diff --git a/src/core/JCALibrary.properties b/src/core/JCALibrary.properties
index 90956df..ca4091b 100644
--- a/src/core/JCALibrary.properties
+++ b/src/core/JCALibrary.properties
@@ -8,4 +8,5 @@ com.cosylab.epics.caj.CAJContext.beacon_period       = 15.0
 com.cosylab.epics.caj.CAJContext.repeater_port       = 5065
 com.cosylab.epics.caj.CAJContext.server_port         = 5064
 com.cosylab.epics.caj.CAJContext.max_array_bytes     = 16384
+com.cosylab.epics.caj.CAJContext.max_search_interval = 300
 com.cosylab.epics.caj.impl.reactor.lf.LeaderFollowersThreadPool.thread_pool_size = 5
diff --git a/src/core/com/cosylab/epics/caj/CAJContext.java b/src/core/com/cosylab/epics/caj/CAJContext.java
index e9fc7a7..82d45e5 100644
--- a/src/core/com/cosylab/epics/caj/CAJContext.java
+++ b/src/core/com/cosylab/epics/caj/CAJContext.java
@@ -178,6 +178,11 @@ public class CAJContext extends Context implements CAContext, CAJConstants, Conf
 	 */
 	protected int maxArrayBytes = 16384;
 
+	/**
+	 * Maximum interval in seconds between CA search broadcasts. Default is 5 minutes.
+	 */
+	protected float maxSearchInterval = (float) 60.0 * 5;
+
 	/**
 	 * List of context message listeners.
 	 */
@@ -404,40 +409,43 @@ protected void loadConfiguration()
 
 		String eventDispatcherClassName = null;
 		final String thisClassName = this.getClass().getName();
-	    if (Boolean.getBoolean("jca.use_env"))
-	    {
-	    	// Context default configuration
-	    	eventDispatcherClassName = jcaLibrary.getProperty( gov.aps.jca.Context.class.getName()+".event_dispatcher", eventDispatcherClassName );
-
-	        String tmp = System.getenv("EPICS_CA_ADDR_LIST");
-	        if (tmp != null) addressList = tmp;
-	        
-	    	tmp = System.getenv("EPICS_CA_AUTO_ADDR_LIST");
-	    	if (tmp != null)
-	    		autoAddressList = !tmp.equalsIgnoreCase("NO"); 
-	    	else
-	    		autoAddressList = true;
-
-	        tmp = System.getenv("EPICS_CA_NAME_SERVERS");
-	        if (tmp != null) nameServersList = tmp;
-	    	
-	    	tmp = System.getenv("EPICS_CA_CONN_TMO");
-	    	if (tmp != null) connectionTimeout = Float.parseFloat(tmp);
-	    	
-	    	tmp = System.getenv("EPICS_CA_BEACON_PERIOD");
-	       	if (tmp != null) beaconPeriod = Float.parseFloat(tmp);
-	           	
-	    	tmp = System.getenv("EPICS_CA_REPEATER_PORT");
-	    	if (tmp != null) repeaterPort = Integer.parseInt(tmp);
-	    	
-	    	tmp = System.getenv("EPICS_CA_SERVER_PORT");
-	    	if (tmp != null) serverPort = Integer.parseInt(tmp);
-
-	    	tmp = System.getenv("EPICS_CA_MAX_ARRAY_BYTES");
-	    	if (tmp != null) maxArrayBytes = Integer.parseInt(tmp);
-	    }
-	    else
-	    {
+		if (Boolean.getBoolean("jca.use_env"))
+		{
+			// Context default configuration
+			eventDispatcherClassName = jcaLibrary.getProperty( gov.aps.jca.Context.class.getName()+".event_dispatcher", eventDispatcherClassName );
+
+			String tmp = System.getenv("EPICS_CA_ADDR_LIST");
+			if (tmp != null) addressList = tmp;
+
+			tmp = System.getenv("EPICS_CA_AUTO_ADDR_LIST");
+			if (tmp != null)
+				autoAddressList = !tmp.equalsIgnoreCase("NO");
+			else
+				autoAddressList = true;
+
+			tmp = System.getenv("EPICS_CA_NAME_SERVERS");
+			if (tmp != null) nameServersList = tmp;
+
+			tmp = System.getenv("EPICS_CA_CONN_TMO");
+			if (tmp != null) connectionTimeout = Float.parseFloat(tmp);
+
+			tmp = System.getenv("EPICS_CA_BEACON_PERIOD");
+			if (tmp != null) beaconPeriod = Float.parseFloat(tmp);
+
+			tmp = System.getenv("EPICS_CA_REPEATER_PORT");
+			if (tmp != null) repeaterPort = Integer.parseInt(tmp);
+
+			tmp = System.getenv("EPICS_CA_SERVER_PORT");
+			if (tmp != null) serverPort = Integer.parseInt(tmp);
+
+			tmp = System.getenv("EPICS_CA_MAX_ARRAY_BYTES");
+			if (tmp != null) maxArrayBytes = Integer.parseInt(tmp);
+
+			tmp = System.getenv("EPICS_CA_MAX_SEARCH_PERIOD");
+			if (tmp != null) maxSearchInterval = Float.parseFloat(tmp);
+		}
+		else
+		{
 			// load default Context configuration
 			final String contextClassName = Context.class.getName();
 			addressList = jcaLibrary.getProperty(contextClassName + ".addr_list", addressList);
@@ -448,6 +456,7 @@ protected void loadConfiguration()
 			repeaterPort = jcaLibrary.getPropertyAsInt(contextClassName + ".repeater_port", repeaterPort);
 			serverPort = jcaLibrary.getPropertyAsInt(contextClassName + ".server_port", serverPort);
 			maxArrayBytes = jcaLibrary.getPropertyAsInt(contextClassName + ".max_array_bytes", maxArrayBytes);
+			maxSearchInterval = jcaLibrary.getPropertyAsFloat(contextClassName + ".max_search_interval", maxSearchInterval);
 			eventDispatcherClassName = jcaLibrary.getProperty(contextClassName + ".event_dispatcher");
 	
