diff --git a/db/comdb2.h b/db/comdb2.h
index 02c7b10d4e..9c2d08f807 100644
--- a/db/comdb2.h
+++ b/db/comdb2.h
@@ -3682,6 +3682,9 @@ extern int gbl_sql_release_locks_on_slow_reader;
 extern int gbl_fail_client_write_lock;
 extern int gbl_server_admin_mode;
 
+extern int gbl_epoch_time;
+extern int gbl_watchdog_disable_at_start;
+
 void csc2_free_all(void);
 
 /* hack to temporary allow bools on production stage */
diff --git a/db/db_tunables.c b/db/db_tunables.c
index fab86b002f..0846d9df6e 100644
--- a/db/db_tunables.c
+++ b/db/db_tunables.c
@@ -527,6 +527,7 @@ extern int gbl_altersc_latency_inc;
 extern int gbl_sc_history_max_rows;
 extern int gbl_sc_status_max_rows;
 extern int gbl_rep_process_pstack_time;
+extern int gbl_sql_recover_ddlk_duration;
 
 extern void set_snapshot_impl(snap_impl_enum impl);
 extern const char *snap_impl_str(snap_impl_enum impl);
@@ -1890,4 +1891,3 @@ const char *tunable_error(comdb2_tunable_err code)
     }
     return "????";
 }
-
diff --git a/db/db_tunables.h b/db/db_tunables.h
index aa24e9324a..ac4b08747f 100644
--- a/db/db_tunables.h
+++ b/db/db_tunables.h
@@ -2434,4 +2434,6 @@ REGISTER_TUNABLE("sc_status_max_rows", "Max number of rows returned in comdb2_sc
                  TUNABLE_INTEGER, &gbl_sc_status_max_rows, 0, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
 REGISTER_TUNABLE("rep_process_pstack_time", "pstack the server if rep_process runs longer than time specified in secs (Default: 30s)",
                  TUNABLE_INTEGER, &gbl_rep_process_pstack_time, 0, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+REGISTER_TUNABLE("sql_recover_ddlk_duration", "Run recover_deadlock after specified duration, if an SQL statement has waiters. To disable, set to 0 (Default: 60s)",
+                 TUNABLE_INTEGER, &gbl_sql_recover_ddlk_duration, 0, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
 #endif /* _DB_TUNABLES_H */
diff --git a/db/process_message.c b/db/process_message.c
index 150245f8f8..54bce290b0 100644
--- a/db/process_message.c
+++ b/db/process_message.c
@@ -1887,7 +1887,6 @@ int process_command(struct dbenv *dbenv, char *line, int lline, int st)
                    dbenv->txns_committed, dbenv->txns_aborted, txns_applied,
                    n_retries, gbl_verify_tran_replays, rep_retry, max_retries);
 
-            extern int gbl_epoch_time;
             extern int gbl_starttime;
             logmsg(LOGMSG_USER, "uptime                  %ds\n",
                    gbl_epoch_time - gbl_starttime);
diff --git a/db/sql.h b/db/sql.h
index cc0dd4b240..368cf0c04a 100644
--- a/db/sql.h
+++ b/db/sql.h
@@ -709,6 +709,7 @@ struct sqlclntstate {
 
     pthread_t debug_sqlclntstate;
     int last_check_time;
+    int last_recover_ddlk;
     int query_timeout;
     int statement_timedout;
     struct conninfo conn;
diff --git a/db/sqlglue.c b/db/sqlglue.c
index 3632c9ed47..b5926c4658 100644
--- a/db/sqlglue.c
+++ b/db/sqlglue.c
@@ -108,7 +108,9 @@
 #include <portmuxapi.h>
 #include "cdb2_constants.h"
 #include <translistener.h>
+#include <sqlwriter.h>
 
+int gbl_sql_recover_ddlk_duration = 60;
 int gbl_delay_sql_lock_release_sec = 5;
 
 unsigned long long get_id(bdb_state_type *);
@@ -611,8 +613,6 @@ static int is_sqlite_db_init(BtCursor *pCur)
 
 int check_sql_client_disconnect(struct sqlclntstate *clnt, char *file, int line)
 {
-    extern int gbl_epoch_time;
-    extern int gbl_watchdog_disable_at_start;
     if (gbl_watchdog_disable_at_start)
         return 0;
     if (gbl_epoch_time && (gbl_epoch_time - clnt->last_check_time > 5)) {
@@ -625,6 +625,7 @@ int check_sql_client_disconnect(struct sqlclntstate *clnt, char *file, int line)
     }
     return 0;
 }
+
 /*
    This is called every time the db does something (find/next/etc. on a cursor).
    The query is aborted if this returns non-zero.
@@ -634,7 +635,6 @@ int gbl_debug_sleep_in_analyze;
 static int sql_tick(struct sql_thread *thd, int no_recover_deadlock)
 {
     int rc;
-    extern int gbl_epoch_time;
 
     if (thd == NULL)
         return 0;
@@ -698,6 +698,21 @@ static int sql_tick(struct sql_thread *thd, int no_recover_deadlock)
         goto done;
     }
 
