diff --git a/backend/src/config.ts b/backend/src/config.ts
index b0afe7f23..cf63a0c7d 100644
--- a/backend/src/config.ts
+++ b/backend/src/config.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ interface IConfig {
     AUTOMATIC_POOLS_UPDATE: boolean;
     POOLS_JSON_URL: string,
     POOLS_JSON_TREE_URL: string,
+    POOLS_UPDATE_DELAY: number,
     AUDIT: boolean;
     RUST_GBT: boolean;
     LIMIT_GBT: boolean;
@@ -192,6 +193,7 @@ const defaults: IConfig = {
     'AUTOMATIC_POOLS_UPDATE': false,
     'POOLS_JSON_URL': 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mempool/mining-pools/master/pools-v2.json',
     'POOLS_JSON_TREE_URL': 'https://api.github.com/repos/mempool/mining-pools/git/trees/master',
+    'POOLS_UPDATE_DELAY': 604800, // in seconds, default is one week
     'AUDIT': false,
     'RUST_GBT': false,
     'LIMIT_GBT': false,
diff --git a/backend/src/index.ts b/backend/src/index.ts
index 1d83c56a3..fa380b0c9 100644
--- a/backend/src/index.ts
+++ b/backend/src/index.ts
@@ -239,6 +239,7 @@ class Server {
       if (config.FIAT_PRICE.ENABLED) {
         priceUpdater.$run();
       }
+      await poolsUpdater.updatePoolsJson();
 
       // rerun immediately if we skipped the mempool update, otherwise wait POLL_RATE_MS
       const elapsed = Date.now() - start;
diff --git a/backend/src/tasks/pools-updater.ts b/backend/src/tasks/pools-updater.ts
index a3a3265c6..6b56fff95 100644
--- a/backend/src/tasks/pools-updater.ts
+++ b/backend/src/tasks/pools-updater.ts
@@ -23,11 +23,8 @@ class PoolsUpdater {
       return;
     }
 
-    const oneWeek = 604800;
-    const oneDay = 86400;
-
     const now = new Date().getTime() / 1000;
-    if (now - this.lastRun < oneWeek) { // Execute the PoolsUpdate only once a week, or upon restart
+    if (now - this.lastRun < config.MEMPOOL.POOLS_UPDATE_DELAY) { // Execute the PoolsUpdate only once a week, or upon restart
       return;
     }
 
@@ -87,8 +84,8 @@ class PoolsUpdater {
       logger.info(`Mining pools-v2.json (${githubSha}) import completed`);
 
     } catch (e) {
-      this.lastRun = now - (oneWeek - oneDay); // Try again in 24h instead of waiting next week
-      logger.err(`PoolsUpdater failed. Will try again in 24h. Exception: ${JSON.stringify(e)}`, logger.tags.mining);
+      this.lastRun = now - 600; // Try again in 10 minutes
+      logger.err(`PoolsUpdater failed. Will try again in 10 minutes. Exception: ${JSON.stringify(e)}`, logger.tags.mining);
     }
   }