diff --git a/arangod/Agency/AgencyFeature.cpp b/arangod/Agency/AgencyFeature.cpp
index 96189085b7..1c37e33558 100644
--- a/arangod/Agency/AgencyFeature.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Agency/AgencyFeature.cpp
@@ -46,7 +46,9 @@ AgencyFeature::AgencyFeature(application_features::ApplicationServer* server)
       _waitForSync(true),
       _supervisionFrequency(5.0),
       _compactionStepSize(1000),
-      _supervisionGracePeriod(120.0) {
+      _supervisionGracePeriod(120.0),
+      _cmdLineTimings(false)
+{
   setOptional(true);
   requiresElevatedPrivileges(false);
   startsAfter("Database");
@@ -119,6 +121,10 @@ void AgencyFeature::validateOptions(std::shared_ptr<ProgramOptions> options) {
     return;
   }
 
+  if (result.touched("agency.election-timeout-min")) {
+    _cmdLineTimings = true;
+  }
+
   ServerState::instance()->setRole(ServerState::ROLE_AGENT);
 
   // Agency size
@@ -221,7 +227,7 @@ void AgencyFeature::start() {
   _agent.reset(new consensus::Agent(consensus::config_t(
       _size, _poolSize, _minElectionTimeout, _maxElectionTimeout, endpoint,
       _agencyEndpoints, _supervision, _waitForSync, _supervisionFrequency,
-      _compactionStepSize, _supervisionGracePeriod)));
+      _compactionStepSize, _supervisionGracePeriod, _cmdLineTimings)));
 
   LOG_TOPIC(DEBUG, Logger::AGENCY) << "Starting agency personality";
   _agent->start();
diff --git a/arangod/Agency/AgencyFeature.h b/arangod/Agency/AgencyFeature.h
index 055d1e280d..1187e84313 100644
--- a/arangod/Agency/AgencyFeature.h
+++ b/arangod/Agency/AgencyFeature.h
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ class AgencyFeature : virtual public application_features::ApplicationFeature {
   double _supervisionGracePeriod;
   std::string _agencyMyAddress;
   std::vector<std::string> _agencyEndpoints;
+  bool _cmdLineTimings;
 
  public:
   consensus::Agent* agent() const { return _agent.get(); }
diff --git a/arangod/Agency/AgentConfiguration.cpp b/arangod/Agency/AgentConfiguration.cpp
index 8b6328eb3b..9258c3e5e6 100644
--- a/arangod/Agency/AgentConfiguration.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Agency/AgentConfiguration.cpp
@@ -39,12 +39,13 @@ config_t::config_t()
       _supervisionFrequency(5.0),
       _compactionStepSize(1000),
       _supervisionGracePeriod(120),
+      _cmdLineTimings(false),
       _lock()
       {}
 
 config_t::config_t(size_t as, size_t ps, double minp, double maxp,
                    std::string const& e, std::vector<std::string> const& g,
-                   bool s, bool w, double f, uint64_t c, double p)
+                   bool s, bool w, double f, uint64_t c, double p, bool t)
     : _agencySize(as),
       _poolSize(ps),
       _minPing(minp),
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ config_t::config_t(size_t as, size_t ps, double minp, double maxp,
       _supervisionFrequency(f),
       _compactionStepSize(c),
       _supervisionGracePeriod(p),
+      _cmdLineTimings(t),
       _lock() {}
 
 config_t::config_t(config_t const& other) { *this = other; }
@@ -74,7 +76,8 @@ config_t::config_t(config_t&& other)
       _waitForSync(std::move(other._waitForSync)),
       _supervisionFrequency(std::move(other._supervisionFrequency)),
       _compactionStepSize(std::move(other._compactionStepSize)),
-      _supervisionGracePeriod(std::move(other._supervisionGracePeriod)) {}
+      _supervisionGracePeriod(std::move(other._supervisionGracePeriod)),
+      _cmdLineTimings(std::move(other._cmdLineTimings)){}
 
 config_t& config_t::operator=(config_t const& other) {
   // must hold the lock of other to copy _pool, _minPing, _maxPing etc.
@@ -94,6 +97,7 @@ config_t& config_t::operator=(config_t const& other) {
   _supervisionFrequency = other._supervisionFrequency;
   _compactionStepSize = other._compactionStepSize;
   _supervisionGracePeriod = other._supervisionGracePeriod;
+  _cmdLineTimings = other._cmdLineTimings;
   return *this;
 }
 