+    if (no_recover_deadlock ||
+        clnt->last_recover_ddlk == 0 ||
+        gbl_sql_recover_ddlk_duration == 0 ||
+        gbl_epoch_time - clnt->last_recover_ddlk < gbl_sql_recover_ddlk_duration
+    ){
+        goto done;
+    }
+
+    rc = recover_deadlock_evbuffer(clnt);
+    if (rc) {
+        logmsg(LOGMSG_ERROR, "%s: recover_deadlock failed sql:\"%.32s%s\"\n",
+               __func__, clnt->sql, strlen(clnt->sql) > 32 ? "..." : "");
+    }
+    clnt->last_recover_ddlk = gbl_epoch_time;
+
 done:
     Pthread_mutex_unlock(&clnt->sql_tick_lk);
     return rc;
@@ -7315,7 +7330,7 @@ int get_data(BtCursor *pCur, struct schema *sc, uint8_t *in, int fnum, Mem *m,
 
         break;
     default:
-        logmsg(LOGMSG_ERROR, "get_data_int: unhandled type %d\n", f->type);
+        logmsg(LOGMSG_ERROR, "%s: unhandled type %d query:%s\n", __func__, f->type, pCur->clnt->sql);
         break;
     }
 
diff --git a/db/sqlinterfaces.c b/db/sqlinterfaces.c
index 5025bb6458..2ca0cdc3bb 100644
--- a/db/sqlinterfaces.c
+++ b/db/sqlinterfaces.c
@@ -3651,6 +3651,7 @@ void run_stmt_setup(struct sqlclntstate *clnt, sqlite3_stmt *stmt)
     } else {
         clnt->has_recording = v->recording;
     }
+    clnt->last_recover_ddlk = gbl_epoch_time;
     clnt->nsteps = 0;
     comdb2_set_sqlite_vdbe_tzname_int(v, clnt);
     comdb2_set_sqlite_vdbe_dtprec_int(v, clnt);
diff --git a/lua/sp.c b/lua/sp.c
index 1781550085..b146b361bf 100644
--- a/lua/sp.c
+++ b/lua/sp.c
@@ -84,7 +84,6 @@ extern int gbl_lua_new_trans_model;
 extern int gbl_max_lua_instructions;
 extern int gbl_lua_version;
 extern int gbl_notimeouts;
-extern int gbl_epoch_time;
 extern int gbl_allow_lua_print;
 extern int gbl_allow_lua_dynamic_libs;
 extern int gbl_lua_prepare_max_retries;
diff --git a/sqlite/src/func.c b/sqlite/src/func.c
index 29779c7922..e470045834 100644
--- a/sqlite/src/func.c
+++ b/sqlite/src/func.c
@@ -449,9 +449,8 @@ static void sleepFunc(sqlite3_context *context, int argc, sqlite3_value *argv[])
   int i;
   for(i = 0; i < n; i++) {
     sleep(1);
-    int rc = comdb2_sql_tick();
-    if( rc ) {
-      sqlite3_result_error_code(context, rc);
+    if( comdb2_sql_tick() ){
+      sqlite3_result_error_code(context, SQLITE_ERROR);
       return;
     }
   }
@@ -473,8 +472,10 @@ static void usleepFunc(sqlite3_context *context, int argc, sqlite3_value *argv[]
     us = ( remain > 1000000 ) ? 1000000 : remain;
     remain -= us;
     usleep(us);
-    if( comdb2_sql_tick() )
-      break;
+    if( comdb2_sql_tick() ){
+      sqlite3_result_error_code(context, SQLITE_ERROR);
+      return;
+    }
   }
   sqlite3_result_int(context, (total - remain));
 }
diff --git a/tests/tunables.test/t00_all_tunables.expected b/tests/tunables.test/t00_all_tunables.expected
index c6778f455b..f3eb988687 100644
--- a/tests/tunables.test/t00_all_tunables.expected
+++ b/tests/tunables.test/t00_all_tunables.expected
@@ -913,6 +913,7 @@
 (name='sql_optimize_shadows', description='', type='BOOLEAN', value='OFF', read_only='N')
 (name='sql_queueing_critical_trace', description='Produce trace when SQL request queue is this deep.', type='INTEGER', value='100', read_only='N')
 (name='sql_queueing_disable_trace', description='Disable trace when SQL requests are starting to queue.', type='BOOLEAN', value='OFF', read_only='N')
+(name='sql_recover_ddlk_duration', description='Run recover_deadlock after specified duration, if an SQL statement has waiters. To disable, set to 0 (Default: 60s)', type='INTEGER', value='60', read_only='N')
 (name='sql_release_locks_in_update_shadows', description='Release sql locks in update_shadows on lockwait', type='BOOLEAN', value='ON', read_only='N')
 (name='sql_release_locks_on_emit_row_lockwait', description='Release sql locks when we are about to emit a row', type='BOOLEAN', value='OFF', read_only='N')
 (name='sql_release_locks_on_si_lockwait', description='Release sql locks from si if the rep thread is waiting', type='BOOLEAN', value='ON', read_only='N')