diff --git a/src/Simulation.cpp b/src/Simulation.cpp
index 8bc7761ceb..8ac7991f1a 100644
--- a/src/Simulation.cpp
+++ b/src/Simulation.cpp
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ void Simulation::readXML(XMLfileUnits& xmlconfig) {
 					Simulation::exit(1);
 				}
 				delete _domainDecomposition;
-				_domainDecomposition = new GeneralDomainDecomposition(getcutoffRadius() + skin, _domain, forceLatchingToLinkedCellsGrid);
+				_domainDecomposition = new GeneralDomainDecomposition(getcutoffRadius() + skin, _domain, forceLatchingToLinkedCellsGrid, _numberOfTimesteps);
 			} else {
 				global_log->error() << "Unknown parallelisation type: " << parallelisationtype << endl;
 				Simulation::exit(1);
diff --git a/src/parallel/GeneralDomainDecomposition.cpp b/src/parallel/GeneralDomainDecomposition.cpp
index a18c344699..b73bf4f4f8 100644
--- a/src/parallel/GeneralDomainDecomposition.cpp
+++ b/src/parallel/GeneralDomainDecomposition.cpp
@@ -14,12 +14,13 @@
 
 #include <numeric>
 
-GeneralDomainDecomposition::GeneralDomainDecomposition(double interactionLength, Domain* domain, bool forceGrid)
+GeneralDomainDecomposition::GeneralDomainDecomposition(double interactionLength, Domain* domain, bool forceGrid, unsigned long numTimesteps)
 	: _boxMin{0.},
 	  _boxMax{0.},
 	  _domainLength{domain->getGlobalLength(0), domain->getGlobalLength(1), domain->getGlobalLength(2)},
 	  _interactionLength{interactionLength},
-	  _forceLatchingToLinkedCellsGrid{forceGrid} {}
+	  _forceLatchingToLinkedCellsGrid{forceGrid},
+	  _numTimesteps{numTimesteps} {}
 
 void GeneralDomainDecomposition::initializeALL() {
 	global_log->info() << "initializing ALL load balancer..." << std::endl;
@@ -252,6 +253,7 @@ void GeneralDomainDecomposition::readXML(XMLfileUnits& xmlconfig) {
 #endif
 
 	xmlconfig.getNodeValue("updateFrequency", _rebuildFrequency);
+	_rebuildFrequency = std::min(_rebuildFrequency, _numTimesteps);
 	global_log->info() << "GeneralDomainDecomposition update frequency: " << _rebuildFrequency << endl;
 
 	xmlconfig.getNodeValue("initialPhaseTime", _initPhase);
diff --git a/src/parallel/GeneralDomainDecomposition.h b/src/parallel/GeneralDomainDecomposition.h
index 6d06d36361..18ea47a90f 100644
--- a/src/parallel/GeneralDomainDecomposition.h
+++ b/src/parallel/GeneralDomainDecomposition.h
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ class GeneralDomainDecomposition : public DomainDecompMPIBase {
 	 * @param domain
 	 * @param forceGrid
 	 */
-	GeneralDomainDecomposition(double interactionLength, Domain* domain, bool forceGrid);
+	GeneralDomainDecomposition(double interactionLength, Domain* domain, bool forceGrid, unsigned long numTimesteps);
 
 	// documentation see father class (DomainDecompBase.h)
 	~GeneralDomainDecomposition() override;
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ class GeneralDomainDecomposition : public DomainDecompMPIBase {
 
 	size_t _steps{0};
 	size_t _rebuildFrequency{10000};
+	unsigned long _numTimesteps;
 
 	size_t _initPhase{0};
 	size_t _initFrequency{500};