diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d98b7824..cd414f9a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ variables.
 - [RMW_CONNEXT_CYCLONE_COMPATIBILITY_MODE](#RMW_CONNEXT_CYCLONE_COMPATIBILITY_MODE)
 - [RMW_CONNEXT_DISABLE_LARGE_DATA_OPTIMIZATIONS](#RMW_CONNEXT_DISABLE_LARGE_DATA_OPTIMIZATIONS)
 - [RMW_CONNEXT_DISABLE_FAST_ENDPOINT_DISCOVERY](#RMW_CONNEXT_DISABLE_FAST_ENDPOINT_DISCOVERY)
+- [RMW_CONNEXT_DISABLE_RELIABILITY_OPTIMIZATIONS](#RMW_CONNEXT_DISABLE_RELIABILITY_OPTIMIZATIONS)
 - [RMW_CONNEXT_ENDPOINT_QOS_OVERRIDE_POLICY](#RMW_CONNEXT_ENDPOINT_QOS_OVERRIDE_POLICY)
 - [RMW_CONNEXT_INITIAL_PEERS](#RMW_CONNEXT_INITIAL_PEERS)
 - [RMW_CONNEXT_LEGACY_RMW_COMPATIBILITY_MODE](#RMW_CONNEXT_LEGACY_RMW_COMPATIBILITY_MODE)
@@ -207,6 +208,17 @@ Variable `RMW_CONNEXT_DISABLE_FAST_ENDPOINT_DISCOVERY` may be used to disable
 these automatic optimizations, and to leave the DomainParticipant's QoS to
 its defaults.
 
+### RMW_CONNEXT_DISABLE_RELIABILITY_OPTIMIZATIONS
+
+By default, `rmw_connextdds` will modify the QoS of each reliable DataWriter
+and DataReader to improve the responsiveness of the RTPS [reliability protocol](https://community.rti.com/static/documentation/connext-dds/6.0.1/doc/manuals/connext_dds/html_files/RTI_ConnextDDS_CoreLibraries_UsersManual/Content/UsersManual/Using_QosPolicies_to_Tune_the_Reliable_P.htm?tocpath=Part%203%3A%20Advanced%20Concepts%7C11.%20Reliable%20Communications%7C11.3%20Using%20QosPolicies%20to%20Tune%20the%20Reliable%20Protocol%7C_____0#reliable_1394042328_776265).
+
+For example, the ["heartbeat period"](https://community.rti.com/static/documentation/connext-dds/6.0.1/doc/manuals/connext_dds/html_files/RTI_ConnextDDS_CoreLibraries_UsersManual/Content/UsersManual/Controlling_Heartbeats_and_Retries.htm#reliable_1394042328_785637)
+is sped up from 3 seconds to 100 milliseconds.
+
+These optimizations may be disabled using variable
+`RMW_CONNEXT_DISABLE_RELIABILITY_OPTIMIZATIONS`.
+
 ### RMW_CONNEXT_ENDPOINT_QOS_OVERRIDE_POLICY
 
 When this variable is not set or set to `always`, the QoS settings specified in
diff --git a/rmw_connextdds_common/include/rmw_connextdds/context.hpp b/rmw_connextdds_common/include/rmw_connextdds/context.hpp
index 2cbb2cf6..3ee3f37f 100644
--- a/rmw_connextdds_common/include/rmw_connextdds/context.hpp
+++ b/rmw_connextdds_common/include/rmw_connextdds/context.hpp
@@ -100,6 +100,9 @@ struct rmw_context_impl_s
 #if RMW_CONNEXT_DEFAULT_LARGE_DATA_OPTIMIZATIONS
   bool optimize_large_data{true};
 #endif /* RMW_CONNEXT_DEFAULT_LARGE_DATA_OPTIMIZATIONS */
+#if RMW_CONNEXT_DEFAULT_RELIABILITY_OPTIMIZATIONS
+  bool optimize_reliability{true};
+#endif /* RMW_CONNEXT_DEFAULT_RELIABILITY_OPTIMIZATIONS */
 
