diff --git a/python/gui/qgsmapcanvas.sip b/python/gui/qgsmapcanvas.sip
index 50c67173865..62c97a9e630 100644
--- a/python/gui/qgsmapcanvas.sip
+++ b/python/gui/qgsmapcanvas.sip
@@ -91,6 +91,14 @@ class QgsMapCanvas : QGraphicsView
     //! @note added in 2.1
     bool isParallelRenderingEnabled() const;
 
+    //! Set how often map preview should be updated while it is being rendered (in miliseconds)
+    //! @note added in 2.1
+    void setMapUpdateInterval( int timeMiliseconds );
+
+    //! Find out how often map preview should be updated while it is being rendered (in miliseconds)
+    //! @note added in 2.1
+    int mapUpdateInterval() const;
+
     //! @deprecated since 2.1 - there could be more than just one "map" items
     QgsMapCanvasMap* map();
 
diff --git a/src/app/qgisapp.cpp b/src/app/qgisapp.cpp
index 6ba6d60f800..4c879608077 100644
--- a/src/app/qgisapp.cpp
+++ b/src/app/qgisapp.cpp
@@ -2073,6 +2073,8 @@ void QgisApp::createOverview()
   mMapCanvas->setCachingEnabled( mySettings.value( "/qgis/enable_render_caching", false ).toBool() );
 
   mMapCanvas->setParallelRenderingEnabled( mySettings.value( "/qgis/parallel_rendering", false).toBool() );
+
+  mMapCanvas->setMapUpdateInterval( mySettings.value( "/qgis/map_update_interval", 250 ).toInt() );
 }
 
 void QgisApp::addDockWidget( Qt::DockWidgetArea theArea, QDockWidget * thepDockWidget )
@@ -6607,6 +6609,8 @@ void QgisApp::options()
 
     mMapCanvas->setParallelRenderingEnabled( mySettings.value( "/qgis/parallel_rendering", false).toBool() );
 
+    mMapCanvas->setMapUpdateInterval( mySettings.value( "/qgis/map_update_interval", 250 ).toInt() );
+
     //do we need this? TS
     mMapCanvas->refresh();
 
diff --git a/src/app/qgsoptions.cpp b/src/app/qgsoptions.cpp
index 260a44a8743..105a3f2a10f 100644
--- a/src/app/qgsoptions.cpp
+++ b/src/app/qgsoptions.cpp
@@ -499,6 +499,7 @@ QgsOptions::QgsOptions( QWidget *parent, Qt::WFlags fl ) :
   chkAntiAliasing->setChecked( settings.value( "/qgis/enable_anti_aliasing", true ).toBool() );
   chkUseRenderCaching->setChecked( settings.value( "/qgis/enable_render_caching", false ).toBool() );
   chkParallelRendering->setChecked( settings.value( "/qgis/parallel_rendering", false ).toBool() );
+  spinMapUpdateInterval->setValue( settings.value( "/qgis/map_update_interval", 250 ).toInt() );
 
   // Slightly awkard here at the settings value is true to use QImage,
   // but the checkbox is true to use QPixmap
@@ -934,6 +935,7 @@ void QgsOptions::saveOptions()
   settings.setValue( "/qgis/enable_anti_aliasing", chkAntiAliasing->isChecked() );
   settings.setValue( "/qgis/enable_render_caching", chkUseRenderCaching->isChecked() );
   settings.setValue( "/qgis/parallel_rendering", chkParallelRendering->isChecked() );
+  settings.setValue( "/qgis/map_update_interval", spinMapUpdateInterval->value() );
   settings.setValue( "/qgis/legendDoubleClickAction", cmbLegendDoubleClickAction->currentIndex() );
   bool legendLayersCapitalise = settings.value( "/qgis/capitaliseLayerName", false ).toBool();
   settings.setValue( "/qgis/capitaliseLayerName", capitaliseCheckBox->isChecked() );
diff --git a/src/gui/qgsmapcanvas.cpp b/src/gui/qgsmapcanvas.cpp
index e4753a3ce8a..3cc160497bc 100644
--- a/src/gui/qgsmapcanvas.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/qgsmapcanvas.cpp
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ QgsMapCanvas::QgsMapCanvas( QWidget * parent, const char *name )
   moveCanvasContents( true );
 
   connect(&mMapUpdateTimer, SIGNAL( timeout() ), SLOT( mapUpdateTimeout() ) );
-  mMapUpdateTimer.setInterval( 400 );
+  mMapUpdateTimer.setInterval( 250 );
 
