diff --git a/light/client_test.go b/light/client_test.go
index 73c79afba..b826eaead 100644
--- a/light/client_test.go
+++ b/light/client_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package light_test
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -929,3 +930,61 @@ func TestClientEnsureValidHeadersAndValSets(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 }
+
+func TestClientHandlesContexts(t *testing.T) {
+	p := mockp.New(genMockNode(chainID, 100, 10, 1, bTime))
+	genBlock, err := p.LightBlock(ctx, 1)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// instantiate the light client with a timeout
+	ctxTimeOut, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 10*time.Millisecond)
+	defer cancel()
+	_, err = light.NewClient(
+		ctxTimeOut,
+		chainID,
+		light.TrustOptions{
+			Period: 24 * time.Hour,
+			Height: 1,
+			Hash:   genBlock.Hash(),
+		},
+		p,
+		[]provider.Provider{p, p},
+		dbs.New(dbm.NewMemDB()),
+	)
+	require.Error(t, ctxTimeOut.Err())
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	require.True(t, errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded))
+
+	// instantiate the client for real
+	c, err := light.NewClient(
+		ctx,
+		chainID,
+		light.TrustOptions{
+			Period: 24 * time.Hour,
+			Height: 1,
+			Hash:   genBlock.Hash(),
+		},
+		p,
+		[]provider.Provider{p, p},
+		dbs.New(dbm.NewMemDB()),
+	)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// verify a block with a timeout
+	ctxTimeOutBlock, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 10*time.Millisecond)
+	defer cancel()
+	_, err = c.VerifyLightBlockAtHeight(ctxTimeOutBlock, 100, bTime.Add(100*time.Minute))
+	require.Error(t, ctxTimeOutBlock.Err())
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	require.True(t, errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded))
+
+	// verify a block with a cancel
+	ctxCancel, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
+	defer cancel()
+	time.AfterFunc(10*time.Millisecond, cancel)
+	_, err = c.VerifyLightBlockAtHeight(ctxCancel, 100, bTime.Add(100*time.Minute))
+	require.Error(t, ctxCancel.Err())
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	require.True(t, errors.Is(err, context.Canceled))
+
+}
diff --git a/light/detector.go b/light/detector.go
index 873ebe859..4d7301cb0 100644
--- a/light/detector.go
+++ b/light/detector.go
@@ -78,7 +78,10 @@ func (c *Client) detectDivergence(ctx context.Context, primaryTrace []*types.Lig
 				"witness", c.witnesses[e.WitnessIndex], "err", err)
 			witnessesToRemove = append(witnessesToRemove, e.WitnessIndex)
 		default:
-			c.logger.Debug("error in light block request to witness", "err", err)
+			if errors.Is(e, context.Canceled) || errors.Is(e, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+				return e
+			}
+			c.logger.Info("error in light block request to witness", "err", err)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -115,7 +118,7 @@ func (c *Client) compareNewHeaderWithWitness(ctx context.Context, errc chan erro
 
 	// the witness hasn't been helpful in comparing headers, we mark the response and continue
 	// comparing with the rest of the witnesses
-	case provider.ErrNoResponse, provider.ErrLightBlockNotFound:
+	case provider.ErrNoResponse, provider.ErrLightBlockNotFound, context.DeadlineExceeded, context.Canceled:
 		errc <- err
 		return
 
diff --git a/light/provider/mock/mock.go b/light/provider/mock/mock.go
index 939232404..fcb8a6fa4 100644
--- a/light/provider/mock/mock.go
+++ b/light/provider/mock/mock.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/light/provider"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/types"
@@ -55,10 +56,16 @@ func (p *Mock) String() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("Mock{id: %s, headers: %s, vals: %v}", p.id, headers.String(), vals.String())
 }
 
-func (p *Mock) LightBlock(_ context.Context, height int64) (*types.LightBlock, error) {
+func (p *Mock) LightBlock(ctx context.Context, height int64) (*types.LightBlock, error) {
 	p.mtx.Lock()
 	defer p.mtx.Unlock()
 
+	select {
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return nil, ctx.Err()
+	case <-time.After(10 * time.Millisecond):
+	}
+
 	var lb *types.LightBlock
 
 	if height > p.latestHeight {