diff --git a/config.template.yaml b/config.template.yaml
index d325dead..d92d6fd4 100644
--- a/config.template.yaml
+++ b/config.template.yaml
@@ -198,3 +198,5 @@ setuid:
   enabled: false
   group: 'users'
   user: 'user'
+# how long to wait in ms before changing uid/gid
+  timeout: 15
diff --git a/lib/config.js b/lib/config.js
index 686d85eb..5b849d0f 100644
--- a/lib/config.js
+++ b/lib/config.js
@@ -103,7 +103,8 @@ var defaults = {
     setuid: {
         enabled: false,
         "group": "users",
-        "user": "nobody"
+        "user": "nobody",
+        "timeout": 15
     },
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/setuid.js b/lib/setuid.js
index da29266e..82345531 100644
--- a/lib/setuid.js
+++ b/lib/setuid.js
@@ -11,5 +11,5 @@ if (Config.get("setuid.enabled")) {
             console.log('Cowardly refusing to keep the process alive as root.');
             process.exit(1);
         }
-    }, 15);
+    }, (Config.get("setuid.timeout")));
 };