diff --git a/pytest-saas/doc/changes/unreleased.md b/pytest-saas/doc/changes/unreleased.md
index 79e701b..41e7ecf 100644
--- a/pytest-saas/doc/changes/unreleased.md
+++ b/pytest-saas/doc/changes/unreleased.md
@@ -1 +1,5 @@
 # Unreleased
+
+## Feature
+
+* #33: Added configurable idle time for saas-database
diff --git a/pytest-saas/exasol/pytest_saas/__init__.py b/pytest-saas/exasol/pytest_saas/__init__.py
index 4b788ab..4f0a506 100644
--- a/pytest-saas/exasol/pytest_saas/__init__.py
+++ b/pytest-saas/exasol/pytest_saas/__init__.py
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 import os
-from pathlib import Path
+from datetime import timedelta
 
 import pytest
-from exasol.saas.client import openapi
+from exasol.saas import client as saas_client
 from exasol.saas.client.api_access import (
     OpenApiAccess,
     create_saas_client,
@@ -33,6 +33,16 @@ def pytest_addoption(parser):
             pytest plugin for exasol-saas-api will include this short tag into
             the names of created database instances.""",
     )
+    parser.addoption(
+        "--saas-max-idle-hours",
+        action="store",
+        default=saas_client.Limits.AUTOSTOP_DEFAULT_IDLE_TIME.total_seconds() / 3600,
+        help="""
+        The SaaS cluster would normally stop after a certain period of inactivity. 
+        The default period is 2 hours. For some tests, this period is too short.
+        Use this parameter to set a sufficient idle period in the number of hours.
+        """
+    )
 
 
 def _env(var: str) -> str:
@@ -80,17 +90,20 @@ def api_access(saas_host, saas_pat, saas_account_id) -> OpenApiAccess:
 @pytest.fixture(scope="session")
 def saas_database(
     request, api_access, database_name
-) -> openapi.models.database.Database:
+) -> saas_client.openapi.models.database.Database:
     """
     Note: The SaaS instance database returned by this fixture initially
     will not be operational. The startup takes about 20 minutes.
     """
     db_id = request.config.getoption("--saas-database-id")
     keep = request.config.getoption("--keep-saas-database")
+    idle_hours = float(request.config.getoption("--saas-max-idle-hours"))
+
     if db_id:
         yield api_access.get_database(db_id)
         return
-    with api_access.database(database_name, keep) as db:
+    with api_access.database(database_name, keep,
+                             idle_time=timedelta(hours=idle_hours)) as db:
         yield db
 
 
diff --git a/pytest-saas/test/integration/pytest_saas_test.py b/pytest-saas/test/integration/pytest_saas_test.py
index 1a69dbe..8da857e 100644
--- a/pytest-saas/test/integration/pytest_saas_test.py
+++ b/pytest-saas/test/integration/pytest_saas_test.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 from unittest import mock
 
 import pytest
+from exasol.saas import client as saas_client
 
 pytest_plugins = "pytester"
 
@@ -32,10 +33,13 @@ def _env(**kwargs):
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "files,cli_args",
     [
-        ( _testfile("""
+        ( _testfile(f"""
           def test_no_cli_args(request):
+              import pytest
               assert not request.config.getoption("--keep-saas-database")
               assert request.config.getoption("--saas-database-id") is None
+              assert float(request.config.getoption("--saas-max-idle-hours")) * 3600 == \
+                pytest.approx({saas_client.Limits.AUTOSTOP_DEFAULT_IDLE_TIME.total_seconds()})
           """),
           _cli_args(),
          ),
@@ -45,11 +49,13 @@ def test_cli_args(request):
               assert request.config.getoption("--keep-saas-database")
               assert "123" == request.config.getoption("--saas-database-id")
               assert "PST" == request.config.getoption("--project-short-tag")
+              assert "3.5" == request.config.getoption("--saas-max-idle-hours")
           """),
           _cli_args(
               "--keep-saas-database",
               "--project-short-tag", "PST",
               "--saas-database-id", "123",
+              "--saas-max-idle-hours", "3.5",
           ),
          ),
     ])