error) {
 	pendingBlockNr := rpc.BlockNumberOrHashWithNumber(rpc.PendingBlockNumber)
-	result, gas, failed, err := ethapi.DoCall(ctx, p.backend, args.Data, pendingBlockNr, nil, &vm.Config{}, 5*time.Second, p.backend.RPCGasCap())
+	result, gas, failed, err := ethapi.DoCall(ctx, p.backend, args.Data, pendingBlockNr, nil, &vm.Config{}, p.backend.RPCEVMTimeout(), p.backend.RPCGasCap())
 	status := hexutil.Uint64(1)
 	if failed {
 		status = 0
diff --git a/l2geth/internal/ethapi/api.go b/l2geth/internal/ethapi/api.go
index c009509c2c9c..64b736b008b7 100644
--- a/l2geth/internal/ethapi/api.go
+++ b/l2geth/internal/ethapi/api.go
@@ -963,7 +963,7 @@ func (s *PublicBlockChainAPI) Call(ctx context.Context, args CallArgs, blockNrOr
 	if overrides != nil {
 		accounts = *overrides
 	}
-	result, _, failed, err := DoCall(ctx, s.b, args, blockNrOrHash, accounts, &vm.Config{}, 5*time.Second, s.b.RPCGasCap())
+	result, _, failed, err := DoCall(ctx, s.b, args, blockNrOrHash, accounts, &vm.Config{}, s.b.RPCEVMTimeout(), s.b.RPCGasCap())
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/l2geth/internal/ethapi/backend.go b/l2geth/internal/ethapi/backend.go
index ca2f40098dbf..d2a8d33c3021 100644
--- a/l2geth/internal/ethapi/backend.go
+++ b/l2geth/internal/ethapi/backend.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ package ethapi
 import (
 	"context"
 	"math/big"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum-optimism/optimism/l2geth/accounts"
 	"github.com/ethereum-optimism/optimism/l2geth/common"
@@ -45,7 +46,8 @@ type Backend interface {
 	ChainDb() ethdb.Database
 	AccountManager() *accounts.Manager
 	ExtRPCEnabled() bool
-	RPCGasCap() *big.Int // global gas cap for eth_call over rpc: DoS protection
+	RPCGasCap() *big.Int          // global gas cap for eth_call over rpc: DoS protection
+	RPCEVMTimeout() time.Duration // global timeout (0=infinite) for eth_call over rpc: DoS protection
 
 	// Blockchain API
 	SetHead(number uint64)
diff --git a/l2geth/les/api_backend.go b/l2geth/les/api_backend.go
index 98e2360be364..13e899ecce10 100644
--- a/l2geth/les/api_backend.go
+++ b/l2geth/les/api_backend.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"math/big"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum-optimism/optimism/l2geth/accounts"
 	"github.com/ethereum-optimism/optimism/l2geth/common"
@@ -316,6 +317,10 @@ func (b *LesApiBackend) RPCGasCap() *big.Int {
 	return b.eth.config.RPCGasCap
 }
 
+func (b *LesApiBackend) RPCEVMTimeout() time.Duration {
+	return b.eth.config.RPCEVMTimeout
+}
+
 func (b *LesApiBackend) BloomStatus() (uint64, uint64) {
 	if b.eth.bloomIndexer == nil {
 		return 0, 0