diff --git a/crates/rbuilder/src/live_builder/config.rs b/crates/rbuilder/src/live_builder/config.rs
index cd55f4b17..5b65ea189 100644
--- a/crates/rbuilder/src/live_builder/config.rs
+++ b/crates/rbuilder/src/live_builder/config.rs
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@ use std::{
     sync::Arc,
     time::Duration,
 };
-use tokio::sync::Mutex as TokioMutex;
 use tokio_util::sync::CancellationToken;
 use tracing::{info, warn};
 use url::Url;
@@ -301,11 +300,13 @@ impl L1Config {
                             .unwrap_or(DEFAULT_CAN_IGNORE_GAS_LIMIT),
                     );
                     if let Some(grpc_url) = relay_config.grpc_url.clone() {
-                        let grpc_client = Arc::new(TokioMutex::new(
-                            bloxroute_grpc::types::relay_client::RelayClient::new(
-                                tonic::transport::Endpoint::try_from(grpc_url)?.connect_lazy(),
-                            ),
-                        ));
+                        let grpc_client = bloxroute_grpc::types::relay_client::RelayClient::new(
+                            tonic::transport::Endpoint::try_from(grpc_url)?
+                                .keep_alive_while_idle(true)
+                                .keep_alive_timeout(Duration::from_secs(12))
+                                .connect_lazy(),
+                        );
+
                         client = client.with_grpc_client(grpc_client);
                     }
                     Self::create_relay_sub_objects(
diff --git a/crates/rbuilder/src/mev_boost/bloxroute_grpc.rs b/crates/rbuilder/src/mev_boost/bloxroute_grpc.rs
index a1a238ede..273ede0d1 100644
--- a/crates/rbuilder/src/mev_boost/bloxroute_grpc.rs
+++ b/crates/rbuilder/src/mev_boost/bloxroute_grpc.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ use alloy_rpc_types_beacon::{
 };
 use alloy_rpc_types_engine::{ExecutionPayloadV1, ExecutionPayloadV2, ExecutionPayloadV3};
 use rbuilder_primitives::mev_boost::SubmitBlockRequest;
-use std::sync::Arc;
 
 /// Bloxroute gRPC types.
 pub mod types {
@@ -35,8 +34,7 @@ pub enum DataVersion {
 }
 
 /// gRPC relay client type.
-pub type GrpcRelayClient =
-    Arc<tokio::sync::Mutex<types::relay_client::RelayClient<tonic::transport::Channel>>>;
+pub type GrpcRelayClient = types::relay_client::RelayClient<tonic::transport::Channel>;
 
 impl From<&SubmitBlockRequest> for types::SubmitBlockRequest {
     fn from(value: &SubmitBlockRequest) -> Self {
diff --git a/crates/rbuilder/src/mev_boost/mod.rs b/crates/rbuilder/src/mev_boost/mod.rs
index dfca72228..26218ca8a 100644
--- a/crates/rbuilder/src/mev_boost/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/rbuilder/src/mev_boost/mod.rs
@@ -817,7 +817,7 @@ impl RelayClient {
     /// Send gRPC submit block request to bloxroute.
     async fn call_bloxroute_grpc_submit_block(
         &self,
-        client: &GrpcRelayClient,
+        mut client: GrpcRelayClient,
         submission: &SubmitBlockRequestWithMetadata,
     ) -> Result<bloxroute_grpc::types::SubmitBlockResponse, SubmitBlockErr> {
         let mut request = tonic::Request::new(bloxroute_grpc::types::SubmitBlockRequest::from(
@@ -859,12 +859,7 @@ impl RelayClient {
                 .map_err(|_| SubmitBlockErr::InvalidHeader)?,
         );
 
-        let response = client
-            .lock()
-            .await
-            .submit_block(request)
-            .await
-            .map_err(Box::new)?;
+        let response = client.submit_block(request).await.map_err(Box::new)?;
         Ok(response.into_inner())
     }
 
@@ -881,7 +876,10 @@ impl RelayClient {
         // If gRPC client is available, attempt to submit with it.
         // TODO: support submitting to rproxy gRPC
         if let Some(client) = &self.grpc_client {
-            match self.call_bloxroute_grpc_submit_block(client, data).await {
+            match self
+                .call_bloxroute_grpc_submit_block(client.clone(), data)
+                .await
+            {
                 Ok(response) => {
                     let status = response.code.try_into().unwrap_or(u16::MAX);
                     return if status == tonic::Code::Ok as u16 {