diff --git a/.changeset/chatty-clouds-melt.md b/.changeset/chatty-clouds-melt.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..2d037bf75fed0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/chatty-clouds-melt.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@eth-optimism/hardhat-ovm": minor
+---
+
+allow overriding the ethers polling interval
diff --git a/packages/hardhat-ovm/package.json b/packages/hardhat-ovm/package.json
index 9bbf74984b1c2..8793ce405d448 100644
--- a/packages/hardhat-ovm/package.json
+++ b/packages/hardhat-ovm/package.json
@@ -17,8 +17,11 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "node-fetch": "^2.6.1"
   },
-  "devDependencies": {
-    "@types/mocha": "^8.2.2",
+  "peerDependencies": {
+    "ethers": "^5.1.4",
     "hardhat": "^2.1.2"
+  },
+  "devDependencies": {
+    "@types/mocha": "^8.2.2"
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/hardhat-ovm/src/index.ts b/packages/hardhat-ovm/src/index.ts
index 274ec7bc68daf..477427847bd5c 100644
--- a/packages/hardhat-ovm/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/hardhat-ovm/src/index.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import * as fs from 'fs'
 import * as path from 'path'
 import fetch from 'node-fetch'
+import { ethers } from 'ethers'
 import { subtask, extendEnvironment } from 'hardhat/config'
 import { getCompilersDir } from 'hardhat/internal/util/global-dir'
 import { Artifacts } from 'hardhat/internal/artifacts'
@@ -23,6 +24,10 @@ const OPTIMISM_SOLC_BIN_URL =
 // default to 0.6.X instead?
 const DEFAULT_OVM_SOLC_VERSION = '0.7.6'
 
+// Poll the node every 50ms, to override ethers.js's default 4000ms causing OVM
+// tests to be slow.
+const OVM_POLLING_INTERVAL = 50
+
 /**
  * Find or generate an OVM soljson.js compiler file and return the path of this file.
  * We pass the path to this file into hardhat.
@@ -200,5 +205,26 @@ extendEnvironment((hre) => {
         ;(hre as any).config.typechain.outDir += '-ovm'
       }
     }
+
+    // if ethers is present, override the polling interval to not wait the full
+    // duration in tests
+    if ((hre as any).ethers) {
+      ;(hre as any).ethers.getSigners = async () => {
+        let signers = await (hre as any).ethers.getSigners()
+        signers = signers.map((s: any) => {
+          s._signer.provider.pollingInterval =
+            hre.network.config.interval || OVM_POLLING_INTERVAL
+          return s
+        })
+        return signers
+      }
+
+      const provider = new ethers.providers.JsonRpcProvider(
+        (hre as any).ethers.provider.url
+      )
+      provider.pollingInterval =
+        hre.network.config.interval || OVM_POLLING_INTERVAL
+      ;(hre as any).ethers.provider = provider
+    }
   }
 })
diff --git a/packages/hardhat-ovm/src/type-extensions.ts b/packages/hardhat-ovm/src/type-extensions.ts
index 2d6758ca6adce..dfe8ef6beef91 100644
--- a/packages/hardhat-ovm/src/type-extensions.ts
+++ b/packages/hardhat-ovm/src/type-extensions.ts
@@ -26,11 +26,13 @@ declare module 'hardhat/types/config' {
   interface HardhatNetworkConfig {
     ovm: boolean
     ignoreRxList: string[]
+    interval?: number
   }
 
   interface HttpNetworkConfig {
     ovm: boolean
     ignoreRxList: string[]
+    interval?: number
   }
 }