diff --git a/gateway/src/node/internal_service_providers/authenticator/error.rs b/gateway/src/node/internal_service_providers/authenticator/error.rs
index 5bdde15919..8f5de74508 100644
--- a/gateway/src/node/internal_service_providers/authenticator/error.rs
+++ b/gateway/src/node/internal_service_providers/authenticator/error.rs
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ pub enum AuthenticatorError {
     #[error("peers can't be interacted with anymore")]
     PeerInteractionStopped,
 
+    #[error("peers interaction timed out while attempting to {operation}")]
+    PeerInteractionTimeout { operation: &'static str },
+
     #[error("unknown version number")]
     UnknownVersion,
 
diff --git a/gateway/src/node/internal_service_providers/authenticator/mixnet_listener.rs b/gateway/src/node/internal_service_providers/authenticator/mixnet_listener.rs
index c05d9d8cd6..f0734c63b7 100644
--- a/gateway/src/node/internal_service_providers/authenticator/mixnet_listener.rs
+++ b/gateway/src/node/internal_service_providers/authenticator/mixnet_listener.rs
@@ -185,11 +185,16 @@ impl MixnetListener {
     ) -> AuthenticatorHandleResult {
         let remote_public = init_message.pub_key();
         let nonce: u64 = fastrand::u64(..);
-        let mut registered_and_free = self.registered_and_free.write().await;
-        if let Some(registration_data) = registered_and_free
-            .registration_in_progres
-            .get(&remote_public)
-        {
+
+        let pending_registration = {
+            let registered_and_free = self.registered_and_free.read().await;
+            registered_and_free
+                .registration_in_progres
+                .get(&remote_public)
+                .cloned()
+        };
+
+        if let Some(registration_data) = pending_registration {
             let gateway_data = registration_data.gateway_data.clone();
             let bytes = match AuthenticatorVersion::from(protocol) {
                 AuthenticatorVersion::V1 => {
@@ -292,7 +297,17 @@ impl MixnetListener {
             return Ok((bytes, reply_to));
         }
 
-        let peer = self.peer_manager.query_peer(remote_public).await?;
+        let peer = match self.peer_manager.query_peer(remote_public).await {
+            Ok(peer) => peer,
+            Err(err) => {
+                tracing::warn!(
+                    "Failed to query peer {}: {err}. Continuing with fresh registration",
+                    remote_public
+                );
+                None
+            }
+        };
+
         if let Some(peer) = peer {
             let allowed_ipv4 = peer
                 .allowed_ips
@@ -383,6 +398,7 @@ impl MixnetListener {
             return Ok((bytes, reply_to));
         }
 
+        let mut registered_and_free = self.registered_and_free.write().await;
         let private_ip_ref = registered_and_free
             .free_private_network_ips
             .iter_mut()
@@ -818,7 +834,7 @@ impl MixnetListener {
             .to_bytes()
             .map_err(AuthenticatorError::response_serialisation)?,
             AuthenticatorVersion::V1 | AuthenticatorVersion::V2 | AuthenticatorVersion::UNKNOWN => {
-                return Err(AuthenticatorError::UnknownVersion)
+                return Err(AuthenticatorError::UnknownVersion);
             }
         };
 
diff --git a/gateway/src/node/internal_service_providers/authenticator/peer_manager.rs b/gateway/src/node/internal_service_providers/authenticator/peer_manager.rs
index c057dfa57c..bf424cdf99 100644
--- a/gateway/src/node/internal_service_providers/authenticator/peer_manager.rs
+++ b/gateway/src/node/internal_service_providers/authenticator/peer_manager.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ use nym_credential_verification::{ClientBandwidth, TicketVerifier};
 use nym_credentials_interface::CredentialSpendingData;
 use nym_wireguard::{peer_controller::PeerControlRequest, WireguardGatewayData};
 use nym_wireguard_types::PeerPublicKey;
+use tokio::time::{timeout, Duration};
+
+const PEER_MANAGER_RESPONSE_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(5);
 
 pub struct PeerManager {
     pub(crate) wireguard_gateway_data: WireguardGatewayData,
@@ -28,9 +31,8 @@ impl PeerManager {
             .await
             .map_err(|_| AuthenticatorError::PeerInteractionStopped)?;
 
-        response_rx
-            .await
-            .map_err(|_| AuthenticatorError::InternalError("no response for add peer".to_string()))?
+        recv_with_timeout(response_rx, "add peer")
+            .await?
             .map_err(|err| {
                 AuthenticatorError::InternalError(format!(
                     "adding peer could not be performed: {err:?}"
@@ -48,11 +50,8 @@ impl PeerManager {
             .await
             .map_err(|_| AuthenticatorError::PeerInteractionStopped)?;
 
-        response_rx
-            .await
-            .map_err(|_| {
-                AuthenticatorError::InternalError("no response for remove peer".to_string())
-            })?
+        recv_with_timeout(response_rx, "remove peer")
+            .await?
             .map_err(|err| {
                 AuthenticatorError::InternalError(format!(
                     "removing peer could not be performed: {err:?}"
@@ -73,11 +72,8 @@ impl PeerManager {
             .await
             .map_err(|_| AuthenticatorError::PeerInteractionStopped)?;
 
-        response_rx
-            .await
-            .map_err(|_| {
-                AuthenticatorError::InternalError("no response for query peer".to_string())
-            })?
+        recv_with_timeout(response_rx, "query peer")
+            .await?
             .map_err(|err| {
                 AuthenticatorError::InternalError(format!(
                     "querying peer could not be performed: {err:?}"
@@ -106,13 +102,8 @@ impl PeerManager {
             .await
             .map_err(|_| AuthenticatorError::PeerInteractionStopped)?;
 
-        response_rx
-            .await
-            .map_err(|_| {
-                AuthenticatorError::InternalError(
-                    "no response for query client bandwidth".to_string(),
-                )
-            })?
+        recv_with_timeout(response_rx, "query client bandwidth")
+            .await?
             .map_err(|err| {
                 AuthenticatorError::InternalError(format!(
                     "querying client bandwidth could not be performed: {err:?}"
@@ -138,11 +129,8 @@ impl PeerManager {
             .await
             .map_err(|_| AuthenticatorError::PeerInteractionStopped)?;
 
-        response_rx
-            .await
-            .map_err(|_| {
-                AuthenticatorError::InternalError("no response for query verifier".to_string())
-            })?
+        recv_with_timeout(response_rx, "query verifier")
+            .await?
             .map_err(|err| {
                 AuthenticatorError::InternalError(format!(
                     "querying verifier could not be performed: {err:?}"
@@ -151,6 +139,16 @@ impl PeerManager {
     }
 }
 
+async fn recv_with_timeout<T>(
+    response_rx: oneshot::Receiver<T>,
+    operation: &'static str,
+) -> Result<T, AuthenticatorError> {
+    timeout(PEER_MANAGER_RESPONSE_TIMEOUT, response_rx)
+        .await
+        .map_err(|_| AuthenticatorError::PeerInteractionTimeout { operation })?
+        .map_err(|_| AuthenticatorError::PeerInteractionStopped)
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use std::{str::FromStr, sync::Arc};