diff --git a/4chan_x.user.js b/4chan_x.user.js
index edd86f445..61fabbcc0 100644
--- a/4chan_x.user.js
+++ b/4chan_x.user.js
@@ -183,7 +183,8 @@
         'Auto Scroll': [false, 'Scroll updated posts into view. Only enabled at bottom of page.'],
         'Bottom Scroll': [false, 'Always scroll to the bottom, not the first new post. Useful for event threads.'],
         'Scroll BG': [false, 'Auto-scroll background tabs.'],
-        'Auto Update': [true, 'Automatically fetch new posts.']
+        'Auto Update': [true, 'Automatically fetch new posts.'],
+        'Optional Increase': [false, 'Increase the intervals between updates on threads without new posts.']
       },
       'Interval': 30
     }
@@ -5648,7 +5649,7 @@
       },
       interval: function() {
         var val;
-        val = Math.max(5, parseInt(this.value, 10));
+        val = parseInt(this.value, 10);
         ThreadUpdater.interval = this.value = val;
         return $.cb.value.call(this);
       },
@@ -5695,7 +5696,7 @@
       if (!d.hidden) {
         j = Math.min(j, 7);
       }
-      return ThreadUpdater.seconds = Math.max(i, [0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 60, 90, 120, 240, 300][j]);
+      return ThreadUpdater.seconds = Conf['Optional Increase'] ? Math.max(i, [0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 60, 90, 120, 240, 300][j]) : i;
     },
     set: function(name, text, klass) {
       var el, node;
diff --git a/src/config.coffee b/src/config.coffee
index 171224b92..f936b8535 100644
--- a/src/config.coffee
+++ b/src/config.coffee
@@ -465,4 +465,8 @@ http://www.google.com/searchbyimage?image_url=%turl
         true
         'Automatically fetch new posts.'
       ]
+      'Optional Increase': [
+        false
+        'Increase the intervals between updates on threads without new posts.'
+      ]
     'Interval': 30
diff --git a/src/features.coffee b/src/features.coffee
index f9a197a5d..4d8848ee8 100644
--- a/src/features.coffee
+++ b/src/features.coffee
@@ -3815,7 +3815,7 @@ ThreadUpdater =
       else
         clearTimeout ThreadUpdater.timeoutID
     interval: ->
-      val = Math.max 5, parseInt @value, 10
+      val = parseInt @value, 10
       ThreadUpdater.interval = @value = val
       $.cb.value.call @
     load: ->
@@ -3857,7 +3857,11 @@ ThreadUpdater =
     unless d.hidden
       # Lower the max refresh rate limit on visible tabs.
       j = Math.min j, 7
-    ThreadUpdater.seconds = Math.max i, [0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 60, 90, 120, 240, 300][j]
+    ThreadUpdater.seconds = 
+      if Conf['Optional Increase']
+        Math.max i, [0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 60, 90, 120, 240, 300][j]
+      else
+        i
 
   set: (name, text, klass) ->
     el = ThreadUpdater[name]