diff --git a/db/docker-entrypoint1.sh b/db/docker-entrypoint1.sh
index 033a163..e21fe89 100755
--- a/db/docker-entrypoint1.sh
+++ b/db/docker-entrypoint1.sh
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 # if wal backup is not enabled, use minimal wal logging to reduce disk space
 : ${WAL_LEVEL:=minimal}
 : ${ARCHIVE_MODE:=off}
+: ${ARCHIVE_TIMEOUT:=60}
 # PGDATA is defined in upstream postgres dockerfile
 
 function update_conf () {
diff --git a/db/setup-wale.sh b/db/setup-wale.sh
index 10db57a..7f2584f 100644
--- a/db/setup-wale.sh
+++ b/db/setup-wale.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 echo "wal_level = $WAL_LEVEL" >> $PGDATA/postgresql.conf
 echo "archive_mode = $ARCHIVE_MODE" >> $PGDATA/postgresql.conf
 echo "archive_command = 'envdir /etc/wal-e.d/env /usr/local/bin/wal-e wal-push %p'" >> $PGDATA/postgresql.conf
-echo "archive_timeout = 60" >> $PGDATA/postgresql.conf
+echo "archive_timeout = $ARCHIVE_TIMEOUT" >> $PGDATA/postgresql.conf
 
 # no cron in the image, use systemd timer on host instead
 #su - postgres -c "crontab -l | { cat; echo \"0 3 * * * /usr/bin/envdir /etc/wal-e.d/env /usr/local/bin/wal-e backup-push /var/lib/postgresql/data\"; } | crontab -"