diff --git a/README.asciidoc b/README.asciidoc
index 3be86bbd..db933813 100644
--- a/README.asciidoc
+++ b/README.asciidoc
@@ -909,6 +909,11 @@ Some options are built in Kakoune, and can be used to control it's behaviour:
    modification is detected.
  * `debug` _flags(hooks|shell|profile)_: dump various debug information in
    the `*debug*` buffer.
+ * `idle_timeout` _int_: timeout, in milliseconds, with no user input that will
+   trigger the `InsertIdle` and `NormalIdle` hooks. 
+ * `fs_checkout_timeout` _int_: timeout, in milliseconds, between checks in
+   normal mode of modifications of the file associated with the current buffer
+   on the filesystem.
  * `modelinefmt` _string_: A format string used to generate the mode line, that
    string is first expanded as a command line would be (expanding `%...{...}`
    strings), then markup tags are applied (see <<Markup strings>>).
diff --git a/doc/manpages/options.asciidoc b/doc/manpages/options.asciidoc
index 405336d1..c6ab0494 100644
--- a/doc/manpages/options.asciidoc
+++ b/doc/manpages/options.asciidoc
@@ -138,6 +138,14 @@ Builtin options
 *debug* 'flags(hooks|shell|profile)'::
 	dump various debug information in the '\*debug*' buffer
 
+*idle_timeout* 'int'::
+	timeout, in milliseconds, with no user input that will trigger the
+	*InsertIdle* and *NormalIdle* hooks. 
+
+*fs_checkout_timeout* 'int'::
+	timeout, in milliseconds, between checks in normal mode of modifications
+	of the file associated with the current buffer on the filesystem.
+
 *modelinefmt* 'string'::
 	A format string used to generate the mode line, that string is first
 	expanded as a command line would be (expanding '%...{...}' strings),
diff --git a/src/input_handler.cc b/src/input_handler.cc
index 1fb68f86..a8970164 100644
--- a/src/input_handler.cc
+++ b/src/input_handler.cc
@@ -56,8 +56,15 @@ private:
 namespace InputModes
 {
 
-static constexpr std::chrono::milliseconds idle_timeout{50};
-static constexpr std::chrono::milliseconds fs_check_timeout{500};
+std::chrono::milliseconds get_idle_timeout(const Context& context)
+{
+    return std::chrono::milliseconds{context.options()["idle_timeout"].get<int>()};
+}
+
+std::chrono::milliseconds get_fs_check_timeout(const Context& context)
+{
+    return std::chrono::milliseconds{context.options()["fs_check_timeout"].get<int>()};
+}
 
 struct MouseHandler
 {
@@ -140,7 +147,7 @@ public:
                             Timer::Callback() : Timer::Callback([this](Timer& timer) {
               if (context().has_client())
                   context().client().check_if_buffer_needs_reloading();
-              timer.set_next_date(Clock::now() + fs_check_timeout);
+              timer.set_next_date(Clock::now() + get_fs_check_timeout(context()));
           })},
           m_single_command(single_command)
     {}
@@ -150,8 +157,8 @@ public:
         if (context().has_client())
             context().client().check_if_buffer_needs_reloading();
 
-        m_fs_check_timer.set_next_date(Clock::now() + fs_check_timeout);
-        m_idle_timer.set_next_date(Clock::now() + idle_timeout);
+        m_fs_check_timer.set_next_date(Clock::now() + get_fs_check_timeout(context()));
+        m_idle_timer.set_next_date(Clock::now() + get_idle_timeout(context()));
 
         context().hooks().run_hook("NormalBegin", "", context());
     }
@@ -178,7 +185,7 @@ public:
         auto cp = key.codepoint();
 
         if (m_mouse_handler.handle_key(key, context()))
-            m_idle_timer.set_next_date(Clock::now() + idle_timeout);
+            m_idle_timer.set_next_date(Clock::now() + get_idle_timeout(context()));
         if (cp and isdigit(*cp))
         {
             int new_val = m_params.count * 10 + *cp - '0';
@@ -241,7 +248,7 @@ public:
         }
 
         context().hooks().run_hook("NormalKey", key_to_str(key), context());
-        m_idle_timer.set_next_date(Clock::now() + idle_timeout);
+        m_idle_timer.set_next_date(Clock::now() + get_idle_timeout(context()));
     }
 
     DisplayLine mode_line() const override
@@ -961,7 +968,7 @@ public:
 
     void on_enabled() override
     {
-        m_idle_timer.set_next_date(Clock::now() + idle_timeout);
+        m_idle_timer.set_next_date(Clock::now() + get_idle_timeout(context()));
     }
 
     void on_disabled() override
@@ -1099,7 +1106,7 @@ public:
                     {
                         insert(*cp);
                         context().hooks().run_hook("InsertKey", key_to_str(key), context());
-                        m_idle_timer.set_next_date(Clock::now() + idle_timeout);
+                        m_idle_timer.set_next_date(Clock::now() + get_idle_timeout(context()));
                     }
                 }, "raw insert", "enter key to insert");
             update_completions = false;
@@ -1113,7 +1120,7 @@ public:
         context().hooks().run_hook("InsertKey", key_to_str(key), context());
 
         if (update_completions)
-            m_idle_timer.set_next_date(Clock::now() + idle_timeout);
+            m_idle_timer.set_next_date(Clock::now() + get_idle_timeout(context()));
         if (moved)
             context().hooks().run_hook("InsertMove", key_to_str(key), context());
     }
diff --git a/src/main.cc b/src/main.cc
index 0049f6be..3175ac5e 100644
--- a/src/main.cc
+++ b/src/main.cc
@@ -204,6 +204,12 @@ static void check_scrolloff(const CharCoord& so)
         throw runtime_error{"scroll offset must be positive or zero"};
 }
 
+static void check_timeout(const int& timeout)
+{
+    if (timeout < 50)
+        throw runtime_error{"the minimum acceptable timeout is 50 milliseconds"};
+}
+
 void register_options()
 {
     OptionsRegistry& reg = GlobalScope::instance().option_registry();
@@ -247,6 +253,11 @@ void register_options()
     reg.declare_option("autoreload",
                        "autoreload buffer when a filesystem modification is detected",
                        Autoreload::Ask);
+    reg.declare_option<int, check_timeout>(
+        "idle_timeout", "timeout, in milliseconds, before idle hooks are triggered", 50);
+    reg.declare_option<int, check_timeout>(
+        "fs_check_timeout", "timeout, in milliseconds, between file system buffer modification checks",
+        500);
     reg.declare_option("ui_options",
                        "colon separated list of <key>=<value> options that are "
                        "passed to and interpreted by the user interface\n"