 			// load CAJ specific configuration (overrides default)
@@ -459,6 +468,7 @@ protected void loadConfiguration()
 			repeaterPort = jcaLibrary.getPropertyAsInt(thisClassName + ".repeater_port", repeaterPort);
 			serverPort = jcaLibrary.getPropertyAsInt(thisClassName + ".server_port", serverPort);
 			maxArrayBytes = jcaLibrary.getPropertyAsInt(thisClassName + ".max_array_bytes", maxArrayBytes);
+			maxSearchInterval = jcaLibrary.getPropertyAsFloat(thisClassName + ".max_search_interval", maxSearchInterval);
 	    }
 			
 		eventDispatcherClassName = jcaLibrary.getProperty(thisClassName + ".event_dispatcher", eventDispatcherClassName);
@@ -530,6 +540,13 @@ public void configure(Configuration configuration)
 				maxArrayBytes = configuration.getAttributeAsInteger("max_array_bytes", maxArrayBytes);
 			}
 
+			// max. search interval
+			try {
+				maxSearchInterval = configuration.getChild("max_search_interval", false).getValueAsFloat();
+			} catch(Exception ex) {
+				maxSearchInterval = configuration.getAttributeAsFloat("max_search_interval", maxSearchInterval);
+			}
+
 			// event dispathcer
 			Configuration conf = configuration.getChild("event_dispatcher", false);
 			if (conf != null)
@@ -1262,6 +1279,7 @@ public void printInfo(PrintStream out) throws IllegalStateException {
 		out.println("REPEATER_PORT : " + repeaterPort);
 		out.println("SERVER_PORT : " + serverPort);
 		out.println("MAX_ARRAY_BYTES : " + maxArrayBytes);
+		out.println("MAX_SEARCH_INTERVAL : " + maxSearchInterval);
 		out.println("EVENT_DISPATCHER: " + eventDispatcher);
 		out.print("STATE : ");
 		switch (state)
@@ -1368,6 +1386,12 @@ public int getBroadcastPort() {
 		return getServerPort();
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Get max. search interval
+	 * @return max. search interval
+	 */
+	public float getMaxSearchInterval() { return maxSearchInterval; }
+
 	/**
 	 * Get event dispatcher.
 	 * @return event dispatcher.
diff --git a/src/core/com/cosylab/epics/caj/impl/ChannelSearchManager.java b/src/core/com/cosylab/epics/caj/impl/ChannelSearchManager.java
index d730913..d10ce42 100644
--- a/src/core/com/cosylab/epics/caj/impl/ChannelSearchManager.java
+++ b/src/core/com/cosylab/epics/caj/impl/ChannelSearchManager.java
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ public class ChannelSearchManager {
 	private final int intervalMultiplier;
 
 	private static final int MIN_SEND_INTERVAL_MS_DEFAULT = 100;
-	private static final int MAX_SEND_INTERVAL_MS_DEFAULT = 30000;
 	private static final int INTERVAL_MULTIPLIER_DEFAULT = 2;
 	
 	private static final int MESSAGE_COALESCENCE_TIME_MS = 3;
@@ -194,7 +193,8 @@ public ChannelSearchManager(CAJContext context)
 		this.context = context;
 
 		minSendInterval = MIN_SEND_INTERVAL_MS_DEFAULT;
-		maxSendInterval = MAX_SEND_INTERVAL_MS_DEFAULT;
+		// Convert from seconds to milliseconds.
+		maxSendInterval = (long) (context.getMaxSearchInterval() * 1000);
 		intervalMultiplier = INTERVAL_MULTIPLIER_DEFAULT;
 
 		// create and initialize send buffer
diff --git a/src/core/gov/aps/jca/JCALibrary.properties b/src/core/gov/aps/jca/JCALibrary.properties
index 90956df..ca4091b 100644
--- a/src/core/gov/aps/jca/JCALibrary.properties
+++ b/src/core/gov/aps/jca/JCALibrary.properties
@@ -8,4 +8,5 @@ com.cosylab.epics.caj.CAJContext.beacon_period       = 15.0
 com.cosylab.epics.caj.CAJContext.repeater_port       = 5065
 com.cosylab.epics.caj.CAJContext.server_port         = 5064
 com.cosylab.epics.caj.CAJContext.max_array_bytes     = 16384
+com.cosylab.epics.caj.CAJContext.max_search_interval = 300
 com.cosylab.epics.caj.impl.reactor.lf.LeaderFollowersThreadPool.thread_pool_size = 5
diff --git a/test/com/cosylab/epics/caj/cas/test/JCALibrary.properties b/test/com/cosylab/epics/caj/cas/test/JCALibrary.properties
index 90956df..ca4091b 100644
--- a/test/com/cosylab/epics/caj/cas/test/JCALibrary.properties
+++ b/test/com/cosylab/epics/caj/cas/test/JCALibrary.properties
@@ -8,4 +8,5 @@ com.cosylab.epics.caj.CAJContext.beacon_period       = 15.0
 com.cosylab.epics.caj.CAJContext.repeater_port       = 5065
 com.cosylab.epics.caj.CAJContext.server_port         = 5064
 com.cosylab.epics.caj.CAJContext.max_array_bytes     = 16384
+com.cosylab.epics.caj.CAJContext.max_search_interval = 300
 com.cosylab.epics.caj.impl.reactor.lf.LeaderFollowersThreadPool.thread_pool_size = 5