diff --git a/blue_modules/BlueElectrum.js b/blue_modules/BlueElectrum.js
index 79ede1458..47de4ca44 100644
--- a/blue_modules/BlueElectrum.js
+++ b/blue_modules/BlueElectrum.js
@@ -850,13 +850,18 @@ module.exports.estimateFees = async function () {
     clearTimeout(timeoutId);
   }
 
-  if (!histogram) throw new Error('timeout while getting mempool_getFeeHistogram');
-
   // fetching what electrum (which uses bitcoin core) thinks about fees:
   const _fast = await module.exports.estimateFee(1);
   const _medium = await module.exports.estimateFee(18);
   const _slow = await module.exports.estimateFee(144);
 
+  /**
+   * sanity check, see
+   * @see https://github.com/cculianu/Fulcrum/issues/197
+   * (fallback to bitcoin core estimates)
+   */
+  if (!histogram || histogram?.[0]?.[0] > 1000) return { fast: _fast, medium: _medium, slow: _slow };
+
   // calculating fast fees from mempool:
   const fast = Math.max(2, module.exports.calcEstimateFeeFromFeeHistorgam(1, histogram));
   // recalculating medium and slow fees using bitcoincore estimations only like relative weights:
diff --git a/models/networkTransactionFees.js b/models/networkTransactionFees.js
deleted file mode 100644
index ce1ee5a81..000000000
--- a/models/networkTransactionFees.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,44 +0,0 @@
-const BlueElectrum = require('../blue_modules/BlueElectrum');
-
-export const NetworkTransactionFeeType = Object.freeze({
-  FAST: 'Fast',
-  MEDIUM: 'MEDIUM',
-  SLOW: 'SLOW',
-  CUSTOM: 'CUSTOM',
-});
-
-export class NetworkTransactionFee {
-  static StorageKey = 'NetworkTransactionFee';
-
-  constructor(fastestFee = 2, mediumFee = 1, slowFee = 1) {
-    this.fastestFee = fastestFee;
-    this.mediumFee = mediumFee;
-    this.slowFee = slowFee;
-  }
-}
-
-export default class NetworkTransactionFees {
-  static recommendedFees() {
-    // eslint-disable-next-line no-async-promise-executor
-    return new Promise(async resolve => {
-      try {
-        const isDisabled = await BlueElectrum.isDisabled();
-        if (isDisabled) {
-          throw new Error('Electrum is disabled. Dont attempt to fetch fees');
-        }
-        const response = await BlueElectrum.estimateFees();
-        if (typeof response === 'object') {
-          const networkFee = new NetworkTransactionFee(response.fast, response.medium, response.slow);
-          resolve(networkFee);
-        } else {
-          const networkFee = new NetworkTransactionFee(2, 1, 1);
-          resolve(networkFee);
-        }
-      } catch (err) {
-        console.warn(err);
-        const networkFee = new NetworkTransactionFee(2, 1, 1);
-        resolve(networkFee);
-      }
-    });
-  }
-}
diff --git a/models/networkTransactionFees.ts b/models/networkTransactionFees.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..18a5bef4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/models/networkTransactionFees.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+const BlueElectrum = require('../blue_modules/BlueElectrum');
+
+export const NetworkTransactionFeeType = Object.freeze({
+  FAST: 'Fast',
+  MEDIUM: 'MEDIUM',
+  SLOW: 'SLOW',
+  CUSTOM: 'CUSTOM',
+});
+
+export class NetworkTransactionFee {
+  static StorageKey = 'NetworkTransactionFee';
+
+  private fastestFee: number;
+  private mediumFee: number;
+  private slowFee: number;
+
+  constructor(fastestFee = 2, mediumFee = 1, slowFee = 1) {
+    this.fastestFee = fastestFee;
+    this.mediumFee = mediumFee;
+    this.slowFee = slowFee;
+  }
+}
+
+export default class NetworkTransactionFees {
+  static async recommendedFees(): Promise<NetworkTransactionFee> {
+    try {
+      const isDisabled = await BlueElectrum.isDisabled();
+      if (isDisabled) {
+        throw new Error('Electrum is disabled. Dont attempt to fetch fees');
+      }
+      const response = await BlueElectrum.estimateFees();
+      return new NetworkTransactionFee(response.fast + 5, response.medium + 2, response.slow);
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.warn(err);
+      return new NetworkTransactionFee(2, 1, 1);
+    }
+  }
+}