diff --git a/inventory/group_vars/all b/inventory/group_vars/all
index 0f1ad44068..feaffeefaf 100644
--- a/inventory/group_vars/all
+++ b/inventory/group_vars/all
@@ -152,6 +152,9 @@ fedmsg_active: False
 fedmsg_prefix: org.fedoraproject
 fedmsg_env: prod
 
+# Amount of time to wait for connections after a socket is first established.
+fedmsg_post_init_sleep: 1.0
+
 # A special flag that, when set to true, will disconnect the host from the
 # global fedmsg-relay instance and set it up with its own local one.  You can
 # temporarily set this to true for a specific host to do some debugging -- so
diff --git a/inventory/group_vars/mbs-backend b/inventory/group_vars/mbs-backend
index 8fcb2d61b4..0f13c9a807 100644
--- a/inventory/group_vars/mbs-backend
+++ b/inventory/group_vars/mbs-backend
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ fedmsg_certs:
   - mbs.module.state.change
   - mbs.component.state.change
 
+# Wait a little bit longer than usual.. I'm not seeing messages from mbs backend
+fedmsg_post_init_sleep: 1.5
+
 # For the MOTD
 csi_security_category: High
 csi_primary_contact: Modularity WG - modularity-wg-members@fedoraproject.org
diff --git a/roles/fedmsg/base/templates/base.py.j2 b/roles/fedmsg/base/templates/base.py.j2
index 0da211b506..90b49bf872 100644
--- a/roles/fedmsg/base/templates/base.py.j2
+++ b/roles/fedmsg/base/templates/base.py.j2
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ config = dict(
     # If we are experiencing message-loss problems, one of the first things
     # to try should be to turn this number up to a non-zero value.  '1' should
     # be more than sufficient.
-    post_init_sleep=1.0,
+    post_init_sleep={{fedmsg_post_init_sleep}},
 
     # This is the number of milliseconds to wait before timing out on
     # connections.. notably to the fedmsg-relay in the event that it has