@@ -112,9 +116,15 @@ config_t& config_t::operator=(config_t&& other) {
   _supervisionFrequency = std::move(other._supervisionFrequency);
   _compactionStepSize = std::move(other._compactionStepSize);
   _supervisionGracePeriod = std::move(other._supervisionGracePeriod);
+  _cmdLineTimings = std::move(other._cmdLineTimings);
   return *this;
 }
 
+bool config_t::cmdLineTimings() const {
+  READ_LOCKER(readLocker, _lock);
+  return _cmdLineTimings;
+}
+
 double config_t::supervisionGracePeriod() const {
   READ_LOCKER(readLocker, _lock);
   return _supervisionGracePeriod;
diff --git a/arangod/Agency/AgentConfiguration.h b/arangod/Agency/AgentConfiguration.h
index 6a660bd237..13e871821f 100644
--- a/arangod/Agency/AgentConfiguration.h
+++ b/arangod/Agency/AgentConfiguration.h
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ struct config_t {
   double _supervisionFrequency;
   uint64_t _compactionStepSize;
   double _supervisionGracePeriod;
+  bool _cmdLineTimings;
 
   mutable arangodb::basics::ReadWriteLock _lock; // guard member variables
 
@@ -77,7 +78,7 @@ struct config_t {
   /// @brief ctor
   config_t(size_t as, size_t ps, double minp, double maxp, std::string const& e,
            std::vector<std::string> const& g, bool s, bool w, double f,
-           uint64_t c, double p);
+           uint64_t c, double p, bool t);
 
   /// @brief copy constructor
   config_t(config_t const&);
@@ -171,6 +172,9 @@ struct config_t {
   /// @brief Reset RAFT timing
   void pingTimes(double, double);
 
+  /// @brief Supervision grace period
+  bool cmdLineTimings() const;
+
   /// @brief Supervision grace period
   double supervisionGracePeriod() const;
 
diff --git a/arangod/Agency/Inception.cpp b/arangod/Agency/Inception.cpp
index e6f8e1a3ce..fe9083c3f0 100644
--- a/arangod/Agency/Inception.cpp
+++ b/arangod/Agency/Inception.cpp
@@ -494,7 +494,11 @@ void Inception::run() {
     FATAL_ERROR_EXIT();
   }
 
-  estimateRAFTInterval();
+  // 5. If command line RAFT timings have not been set explicitly
+  //    Try good estimate of RAFT time limits
+  if (!config.cmdLineTimings()) {
+    estimateRAFTInterval();
+  }
   
   _agent->ready(true);
 
diff --git a/scripts/startStandAloneAgency.sh b/scripts/startStandAloneAgency.sh
index e23239e4ad..1c65f43ee0 100755
--- a/scripts/startStandAloneAgency.sh
+++ b/scripts/startStandAloneAgency.sh
@@ -35,44 +35,34 @@ while [[ ${1} ]]; do
   case "${1}" in
     -a|--agency-size)
       NRAGENTS=${2}
-      shift
-      ;;
+      shift;;
     -p|--pool-size)
       POOLSZ=${2}
-      shift
-      ;;
+      shift;;
     -t|--transport)
       TRANSPORT=${2}
-      shift
-      ;;
+      shift;;
     -l|--log-level)
       LOG_LEVEL=${2}
-      shift
-      ;;
+      shift;;
     -w|--wait-for-sync)
       WAIT_FOR_SYNC=${2}
-      shift
-      ;;
+      shift;;
     -m|--use-microtime)
       USE_MICROTIME=${2}
-      shift
-      ;;
+      shift;;
     -g|--gossip-mode)
       GOSSIP_MODE=${2}
-      shift
-      ;;
+      shift;;
     -s|--start-delays)
       START_DELAYS=${2}
-      shift
-      ;;
+      shift;;
     -h|--help)
-      help
-      exit 1  
+      help; exit 1  
       ;;
     *)
       echo "Unknown parameter: ${1}" >&2
-      help
-      exit 1
+      help; exit 1
       ;;
   esac