diff --git a/manifests/params.pp b/manifests/params.pp
index 41cb4c1..044a9a3 100644
--- a/manifests/params.pp
+++ b/manifests/params.pp
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 # @param [String] cv_nice_value nice value for clamd. This is a number between
 #   -20 and 19. The lower the number, the higher the priority. The default is 
 #   19, which is the lowest priority.
+# @param [String] cv_timeout_start_sec timeout for starting the clamd service.
 ##############################################################################
 class confdroid_clamav::params (
 
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@ class confdroid_clamav::params (
   String $cv_clamd_max_mem            = '512M',
   String $cv_clamd_cpu_quota          = '30%',
   String $cv_nice_value               = '19'
+  String $cv_timeout_start_sec        = '420'
 
 ) {
   # service
diff --git a/templates/clamd_svc.erb b/templates/clamd_svc.erb
index bcdac27..dba92c0 100644
--- a/templates/clamd_svc.erb
+++ b/templates/clamd_svc.erb
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ ExecStart = /usr/sbin/clamd -c /etc/clamd.d/%i.conf
 # Reload the database
 ExecReload=/bin/kill -USR2 $MAINPID
 Restart = on-failure
-TimeoutStartSec=420
+TimeoutStartSec=<%= @cv_timeout_start_sec %>
 MemoryLimit=<%= @cv_clamd_max_mem %>
 CPUQuota=<%= @cv_clamd_cpu_quota %>
 Nice=<%= @cv_nice_value %>