diff --git a/lib/load_routes.go b/lib/load_routes.go
index 51ae561a..ebf6d325 100644
--- a/lib/load_routes.go
+++ b/lib/load_routes.go
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ func (rt *Router) listenForContentStoreUpdates(ctx context.Context) error {
 func (rt *Router) PeriodicCSRouteUpdates() {
 	tick := time.Tick(5 * time.Second)
 	for range tick {
-		if time.Since(rt.csLastAttemptReloadTime) > time.Minute {
+		if time.Since(rt.csLastAttemptReloadTime) > rt.opts.RouteReloadInterval {
 			// This is a non-blocking send, if there is already a notification to reload we don't need to send another one
 			select {
 			case rt.CsReloadChan <- true:
diff --git a/lib/router.go b/lib/router.go
index fa7baae6..56aa2ab9 100644
--- a/lib/router.go
+++ b/lib/router.go
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ type Options struct {
 	BackendConnTimeout   time.Duration
 	BackendHeaderTimeout time.Duration
 	LogFileName          string
+	RouteReloadInterval  time.Duration
 }
 
 type Backend struct {
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index e15ef4e7..a6164bf4 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ ROUTER_BACKEND_CONNECT_TIMEOUT=1s  Connect timeout when connecting to backends
 ROUTER_BACKEND_HEADER_TIMEOUT=15s  Timeout for backend response headers to be returned
 ROUTER_FRONTEND_READ_TIMEOUT=60s   See https://cs.opensource.google/go/go/+/master:src/net/http/server.go?q=symbol:ReadTimeout
 ROUTER_FRONTEND_WRITE_TIMEOUT=60s  See https://cs.opensource.google/go/go/+/master:src/net/http/server.go?q=symbol:WriteTimeout
+ROUTER_ROUTE_RELOAD_INTERVAL=1m  Interval for periodic route reloads
 `
 	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, helpstring, router.VersionInfo(), os.Args[0])
 	const ErrUsage = 64
@@ -87,17 +88,18 @@ func main() {
 
 	router.EnableDebugOutput = os.Getenv("ROUTER_DEBUG") != ""
 	var (
-		pubAddr           = getenv("ROUTER_PUBADDR", ":8080")
-		apiAddr           = getenv("ROUTER_APIADDR", ":8081")
-		mongoURL          = getenv("ROUTER_MONGO_URL", "127.0.0.1")
-		mongoDBName       = getenv("ROUTER_MONGO_DB", "router")
-		mongoPollInterval = getenvDuration("ROUTER_MONGO_POLL_INTERVAL", "2s")
-		errorLogFile      = getenv("ROUTER_ERROR_LOG", "STDERR")
-		tlsSkipVerify     = os.Getenv("ROUTER_TLS_SKIP_VERIFY") != ""
-		beConnTimeout     = getenvDuration("ROUTER_BACKEND_CONNECT_TIMEOUT", "1s")
-		beHeaderTimeout   = getenvDuration("ROUTER_BACKEND_HEADER_TIMEOUT", "20s")
-		feReadTimeout     = getenvDuration("ROUTER_FRONTEND_READ_TIMEOUT", "60s")
-		feWriteTimeout    = getenvDuration("ROUTER_FRONTEND_WRITE_TIMEOUT", "60s")
+		pubAddr             = getenv("ROUTER_PUBADDR", ":8080")
+		apiAddr             = getenv("ROUTER_APIADDR", ":8081")
+		mongoURL            = getenv("ROUTER_MONGO_URL", "127.0.0.1")
+		mongoDBName         = getenv("ROUTER_MONGO_DB", "router")
+		mongoPollInterval   = getenvDuration("ROUTER_MONGO_POLL_INTERVAL", "2s")
+		errorLogFile        = getenv("ROUTER_ERROR_LOG", "STDERR")
+		tlsSkipVerify       = os.Getenv("ROUTER_TLS_SKIP_VERIFY") != ""
+		beConnTimeout       = getenvDuration("ROUTER_BACKEND_CONNECT_TIMEOUT", "1s")
+		beHeaderTimeout     = getenvDuration("ROUTER_BACKEND_HEADER_TIMEOUT", "20s")
+		feReadTimeout       = getenvDuration("ROUTER_FRONTEND_READ_TIMEOUT", "60s")
+		feWriteTimeout      = getenvDuration("ROUTER_FRONTEND_WRITE_TIMEOUT", "60s")
+		routeReloadInterval = getenvDuration("ROUTER_ROUTE_RELOAD_INTERVAL", "1m")
 	)
 
 	log.Printf("using frontend read timeout: %v", feReadTimeout)
@@ -119,6 +121,7 @@ func main() {
 		BackendConnTimeout:   beConnTimeout,
 		BackendHeaderTimeout: beHeaderTimeout,
 		LogFileName:          errorLogFile,
+		RouteReloadInterval:  routeReloadInterval,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)