   enum class participant_qos_override_policy_t
   {
diff --git a/rmw_connextdds_common/include/rmw_connextdds/static_config.hpp b/rmw_connextdds_common/include/rmw_connextdds/static_config.hpp
index 120e5790..9f3ed07d 100644
--- a/rmw_connextdds_common/include/rmw_connextdds/static_config.hpp
+++ b/rmw_connextdds_common/include/rmw_connextdds/static_config.hpp
@@ -85,6 +85,11 @@
   "RMW_CONNEXT_DISABLE_LARGE_DATA_OPTIMIZATIONS"
 #endif /* RMW_CONNEXT_ENV_DISABLE_LARGE_DATA_OPTIMIZATIONS */
 
+#ifndef RMW_CONNEXT_ENV_DISABLE_RELIABILITY_OPTIMIZATIONS
+#define RMW_CONNEXT_ENV_DISABLE_RELIABILITY_OPTIMIZATIONS \
+  "RMW_CONNEXT_DISABLE_RELIABILITY_OPTIMIZATIONS"
+#endif /* RMW_CONNEXT_ENV_DISABLE_RELIABILITY_OPTIMIZATIONS */
+
 // TODO(security-wg): These are intended to be temporary, and need to be
 // refactored into a proper abstraction.
 #ifndef RMW_CONNEXT_ENV_SECURITY_LOG_FILE
@@ -226,6 +231,13 @@
 #define RMW_CONNEXT_TYPE_OBJECT_MAX_SERIALIZED_SIZE   65000
 #endif /* RMW_CONNEXT_TYPE_OBJECT_MAX_SERIALIZED_SIZE */
 
+/******************************************************************************
+ * Customize the RTPS reliability protocol to speed up its responsiveness.
+ ******************************************************************************/
+#ifndef RMW_CONNEXT_DEFAULT_RELIABILITY_OPTIMIZATIONS
+#define RMW_CONNEXT_DEFAULT_RELIABILITY_OPTIMIZATIONS     1
+#endif /* RMW_CONNEXT_DEFAULT_RELIABILITY_OPTIMIZATIONS */
+
 /******************************************************************************
  * Automatically tune DataWriterQos to better handle reliable "large data".
  ******************************************************************************/
diff --git a/rmw_connextdds_common/src/common/rmw_context.cpp b/rmw_connextdds_common/src/common/rmw_context.cpp
index 02aeea28..3d5a2a03 100644
--- a/rmw_connextdds_common/src/common/rmw_context.cpp
+++ b/rmw_connextdds_common/src/common/rmw_context.cpp
@@ -1281,6 +1281,25 @@ rmw_api_connextdds_init(
     RMW_CONNEXT_LOG_DEBUG_A("initial DDS peers: %s", initial_peers)
   }
 
+#if RMW_CONNEXT_DEFAULT_RELIABILITY_OPTIMIZATIONS
+  // Check if we should disable the optimizations for the RTPS reliability protocol
+  const char * disable_optimize_reliability_env = nullptr;
+  lookup_rc = rcutils_get_env(
+    RMW_CONNEXT_ENV_DISABLE_RELIABILITY_OPTIMIZATIONS,
+    &disable_optimize_reliability_env);
+
+  if (nullptr != lookup_rc || nullptr == disable_optimize_reliability_env) {
+    RMW_CONNEXT_LOG_ERROR_A_SET(
+      "failed to lookup from environment: "
+      "var=%s, "
+      "rc=%s ",
+      RMW_CONNEXT_ENV_DISABLE_RELIABILITY_OPTIMIZATIONS,
+      lookup_rc)
+    return RMW_RET_ERROR;
+  }
+  ctx->optimize_reliability = '\0' == disable_optimize_reliability_env[0];
+#endif /* RMW_CONNEXT_DEFAULT_RELIABILITY_OPTIMIZATIONS */
+
   if (nullptr == RMW_Connext_gv_DomainParticipantFactory) {
     RMW_CONNEXT_ASSERT(1 == RMW_Connext_gv_ContextCount)
     RMW_CONNEXT_LOG_DEBUG("initializing DDS DomainParticipantFactory")
diff --git a/rmw_connextdds_common/src/ndds/dds_api_ndds.cpp b/rmw_connextdds_common/src/ndds/dds_api_ndds.cpp
index ff9f5dcb..05ef3f26 100644
--- a/rmw_connextdds_common/src/ndds/dds_api_ndds.cpp
+++ b/rmw_connextdds_common/src/ndds/dds_api_ndds.cpp
@@ -501,6 +501,32 @@ rmw_connextdds_get_datawriter_qos(
     qos->publish_mode.kind = DDS_ASYNCHRONOUS_PUBLISH_MODE_QOS;
   }
 
