diff --git a/src/client/Client.js b/src/client/Client.js
index e8fc17ef0538..ce769c2b9506 100644
--- a/src/client/Client.js
+++ b/src/client/Client.js
@@ -572,6 +572,9 @@ class Client extends BaseClient {
     if (!Array.isArray(options.partials)) {
       throw new TypeError('CLIENT_INVALID_OPTION', 'partials', 'an Array');
     }
+    if (typeof options.waitGuildTimeout !== 'number' || isNaN(options.waitGuildTimeout)) {
+      throw new TypeError('CLIENT_INVALID_OPTION', 'waitGuildTimeout', 'a number');
+    }
     if (typeof options.restWsBridgeTimeout !== 'number' || isNaN(options.restWsBridgeTimeout)) {
       throw new TypeError('CLIENT_INVALID_OPTION', 'restWsBridgeTimeout', 'a number');
     }
diff --git a/src/client/websocket/WebSocketShard.js b/src/client/websocket/WebSocketShard.js
index 11283345e769..70ace4fce8cb 100644
--- a/src/client/websocket/WebSocketShard.js
+++ b/src/client/websocket/WebSocketShard.js
@@ -475,12 +475,20 @@ class WebSocketShard extends EventEmitter {
       return;
     }
     const hasGuildsIntent = new Intents(this.manager.client.options.intents).has(Intents.FLAGS.GUILDS);
-    // Step 2. Create a 15s timeout that will mark the shard as ready if there are still unavailable guilds
+    // Step 2. Create a timeout that will mark the shard as ready if there are still unavailable guilds
+    // * The timeout is 15 seconds by default
+    // * This can be optionally changed in the client options via the `waitGuildTimeout` option
+    // * a timeout time of zero will skip this timeout, which potentially could cause the Client to miss guilds.
+
+    const { waitGuildTimeout } = this.manager.client.options;
+
     this.readyTimeout = setTimeout(
       () => {
         this.debug(
           `Shard ${hasGuildsIntent ? 'did' : 'will'} not receive any more guild packets` +
-            `${hasGuildsIntent ? ' in 15 seconds' : ''}.\n   Unavailable guild count: ${this.expectedGuilds.size}`,
+            `${hasGuildsIntent ? ` in ${waitGuildTimeout} ms` : ''}.\nUnavailable guild count: ${
+              this.expectedGuilds.size
+            }`,
         );
 
         this.readyTimeout = null;
@@ -489,7 +497,7 @@ class WebSocketShard extends EventEmitter {
 
         this.emit(ShardEvents.ALL_READY, this.expectedGuilds);
       },
-      hasGuildsIntent ? 15_000 : 0,
+      hasGuildsIntent ? waitGuildTimeout : 0,
     ).unref();
   }
 
diff --git a/src/util/Options.js b/src/util/Options.js
index 01690b4cfe4d..2ee1f0910af9 100644
--- a/src/util/Options.js
+++ b/src/util/Options.js
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@
  * [User Agent](https://discord.com/developers/docs/reference#user-agent) header
  * @property {PresenceData} [presence={}] Presence data to use upon login
  * @property {IntentsResolvable} intents Intents to enable for this connection
+ * @property {number} [waitGuildTimeout=15_000] Time in milliseconds that Clients with the GUILDS intent should wait for
+ * missing guilds to be recieved before starting the bot. If not specified, the default is 15 seconds.
  * @property {SweeperOptions} [sweepers={}] Options for cache sweeping
  * @property {WebsocketOptions} [ws] Options for the WebSocket
  * @property {HTTPOptions} [http] HTTP options
@@ -128,6 +130,7 @@ class Options extends null {
    */
   static createDefault() {
     return {
+      waitGuildTimeout: 15_000,
       shardCount: 1,
       makeCache: this.cacheWithLimits(this.defaultMakeCacheSettings),
       messageCacheLifetime: 0,
diff --git a/typings/index.d.ts b/typings/index.d.ts
index 9fcaaf15b9be..0206ffd7dd7d 100644
--- a/typings/index.d.ts
+++ b/typings/index.d.ts
@@ -4004,6 +4004,7 @@ export interface ClientOptions {
   userAgentSuffix?: string[];
   presence?: PresenceData;
   intents: BitFieldResolvable<IntentsString, number>;
+  waitGuildTimeout?: number;
   sweepers?: SweeperOptions;
   ws?: WebSocketOptions;
   http?: HTTPOptions;