diff --git a/.github/workflows/_integration_tests.yml b/.github/workflows/_integration_tests.yml
index 5b7a39d67..c48744cc1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/_integration_tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/_integration_tests.yml
@@ -170,16 +170,6 @@ jobs:
           sleep 3
 
           docker compose up veth-config
-      - name: Add 50ms simulated API latency
-        run: |
-          docker compose exec -T -u root api sh -c 'apk add --update --no-cache iproute2-tc'
-          docker compose exec -T -u root api sh -c 'tc qdisc add dev eth0 root netem delay 50ms'
-
-      - name: Add 10ms simulated gateway latency
-        run: |
-          # compatibility test images won't have the `tc` command
-          docker compose exec -T gateway sh -c 'apk add --update --no-cache iproute2-tc'
-          docker compose exec -T gateway sh -c 'tc qdisc add dev eth0 root netem delay 10ms'
 
       - run: ./scripts/tests/${{ matrix.test.script }}.sh
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 71b630aca..481ab49a2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -336,11 +336,6 @@ jobs:
           docker compose up -d gateway --no-build
           docker compose up -d client --no-build
           docker compose up veth-config
-      - name: Add 10ms simulated latency
-        run: |
-          docker compose exec -T client tc qdisc add dev eth0 root netem delay 10ms
-          docker compose exec -T gateway tc qdisc add dev eth0 root netem delay 10ms
-          docker compose exec -T relay-1 tc qdisc add dev eth0 root netem delay 10ms
       - name: "Performance test: ${{ matrix.flavour }}-${{ matrix.test }}"
         timeout-minutes: 5
         env:
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 8c2bd9f05..56a1bf88d 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ services:
         8081 172.28.0.100 tcp
         8081 172:28:0::100 tcp
       MASQUERADE_TYPE: ""
+      NETWORK_LATENCY_MS: 50
     networks:
       app-internal:
         ipv4_address: 172.28.0.254
@@ -225,6 +226,7 @@ services:
       service: router
     environment:
       MASQUERADE_TYPE: ${CLIENT_MASQUERADE:-}
+      NETWORK_LATENCY_MS: 10
     networks:
       client-internal:
         ipv4_address: 172.30.0.254
@@ -298,6 +300,7 @@ services:
       service: router
     environment:
       MASQUERADE_TYPE: ${GATEWAY_MASQUERADE:-}
+      NETWORK_LATENCY_MS: 10
     networks:
       gateway-internal:
         ipv4_address: 172.31.0.254
@@ -342,6 +345,7 @@ services:
         49152-65535 172.29.1.100 udp
         3478 172:29:1::100 udp
         49152-65535 172:29:1::100 udp
+      NETWORK_LATENCY_MS: 30
     networks:
       relay-1-internal:
         ipv4_address: 172.29.1.254
@@ -388,6 +392,7 @@ services:
         49152-65535 172.29.2.100 udp
         3478 172:29:2::100 udp
         49152-65535 172:29:2::100 udp
+      NETWORK_LATENCY_MS: 30
     networks:
       relay-2-internal:
         ipv4_address: 172.29.2.254
diff --git a/scripts/router/router.sh b/scripts/router/router.sh
index bf1397525..8731e85bb 100644
--- a/scripts/router/router.sh
+++ b/scripts/router/router.sh
@@ -64,6 +64,14 @@ if [ -n "${PORT_FORWARDS:-}" ]; then
     done
 fi
 
+# Add configurable latency if specified
+if [ -n "${NETWORK_LATENCY_MS:-}" ]; then
+    LATENCY=$((NETWORK_LATENCY_MS / 2)) # Latency is only applied to outbound packets. To achieve the actual configured latency, we apply half of it to each interface.
+
+    tc qdisc add dev internet root netem delay "${LATENCY}ms"
+    tc qdisc add dev internal root netem delay "${LATENCY}ms"
+fi
+
 echo "-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"
 cat "$CONFIG_FILE"
 echo "-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"