 #ifdef Q_OS_WIN
   // Enable touch event on Windows.
@@ -525,6 +525,16 @@ bool QgsMapCanvas::isParallelRenderingEnabled() const
   return mUseParallelRendering;
 }
 
+void QgsMapCanvas::setMapUpdateInterval( int timeMiliseconds )
+{
+  mMapUpdateTimer.setInterval( timeMiliseconds );
+}
+
+int QgsMapCanvas::mapUpdateInterval() const
+{
+  return mMapUpdateTimer.interval();
+}
+
 
 void QgsMapCanvas::updateOverview()
 {
diff --git a/src/gui/qgsmapcanvas.h b/src/gui/qgsmapcanvas.h
index ee098e623f1..51b89e2c9f2 100644
--- a/src/gui/qgsmapcanvas.h
+++ b/src/gui/qgsmapcanvas.h
@@ -162,6 +162,14 @@ class GUI_EXPORT QgsMapCanvas : public QGraphicsView
     //! @note added in 2.1
     bool isParallelRenderingEnabled() const;
 
+    //! Set how often map preview should be updated while it is being rendered (in miliseconds)
+    //! @note added in 2.1
+    void setMapUpdateInterval( int timeMiliseconds );
+
+    //! Find out how often map preview should be updated while it is being rendered (in miliseconds)
+    //! @note added in 2.1
+    int mapUpdateInterval() const;
+
     //! @deprecated since 2.1 - there could be more than just one "map" items
     QgsMapCanvasMap* map();
 
diff --git a/src/ui/qgsoptionsbase.ui b/src/ui/qgsoptionsbase.ui
index 6c0e36c476a..dcc2fd114d9 100644
--- a/src/ui/qgsoptionsbase.ui
+++ b/src/ui/qgsoptionsbase.ui
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@
        <item>
         <widget class="QStackedWidget" name="mOptionsStackedWidget">
          <property name="currentIndex">
-          <number>0</number>
+          <number>3</number>
          </property>
          <widget class="QWidget" name="mOptionsPage_01">
           <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_3">
@@ -1578,7 +1578,7 @@
                 <x>0</x>
                 <y>0</y>
                 <width>670</width>
-                <height>631</height>
+                <height>666</height>
                </rect>
               </property>
               <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_29">
@@ -1587,28 +1587,68 @@
                  <property name="title">
                   <string>Rendering behavior</string>
                  </property>
-                 <layout class="QGridLayout" name="_4">
-                  <item row="0" column="0">
+                 <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_9">
+                  <item>
                    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="chkAddedVisibility">
                     <property name="text">
                      <string>By default new la&amp;yers added to the map should be displayed</string>
                     </property>
                    </widget>
                   </item>
-                  <item row="1" column="0" colspan="2">
+                  <item>
                    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="chkUseRenderCaching">
                     <property name="text">
                      <string>Use render caching where possible to speed up redraws</string>
                     </property>
                    </widget>
                   </item>
-                  <item row="2" column="0" colspan="2">
+                  <item>
                    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="chkParallelRendering">
                     <property name="text">
                      <string>Render layers in parallel using all available CPU cores</string>
                     </property>
                    </widget>
                   </item>
+                  <item>
+                   <layout class="QHBoxLayout" name="horizontalLayout_4">
+                    <item>
+                     <widget class="QLabel" name="label_56">
+                      <property name="text">
+                       <string>Map update interval</string>
+                      </property>
+                     </widget>
+                    </item>
+                    <item>
+                     <widget class="QSpinBox" name="spinMapUpdateInterval">
+                      <property name="suffix">
+                       <string> ms</string>
+                      </property>
+                      <property name="maximum">
+                       <number>999999</number>
+                      </property>
+                      <property name="singleStep">
+                       <number>50</number>
+                      </property>
+                      <property name="value">
+                       <number>250</number>
+                      </property>
+                     </widget>
+                    </item>
+                    <item>
+                     <spacer name="horizontalSpacer_38">
+                      <property name="orientation">
+                       <enum>Qt::Horizontal</enum>
+                      </property>
+                      <property name="sizeHint" stdset="0">
+                       <size>
+                        <width>40</width>
+                        <height>20</height>
+                       </size>
+                      </property>
+                     </spacer>
+                    </item>
+                   </layout>
+                  </item>
                  </layout>
                 </widget>
                </item>