diff --git a/common/client-core/src/client/topology_control/geo_aware_provider.rs b/common/client-core/src/client/topology_control/geo_aware_provider.rs
index 268f6612e0..62085796c6 100644
--- a/common/client-core/src/client/topology_control/geo_aware_provider.rs
+++ b/common/client-core/src/client/topology_control/geo_aware_provider.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ use std::{collections::HashMap, fmt};
 
 use log::{debug, error, info};
 use nym_explorer_api_requests::PrettyDetailedMixNodeBond;
+use nym_network_defaults::var_names::EXPLORER_API;
 use nym_topology::{
     nym_topology_from_detailed,
     provider_trait::{async_trait, TopologyProvider},
@@ -13,11 +14,23 @@ use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use url::Url;
 
 const MIN_NODES_PER_LAYER: usize = 1;
-const EXPLORER_API_MIXNODES_URL: &str = "https://explorer.nymtech.net/api/v1/mix-nodes";
 
 // TODO: create a explorer-api-client
 async fn fetch_mixnodes_from_explorer_api() -> Option<Vec<PrettyDetailedMixNodeBond>> {
-    reqwest::get(EXPLORER_API_MIXNODES_URL)
+    let explorer_api_url = std::env::var(EXPLORER_API).ok()?;
+    let explorer_api_url = Url::parse(&explorer_api_url)
+        .ok()?
+        .join("v1/mix-nodes")
+        .ok()?;
+
+    debug!("Fetching: {}", explorer_api_url);
+    let client = reqwest::Client::builder()
+        .timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(5))
+        .build()
+        .ok()?;
+    client
+        .get(explorer_api_url)
+        .send()
         .await
         .ok()?
         .json::<Vec<PrettyDetailedMixNodeBond>>()
diff --git a/common/network-defaults/src/lib.rs b/common/network-defaults/src/lib.rs
index 8de0ed465c..1704608043 100644
--- a/common/network-defaults/src/lib.rs
+++ b/common/network-defaults/src/lib.rs
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ pub struct NymNetworkDetails {
     pub chain_details: ChainDetails,
     pub endpoints: Vec<ValidatorDetails>,
     pub contracts: NymContracts,
+    pub explorer_api: Option<String>,
 }
 
 // by default we assume the same defaults as mainnet, i.e. same prefixes and denoms
@@ -71,6 +72,7 @@ impl NymNetworkDetails {
             },
             endpoints: Default::default(),
             contracts: Default::default(),
+            explorer_api: Default::default(),
         }
     }
 
@@ -136,6 +138,7 @@ impl NymNetworkDetails {
                 var_names::SERVICE_PROVIDER_DIRECTORY_CONTRACT_ADDRESS,
             ))
             .with_name_service_contract(get_optional_env(var_names::NAME_SERVICE_CONTRACT_ADDRESS))
+            .with_explorer_api(get_optional_env(var_names::EXPLORER_API))
     }
 
     pub fn new_mainnet() -> Self {
@@ -167,6 +170,7 @@ impl NymNetworkDetails {
                 service_provider_directory_contract_address: None,
                 name_service_contract_address: None,
             },
+            explorer_api: parse_optional_str(mainnet::EXPLORER_API),
         }
     }
 
@@ -278,6 +282,12 @@ impl NymNetworkDetails {
         self.contracts.name_service_contract_address = contract.map(Into::into);
         self
     }
+
+    #[must_use]
+    pub fn with_explorer_api<S: Into<String>>(mut self, endpoint: Option<S>) -> Self {
+        self.explorer_api = endpoint.map(Into::into);
+        self
+    }
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Copy, Serialize, Deserialize, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
diff --git a/common/network-defaults/src/mainnet.rs b/common/network-defaults/src/mainnet.rs
index fbc25c4b00..bfb3f42531 100644
--- a/common/network-defaults/src/mainnet.rs
+++ b/common/network-defaults/src/mainnet.rs
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ pub(crate) const REWARDING_VALIDATOR_ADDRESS: &str = "n10yyd98e2tuwu0f7ypz9dy3hh
 pub const STATISTICS_SERVICE_DOMAIN_ADDRESS: &str = "https://mainnet-stats.nymte.ch:8090/";
 pub const NYXD_URL: &str = "https://rpc.nymtech.net";
 pub const NYM_API: &str = "https://validator.nymtech.net/api/";
+pub const EXPLORER_API: &str = "https://explorer.nymtech.net/api/";
+
 pub(crate) fn validators() -> Vec<ValidatorDetails> {
     vec![ValidatorDetails::new(NYXD_URL, Some(NYM_API))]
 }
@@ -99,6 +101,7 @@ pub fn export_to_env() {
     );
     set_var_to_default(var_names::NYXD, NYXD_URL);
     set_var_to_default(var_names::NYM_API, NYM_API);
+    set_var_to_default(var_names::EXPLORER_API, EXPLORER_API);
 }
 
 pub fn export_to_env_if_not_set() {
@@ -145,4 +148,5 @@ pub fn export_to_env_if_not_set() {
     );
     set_var_conditionally_to_default(var_names::NYXD, NYXD_URL);
     set_var_conditionally_to_default(var_names::NYM_API, NYM_API);
+    set_var_conditionally_to_default(var_names::EXPLORER_API, EXPLORER_API);
 }
diff --git a/common/network-defaults/src/var_names.rs b/common/network-defaults/src/var_names.rs
index 26b65b7f95..d082045a03 100644
--- a/common/network-defaults/src/var_names.rs
+++ b/common/network-defaults/src/var_names.rs
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ pub const SERVICE_PROVIDER_DIRECTORY_CONTRACT_ADDRESS: &str =
 pub const NAME_SERVICE_CONTRACT_ADDRESS: &str = "NAME_SERVICE_CONTRACT_ADDRESS";
 pub const NYXD: &str = "NYXD";
 pub const NYM_API: &str = "NYM_API";
+pub const EXPLORER_API: &str = "EXPLORER_API";
 
 pub const DKG_TIME_CONFIGURATION: &str = "DKG_TIME_CONFIGURATION";
 
diff --git a/envs/mainnet.env b/envs/mainnet.env
index 4bf406bd64..9dc5b5272d 100644
--- a/envs/mainnet.env
+++ b/envs/mainnet.env
@@ -22,5 +22,6 @@ REWARDING_VALIDATOR_ADDRESS=n10yyd98e2tuwu0f7ypz9dy3hhjw7v772q6287gy
 STATISTICS_SERVICE_DOMAIN_ADDRESS="https://mainnet-stats.nymte.ch:8090"
 NYXD="https://rpc.nymtech.net"
 NYM_API="https://validator.nymtech.net/api/"
+EXPLORER_API="https://explorer.nymtech.net/api/"
 
 DKG_TIME_CONFIGURATION="259200,300,300,60,60,1209600"
diff --git a/envs/sandbox.env b/envs/sandbox.env
index 95b0b4d49a..b4a66a70d1 100644
--- a/envs/sandbox.env
+++ b/envs/sandbox.env
@@ -23,4 +23,5 @@ EPHEMERA_CONTRACT_ADDRESS="nymt1gwk6muhmzeuxje7df7rjvqwl2vex0kj4t2hwuzmyx5k62kfu
 
 STATISTICS_SERVICE_DOMAIN_ADDRESS="http://0.0.0.0"
 NYXD="https://sandbox-validator1.nymtech.net"
-NYM_API="https://sandbox-nym-api1.nymtech.net/api/"
\ No newline at end of file
+NYM_API="https://sandbox-nym-api1.nymtech.net/api/"
+EXPLORER_API="https://sandbox-explorer.nymtech.net/api/"