diff --git a/caddy/app.go b/caddy/app.go
index 22d7e04ca..582c09c18 100644
--- a/caddy/app.go
+++ b/caddy/app.go
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ type FrankenPHPApp struct {
 	PhpIni map[string]string `json:"php_ini,omitempty"`
 	// The maximum amount of time a request may be stalled waiting for a thread
 	MaxWaitTime time.Duration `json:"max_wait_time,omitempty"`
+	// The maximum amount of time an autoscaled thread may be idle before being deactivated
+	MaxIdleTime time.Duration `json:"max_idle_time,omitempty"`
 
 	opts    []frankenphp.Option
 	metrics frankenphp.Metrics
@@ -150,6 +152,7 @@ func (f *FrankenPHPApp) Start() error {
 		frankenphp.WithMetrics(f.metrics),
 		frankenphp.WithPhpIni(f.PhpIni),
 		frankenphp.WithMaxWaitTime(f.MaxWaitTime),
+		frankenphp.WithMaxIdleTime(f.MaxIdleTime),
 	)
 
 	for _, w := range f.Workers {
@@ -190,6 +193,7 @@ func (f *FrankenPHPApp) Stop() error {
 	f.Workers = nil
 	f.NumThreads = 0
 	f.MaxWaitTime = 0
+	f.MaxIdleTime = 0
 
 	optionsMU.Lock()
 	options = nil
@@ -242,6 +246,17 @@ func (f *FrankenPHPApp) UnmarshalCaddyfile(d *caddyfile.Dispenser) error {
 				}
 
 				f.MaxWaitTime = v
+			case "max_idle_time":
+				if !d.NextArg() {
+					return d.ArgErr()
+				}
+
+				v, err := time.ParseDuration(d.Val())
+				if err != nil {
+					return d.Err("max_idle_time must be a valid duration (example: 30s)")
+				}
+
+				f.MaxIdleTime = v
 			case "php_ini":
 				parseIniLine := func(d *caddyfile.Dispenser) error {
 					key := d.Val()
@@ -298,7 +313,7 @@ func (f *FrankenPHPApp) UnmarshalCaddyfile(d *caddyfile.Dispenser) error {
 
 				f.Workers = append(f.Workers, wc)
 			default:
-				return wrongSubDirectiveError("frankenphp", "num_threads, max_threads, php_ini, worker, max_wait_time", d.Val())
+				return wrongSubDirectiveError("frankenphp", "num_threads, max_threads, php_ini, worker, max_wait_time, max_idle_time", d.Val())
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/docs/config.md b/docs/config.md
index 0252f5425..77c432b9e 100644
--- a/docs/config.md
+++ b/docs/config.md
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ You can also explicitly configure FrankenPHP using the [global option](https://c
 		num_threads <num_threads> # Sets the number of PHP threads to start. Default: 2x the number of available CPUs.
 		max_threads <num_threads> # Limits the number of additional PHP threads that can be started at runtime. Default: num_threads. Can be set to 'auto'.
 		max_wait_time <duration> # Sets the maximum time a request may wait for a free PHP thread before timing out. Default: disabled.
+		max_idle_time <duration> # Sets the maximum time an autoscaled thread may be idle before being deactivated. Default: 5s.
 		php_ini <key> <value> # Set a php.ini directive. Can be used several times to set multiple directives.
 		worker {
 			file <path> # Sets the path to the worker script.
diff --git a/frankenphp.go b/frankenphp.go
index 3d571b226..94759bb33 100644
--- a/frankenphp.go
+++ b/frankenphp.go
@@ -276,6 +276,10 @@ func Init(options ...Option) error {
 
 	maxWaitTime = opt.maxWaitTime
 
+	if opt.maxIdleTime > 0 {
+		maxIdleTime = opt.maxIdleTime
+	}
+
 	workerThreadCount, err := calculateMaxThreads(opt)
 	if err != nil {
 		Shutdown()
@@ -781,5 +785,6 @@ func resetGlobals() {
 	workersByName = nil
 	workersByPath = nil
 	watcherIsEnabled = false
+	maxIdleTime = defaultMaxIdleTime
 	globalMu.Unlock()
 }
diff --git a/options.go b/options.go
index 3b0ea1392..9ba1f916f 100644
--- a/options.go
+++ b/options.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ type opt struct {
 	metrics     Metrics
 	phpIni      map[string]string
 	maxWaitTime time.Duration
+	maxIdleTime time.Duration
 }
 
 type workerOpt struct {
@@ -156,6 +157,15 @@ func WithMaxWaitTime(maxWaitTime time.Duration) Option {
 	}
 }
 
