diff --git a/backend/mempool-config.sample.json b/backend/mempool-config.sample.json
index 99b69c208..1c7097de4 100644
--- a/backend/mempool-config.sample.json
+++ b/backend/mempool-config.sample.json
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@
   },
   "ESPLORA": {
     "REST_API_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:3000",
-    "UNIX_SOCKET_PATH": "/tmp/esplora-bitcoin-mainnet"
+    "UNIX_SOCKET_PATH": "/tmp/esplora-bitcoin-mainnet",
+    "RETRY_UNIX_SOCKET_AFTER": 30000
   },
   "SECOND_CORE_RPC": {
     "HOST": "127.0.0.1",
diff --git a/backend/src/__fixtures__/mempool-config.template.json b/backend/src/__fixtures__/mempool-config.template.json
index 625f3d8a0..6c2269a4f 100644
--- a/backend/src/__fixtures__/mempool-config.template.json
+++ b/backend/src/__fixtures__/mempool-config.template.json
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@
   },
   "ESPLORA": {
     "REST_API_URL": "__ESPLORA_REST_API_URL__",
-    "UNIX_SOCKET_PATH": "__ESPLORA_UNIX_SOCKET_PATH__"
+    "UNIX_SOCKET_PATH": "__ESPLORA_UNIX_SOCKET_PATH__",
+    "RETRY_UNIX_SOCKET_AFTER": "__ESPLORA_RETRY_UNIX_SOCKET_AFTER__"
   },
   "SECOND_CORE_RPC": {
     "HOST": "__SECOND_CORE_RPC_HOST__",
diff --git a/backend/src/__tests__/config.test.ts b/backend/src/__tests__/config.test.ts
index 75b87c6cf..e12f90a86 100644
--- a/backend/src/__tests__/config.test.ts
+++ b/backend/src/__tests__/config.test.ts
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ describe('Mempool Backend Config', () => {
 
       expect(config.ELECTRUM).toStrictEqual({ HOST: '127.0.0.1', PORT: 3306, TLS_ENABLED: true });
 
-      expect(config.ESPLORA).toStrictEqual({ REST_API_URL: 'http://127.0.0.1:3000', UNIX_SOCKET_PATH: null });
+      expect(config.ESPLORA).toStrictEqual({ REST_API_URL: 'http://127.0.0.1:3000', UNIX_SOCKET_PATH: null, RETRY_UNIX_SOCKET_AFTER: 30000 });
 
       expect(config.CORE_RPC).toStrictEqual({
         HOST: '127.0.0.1',
diff --git a/backend/src/api/tx-selection-worker.ts b/backend/src/api/tx-selection-worker.ts
index 7297cbe88..93060cd67 100644
--- a/backend/src/api/tx-selection-worker.ts
+++ b/backend/src/api/tx-selection-worker.ts
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ function makeBlockTemplates(mempool: { [txid: string]: ThreadTransaction })
 
     if (nextTx && !nextTx?.used) {
       // Check if the package fits into this block
-      if (blockWeight + nextTx.ancestorWeight < config.MEMPOOL.BLOCK_WEIGHT_UNITS) {
+      if (blocks.length >= 7 || (blockWeight + nextTx.ancestorWeight < config.MEMPOOL.BLOCK_WEIGHT_UNITS)) {
         const ancestors: AuditTransaction[] = Array.from(nextTx.ancestorMap.values());
         // sort ancestors by dependency graph (equivalent to sorting by ascending ancestor count)
         const sortedTxSet = [...ancestors.sort((a, b) => { return (a.ancestorMap.size || 0) - (b.ancestorMap.size || 0); }), nextTx];
@@ -175,34 +175,14 @@ function makeBlockTemplates(mempool: { [txid: string]: ThreadTransaction })
       overflow = [];
     }
   }
-  // pack any leftover transactions into the last block
-  for (const tx of overflow) {
-    if (!tx || tx?.used) {
-      continue;
-    }
-    blockWeight += tx.weight;
-    const mempoolTx = mempool[tx.txid];
-    // update original copy of this tx with effective fee rate & relatives data
-    mempoolTx.effectiveFeePerVsize = tx.score;
-    if (tx.ancestorMap.size > 0) {
-      cpfpClusters[tx.txid] = Array.from(tx.ancestorMap?.values()).map(a => a.txid);
-      mempoolTx.cpfpRoot = tx.txid;
-    }
-    mempoolTx.cpfpChecked = true;
-    transactions.push(tx);
-    tx.used = true;
+
+  if (overflow.length > 0) {
+    logger.warn('GBT overflow list unexpectedly non-empty after final block constructed');
   }
-  const blockTransactions = transactions.map(t => mempool[t.txid]);
-  restOfArray.forEach(tx => {
-    blockWeight += tx.weight;
-    tx.effectiveFeePerVsize = tx.feePerVsize;
-    tx.cpfpChecked = false;
-    blockTransactions.push(tx);
-  });
-  if (blockTransactions.length) {
-    blocks.push(blockTransactions);
+  // add the final unbounded block if it contains any transactions
+  if (transactions.length > 0) {
+    blocks.push(transactions.map(t => mempool[t.txid]));
   }
-  transactions = [];
 
