diff --git a/pkg/config/database.go b/pkg/config/database.go
index b42ff8e1c..72f59ca78 100644
--- a/pkg/config/database.go
+++ b/pkg/config/database.go
@@ -61,7 +61,11 @@ func (d *Database) Open(logger *logging.Logger) (*icingadb.DB, error) {
 
 		config.DBName = d.Database
 		config.Timeout = time.Minute
-		config.Params = map[string]string{"sql_mode": "ANSI_QUOTES"}
+
+		config.Params = map[string]string{
+			"sql_mode":        "ANSI_QUOTES",
+			"wsrep_sync_wait": strconv.FormatInt(int64(d.Options.WsrepSyncWait), 10),
+		}
 
 		tlsConfig, err := d.TlsOptions.MakeConfig(d.Host)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/driver/mysql.go b/pkg/driver/mysql.go
index 728ca2bd9..c59870139 100644
--- a/pkg/driver/mysql.go
+++ b/pkg/driver/mysql.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"database/sql/driver"
 	"github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+	"strconv"
 )
 
 // MySQLDriver extends mysql.MySQLDriver with auto-SETting Galera cluster options.
@@ -24,19 +25,34 @@ func (md MySQLDriver) Open(name string) (driver.Conn, error) {
 
 // OpenConnector implements the driver.DriverContext interface.
 func (md MySQLDriver) OpenConnector(name string) (driver.Connector, error) {
+	var wsrepSyncWait int64
+
+	if config, err := mysql.ParseDSN(name); err == nil {
+		if s, ok := config.Params["wsrep_sync_wait"]; ok {
+			if i, err := strconv.ParseInt(s, 10, 64); err == nil {
+				// MySQL single nodes don't know wsrep_sync_wait and fail with error 1193 "Unknown system variable".
+				// We have to SET it manually later and swallow error 1193 not to fail our connections.
+				wsrepSyncWait = i
+				delete(config.Params, "wsrep_sync_wait")
+				name = config.FormatDSN()
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	connector, err := md.MySQLDriver.OpenConnector(name)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return &galeraAwareConnector{connector, md}, nil
+	return &galeraAwareConnector{connector, wsrepSyncWait, md}, nil
 }
 
 // galeraAwareConnector extends mysql.connector with auto-SETting Galera cluster options.
 type galeraAwareConnector struct {
 	driver.Connector
 
-	driver driver.Driver
+	wsrepSyncWait int64
+	driver        driver.Driver
 }
 
 // Connect implements the driver.Connector interface.
@@ -46,7 +62,7 @@ func (gac *galeraAwareConnector) Connect(ctx context.Context) (driver.Conn, erro
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	if err := setGaleraOpts(ctx, conn); err != nil {
+	if err := setGaleraOpts(ctx, conn, gac.wsrepSyncWait); err != nil {
 		_ = conn.Close()
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -61,22 +77,25 @@ func (gac *galeraAwareConnector) Driver() driver.Driver {
 
 var errUnknownSysVar = &mysql.MySQLError{Number: 1193}
 
-// setGaleraOpts tries SET SESSION wsrep_sync_wait=7.
+// setGaleraOpts tries SET SESSION wsrep_sync_wait.
 //
-// This ensures causality checks will take place before executing anything,
+// This ensures causality checks will take place before execution,
 // ensuring that every statement is executed on a fully synced node.
 // https://mariadb.com/kb/en/galera-cluster-system-variables/#wsrep_sync_wait
 //
 // It prevents running into foreign key errors while inserting into linked tables on different MySQL nodes.
 // Error 1193 "Unknown system variable" is ignored to support MySQL single nodes.
-func setGaleraOpts(ctx context.Context, conn driver.Conn) error {
-	const galeraOpts = "SET SESSION wsrep_sync_wait=7"
+func setGaleraOpts(ctx context.Context, conn driver.Conn, wsrepSyncWait int64) error {
+	const galeraOpts = "SET SESSION wsrep_sync_wait=?"
 
 	stmt, err := conn.(driver.ConnPrepareContext).PrepareContext(ctx, galeraOpts)
 	if err != nil {
 		err = errors.Wrap(err, "can't prepare "+galeraOpts)
-	} else if _, err = stmt.(driver.StmtExecContext).ExecContext(ctx, nil); err != nil {
-		err = errors.Wrap(err, "can't execute "+galeraOpts)
+	} else {
+		_, err = stmt.(driver.StmtExecContext).ExecContext(ctx, []driver.NamedValue{{Value: wsrepSyncWait}})
+		if err != nil {
+			err = errors.Wrap(err, "can't execute "+galeraOpts)
+		}
 	}
 
 	if err != nil && errors.Is(err, errUnknownSysVar) {
diff --git a/pkg/driver/mysql_test.go b/pkg/driver/mysql_test.go
index 38afc531a..16587674a 100644
--- a/pkg/driver/mysql_test.go
+++ b/pkg/driver/mysql_test.go
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func TestSetGaleraOpts(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, st := range subtests {
 		t.Run(st.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			assert.ErrorIs(t, setGaleraOpts(context.Background(), &st.input), st.output)
+			assert.ErrorIs(t, setGaleraOpts(context.Background(), &st.input, 7), st.output)
 			assert.GreaterOrEqual(t, st.input.prepareCalls, uint8(1))
 
 			if ts, ok := st.input.preparedStmt.(*testStmt); ok {
diff --git a/pkg/icingadb/db.go b/pkg/icingadb/db.go
index 4ff3e0dde..91901608d 100644
--- a/pkg/icingadb/db.go
+++ b/pkg/icingadb/db.go
@@ -54,6 +54,10 @@ type Options struct {
 	// MaxRowsPerTransaction defines the maximum number of rows per transaction.
 	// The default is 2^13, which in our tests showed the best performance in terms of execution time and parallelism.
 	MaxRowsPerTransaction int `yaml:"max_rows_per_transaction" default:"8192"`
+
+	// WsrepSyncWait defines which kinds of SQL statements catch up all pending sync between nodes first, see:
+	// https://mariadb.com/kb/en/galera-cluster-system-variables/#wsrep_sync_wait
+	WsrepSyncWait int `yaml:"wsrep_sync_wait" default:"7"`
 }
 
 // Validate checks constraints in the supplied database options and returns an error if they are violated.