+// WithMaxIdleTime configures the max time an autoscaled thread may be idle before being deactivated.
+func WithMaxIdleTime(maxIdleTime time.Duration) Option {
+	return func(o *opt) error {
+		o.maxIdleTime = maxIdleTime
+
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
 // WithWorkerEnv sets environment variables for the worker
 func WithWorkerEnv(env map[string]string) WorkerOption {
 	return func(w *workerOpt) error {
diff --git a/scaling.go b/scaling.go
index 3078851ac..190c54d0d 100644
--- a/scaling.go
+++ b/scaling.go
@@ -21,13 +21,14 @@ const (
 	downScaleCheckTime = 5 * time.Second
 	// max amount of threads stopped in one iteration of downScaleCheckTime
 	maxTerminationCount = 10
-	// autoscaled threads waiting for longer than this time are downscaled
-	maxThreadIdleTime = 5 * time.Second
+	// default time an autoscaled thread may be idle before being deactivated
+	defaultMaxIdleTime = 5 * time.Second
 )
 
 var (
 	ErrMaxThreadsReached = errors.New("max amount of overall threads reached")
 
+	maxIdleTime       = defaultMaxIdleTime
 	scaleChan         chan *frankenPHPContext
 	autoScaledThreads = []*phpThread{}
 	scalingMu         = new(sync.RWMutex)
@@ -221,7 +222,7 @@ func deactivateThreads() {
 		}
 
 		// convert threads to inactive if they have been idle for too long
-		if thread.state.Is(state.Ready) && waitTime > maxThreadIdleTime.Milliseconds() {
+		if thread.state.Is(state.Ready) && waitTime > maxIdleTime.Milliseconds() {
 			convertToInactiveThread(thread)
 			stoppedThreadCount++
 			autoScaledThreads = append(autoScaledThreads[:i], autoScaledThreads[i+1:]...)
diff --git a/scaling_test.go b/scaling_test.go
index 235a4f3a1..61795456d 100644
--- a/scaling_test.go
+++ b/scaling_test.go
@@ -57,6 +57,32 @@ func TestScaleAWorkerThreadUpAndDown(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.IsType(t, &inactiveThread{}, autoScaledThread.handler)
 }
 
+func TestMaxIdleTimePreventsEarlyDeactivation(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Cleanup(Shutdown)
+
+	assert.NoError(t, Init(
+		WithNumThreads(1),
+		WithMaxThreads(2),
+		WithMaxIdleTime(time.Hour),
+	))
+
+	autoScaledThread := phpThreads[1]
+
+	// scale up
+	scaleRegularThread()
+	assert.Equal(t, state.Ready, autoScaledThread.state.Get())
+
+	// set wait time to 30 minutes (less than 1 hour max idle time)
+	autoScaledThread.state.SetWaitTime(time.Now().Add(-30 * time.Minute))
+	deactivateThreads()
+	assert.IsType(t, &regularThread{}, autoScaledThread.handler, "thread should still be active after 30min with 1h max idle time")
+
+	// set wait time to over 1 hour (exceeds max idle time)
+	autoScaledThread.state.SetWaitTime(time.Now().Add(-time.Hour - time.Minute))
+	deactivateThreads()
+	assert.IsType(t, &inactiveThread{}, autoScaledThread.handler, "thread should be deactivated after exceeding max idle time")
+}
+
 func setLongWaitTime(t *testing.T, thread *phpThread) {
 	t.Helper()