   const end = Date.now();
   const time = end - start;
diff --git a/docker/README.md b/docker/README.md
index e81e45b42..ee5ba11c5 100644
--- a/docker/README.md
+++ b/docker/README.md
@@ -205,7 +205,8 @@ Corresponding `docker-compose.yml` overrides:
 ```json
   "ESPLORA": {
     "REST_API_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:3000",
-    "UNIX_SOCKET_PATH": "/tmp/esplora-socket"
+    "UNIX_SOCKET_PATH": "/tmp/esplora-socket",
+    "RETRY_UNIX_SOCKET_AFTER": 30000
   },
 ```
 
@@ -215,6 +216,7 @@ Corresponding `docker-compose.yml` overrides:
     environment:
       ESPLORA_REST_API_URL: ""
       ESPLORA_UNIX_SOCKET_PATH: ""
+      ESPLORA_RETRY_UNIX_SOCKET_AFTER: ""
       ...
 ```
 
diff --git a/docker/backend/mempool-config.json b/docker/backend/mempool-config.json
index 7d2737e9c..f4543bd2e 100644
--- a/docker/backend/mempool-config.json
+++ b/docker/backend/mempool-config.json
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@
   },
   "ESPLORA": {
     "REST_API_URL": "__ESPLORA_REST_API_URL__",
-    "UNIX_SOCKET_PATH": "__ESPLORA_UNIX_SOCKET_PATH__"
+    "UNIX_SOCKET_PATH": "__ESPLORA_UNIX_SOCKET_PATH__",
+    "RETRY_UNIX_SOCKET_AFTER": __ESPLORA_RETRY_UNIX_SOCKET_AFTER__
   },
   "SECOND_CORE_RPC": {
     "HOST": "__SECOND_CORE_RPC_HOST__",
diff --git a/docker/backend/start.sh b/docker/backend/start.sh
index 55da48464..c6ce8f1e7 100755
--- a/docker/backend/start.sh
+++ b/docker/backend/start.sh
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ __ELECTRUM_TLS_ENABLED__=${ELECTRUM_TLS_ENABLED:=false}
 # ESPLORA
 __ESPLORA_REST_API_URL__=${ESPLORA_REST_API_URL:=http://127.0.0.1:3000}
 __ESPLORA_UNIX_SOCKET_PATH__=${ESPLORA_UNIX_SOCKET_PATH:=null}
+__ESPLORA_RETRY_UNIX_SOCKET_AFTER__=${ESPLORA_RETRY_UNIX_SOCKET_AFTER:=30000}
 
 # SECOND_CORE_RPC
 __SECOND_CORE_RPC_HOST__=${SECOND_CORE_RPC_HOST:=127.0.0.1}
@@ -168,6 +169,7 @@ sed -i "s/__ELECTRUM_TLS_ENABLED__/${__ELECTRUM_TLS_ENABLED__}/g" mempool-config
 
 sed -i "s!__ESPLORA_REST_API_URL__!${__ESPLORA_REST_API_URL__}!g" mempool-config.json
 sed -i "s!__ESPLORA_UNIX_SOCKET_PATH__!${__ESPLORA_UNIX_SOCKET_PATH__}!g" mempool-config.json
+sed -i "s!__ESPLORA_RETRY_UNIX_SOCKET_AFTER__!${__ESPLORA_RETRY_UNIX_SOCKET_AFTER__}!g" mempool-config.json
 
 sed -i "s/__SECOND_CORE_RPC_HOST__/${__SECOND_CORE_RPC_HOST__}/g" mempool-config.json
 sed -i "s/__SECOND_CORE_RPC_PORT__/${__SECOND_CORE_RPC_PORT__}/g" mempool-config.json
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/components/start/start.component.ts b/frontend/src/app/components/start/start.component.ts
index dde7bc234..7e83fb516 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/components/start/start.component.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/components/start/start.component.ts
@@ -137,9 +137,11 @@ export class StartComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
   }
 
   onMouseDown(event: MouseEvent) {
-    this.mouseDragStartX = event.clientX;
-    this.resetMomentum(event.clientX);
-    this.blockchainScrollLeftInit = this.blockchainContainer.nativeElement.scrollLeft;
+    if (!(event.which > 1 || event.button > 0)) {
+      this.mouseDragStartX = event.clientX;
+      this.resetMomentum(event.clientX);
+      this.blockchainScrollLeftInit = this.blockchainContainer.nativeElement.scrollLeft;
+    }
   }
   onPointerDown(event: PointerEvent) {
     if (this.isiOS) {