+#if RMW_CONNEXT_DEFAULT_RELIABILITY_OPTIMIZATIONS
+  // The default settings for the RTPS reliability protocol are not very
+  // responsive, and they cause some unit tests to fail. These optimizations
+  // have been derived from profile `Optimization.ReliabilityProtocol.Common`
+  // available in Connext 6+. `Generic.StrictReliable` is the equivalent
+  // profile in 5.3.1. Changes are limited to `DDS_RtpsReliableWriterProtocol_t`.
+  if (ctx->optimize_reliability) {
+    // All write() calls will block (for at most max_blocking_time) once the send_window
+    // is filled with samples that haven't yet been acknowledged by all active readers.
+    qos->protocol.rtps_reliable_writer.min_send_window_size = 40;
+    qos->protocol.rtps_reliable_writer.max_send_window_size = 40;  // fixed size window
+    qos->protocol.rtps_reliable_writer.heartbeats_per_max_samples = 10;  // 1 every 4
+    qos->protocol.rtps_reliable_writer.heartbeat_period = {0, 200000000};  // 200ms
+    qos->protocol.rtps_reliable_writer.late_joiner_heartbeat_period = {0, 20000000};  // 20ms
+    qos->protocol.rtps_reliable_writer.fast_heartbeat_period = {0, 20000000};  // 20ms
+    qos->protocol.rtps_reliable_writer.max_heartbeat_retries = 500;  // 10s @ 50hz
+    // Force the writer to reply immediately to ACKNACK's received from a writer.
+    qos->protocol.rtps_reliable_writer.max_nack_response_delay = DDS_DURATION_ZERO;
+    // When the number of unack'd samples reaches the high_watermark the fast_heartbeat_period
+    // is used. When the number dips below the low_watermark, the heartbeat_period is used.
+    // These numbers are tied to the send_window size.
+    qos->protocol.rtps_reliable_writer.high_watermark = 25;
+    qos->protocol.rtps_reliable_writer.low_watermark = 10;
+  }
+#endif /* RMW_CONNEXT_DEFAULT_RELIABILITY_OPTIMIZATIONS */
+
 #if RMW_CONNEXT_DEFAULT_LARGE_DATA_OPTIMIZATIONS
   // Unless disabled, optimize the DataWriter's reliability protocol to
   // better handle large data samples. These are *bounded* types whose
@@ -587,6 +613,17 @@ rmw_connextdds_get_datareader_qos(
     }
   }
 
+#if RMW_CONNEXT_DEFAULT_RELIABILITY_OPTIMIZATIONS
+  // The default settings for the RTPS reliability protocol are not very
+  // responsive, and they cause some unit tests to fail. These optimizations
+  // are dual to those applied in rmw_connextdds_get_datawriter_qos().
+  // Changes are limited to `DDS_RtpsReliableReaderProtocol_t`.
+  if (ctx->optimize_reliability) {
+    qos->protocol.rtps_reliable_reader.min_heartbeat_response_delay = DDS_DURATION_ZERO;
+    qos->protocol.rtps_reliable_reader.max_heartbeat_response_delay = DDS_DURATION_ZERO;
+  }
+#endif /* RMW_CONNEXT_DEFAULT_RELIABILITY_OPTIMIZATIONS */
+
 #if RMW_CONNEXT_DEFAULT_LARGE_DATA_OPTIMIZATIONS
   // Unless disabled, optimize the DataReader's reliability protocol to
   // better handle large data samples. These are *bounded* types whose