diff --git a/packages/core/examples/simple-asset-transfer/quorum/api/scripts/deploy-contracts.js b/packages/core/examples/simple-asset-transfer/quorum/api/scripts/deploy-contracts.js
index a12bc6a0c19..b7531427b07 100755
--- a/packages/core/examples/simple-asset-transfer/quorum/api/scripts/deploy-contracts.js
+++ b/packages/core/examples/simple-asset-transfer/quorum/api/scripts/deploy-contracts.js
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ module.exports = (async () => {
       }
       tryCount += 1;
     }
+    if (notSuccessful) {
+      throw new Error(`Failed to deploy contracts after ${maxTries} attempts. See logs above for details.`);
+    }
     if (config.env !== 'test') {
       /* Forcibly exit the process as we suspect that web3.js may leave dangling
         open network connections that prevent normal exit. */
diff --git a/packages/core/examples/simple-asset-transfer/quorum/api/utils/contracts.js b/packages/core/examples/simple-asset-transfer/quorum/api/utils/contracts.js
index c14a97a2c19..ed2a9ea32fd 100644
--- a/packages/core/examples/simple-asset-transfer/quorum/api/utils/contracts.js
+++ b/packages/core/examples/simple-asset-transfer/quorum/api/utils/contracts.js
@@ -51,16 +51,20 @@ const Contracts = {
   },
 
   async newPublicContract(contractObject, ...contractArguments) {
-    const newContract = await contractObject
-      .deploy({
-        arguments: contractArguments,
-      })
-      .send({
-        from: web3Ws.eth.defaultAccount,
-        gas: 10000000,
-      })
-      .on('transactionHash', txHash => logger.log('info', `newPublicContract: txHash:${txHash}`));
-    logger.log('debug', `newPublicContract: ${newContract.options.address}`);
+    const deployTask = contractObject.deploy({ arguments: contractArguments });
+    const gasEstimate = await deployTask.estimateGas({
+      from: web3Ws.eth.defaultAccount,
+      gas: 10000000,
+    });
+    const gas = gasEstimate * 3; // offer triple the gas estimate to be sure
+    const taskPayload = {
+      from: web3Ws.eth.defaultAccount,
+      gas,
+    };
+    logger.info(`newPublicContract: gasEstimate=%s taskPayload=%s`, gasEstimate, JSON.stringify(taskPayload));
+    const newContract = await deployTask.send(taskPayload);
+
+    logger.log('debug', `newPublicContract: deployment DONE. address=${newContract.options.address}`);
     return newContract;
   },
 
diff --git a/packages/core/examples/simple-asset-transfer/quorum/api/wrappers/actor.wrapper.js b/packages/core/examples/simple-asset-transfer/quorum/api/wrappers/actor.wrapper.js
index 9ae8604b76d..f484f4d89ef 100644
--- a/packages/core/examples/simple-asset-transfer/quorum/api/wrappers/actor.wrapper.js
+++ b/packages/core/examples/simple-asset-transfer/quorum/api/wrappers/actor.wrapper.js
@@ -22,12 +22,17 @@ async function registerActor({ name, type, constKey, ethAddress, host, port }) {
     host,
     port
   );
-  const receipt = await rootContract.methods
-    .registerActor(name, constKey, ethAddress, ActorTypes[type], host, port)
-    .send({
-      from: web3.eth.defaultAccount,
-      gas: 3000000,
-    });
+  const actorRegistrationTask = rootContract.methods
+    .registerActor(name, constKey, ethAddress, ActorTypes[type], host, port);
+
+  const gasEstimate = await actorRegistrationTask.estimateGas();
+  const gas = gasEstimate * 3; // offer triple the gas estimate to be sure
+  const taskPayload = {
+    from: web3.eth.defaultAccount,
+    gas,
+  };
+  logger.info(`registerActor gasEstimate=%s taskPayload=%s`, gasEstimate, JSON.stringify(taskPayload));
+  const receipt = await actorRegistrationTask.send(taskPayload);
   logger.log('debug', 'registerActor receipt %j', receipt);
   return receipt;
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/examples/simple-asset-transfer/quorum/platform/docker-compose.yml b/packages/core/examples/simple-asset-transfer/quorum/platform/docker-compose.yml
index 9708e29f841..5b923299897 100644
--- a/packages/core/examples/simple-asset-transfer/quorum/platform/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/packages/core/examples/simple-asset-transfer/quorum/platform/docker-compose.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ version: "3.6"
 x-quorum-def:
   &quorum-def
   restart: "on-failure"
-  image: "${QUORUM_DOCKER_IMAGE:-quorumengineering/quorum:2.3.0}"
+  image: "${QUORUM_DOCKER_IMAGE:-quorumengineering/quorum:2.2.5}"
   expose:
     - "21000"
     - "50400"
@@ -71,6 +71,10 @@ x-quorum-def:
         --rpcapi admin,db,eth,debug,miner,net,shh,txpool,personal,web3,quorum,${QUORUM_CONSENSUS:-istanbul} \
         --port 21000 \
         --unlock 0 \
+        --mine \
+        --miner.threads 1 \
+        --miner.gaslimit 60000000 \
+        --miner.gastarget 10 \
         --password /examples/passwords.txt \
         ${QUORUM_GETH_ARGS:-} $${GETH_ARGS_${QUORUM_CONSENSUS:-istanbul}}
 x-tx-manager-def: