diff --git a/docs/reference/operator_parameters.md b/docs/reference/operator_parameters.md
index 39320fa76..8e2793023 100644
--- a/docs/reference/operator_parameters.md
+++ b/docs/reference/operator_parameters.md
@@ -205,6 +205,11 @@ configuration they are grouped under the `kubernetes` key.
   that should be assigned to the Postgres pods. The priority class itself must be defined in advance.
   Default is empty (use the default priority class).
   
+ * **master_pod_move_timeout**
+   The period of time to wait for the success of Patroni switchovers from master pods on an unschedulable node
+   to their respective replicas on healthy nodes. The situation where master pods still exist on the old node 
+   after this timeout expires has to be fixed manually. The default is 10 minutes.
+  
 
 ## Kubernetes resource requests
 
diff --git a/manifests/configmap.yaml b/manifests/configmap.yaml
index 37b174755..f49cbe71d 100644
--- a/manifests/configmap.yaml
+++ b/manifests/configmap.yaml
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ data:
   pod_label_wait_timeout: 10m
   ready_wait_interval: 3s
   ready_wait_timeout: 30s
+  #  master_pod_move_timeout: 10m
   replication_username: standby
   resource_check_interval: 3s
   resource_check_timeout: 10m
diff --git a/pkg/apis/acid.zalan.do/v1/operator_configuration_type.go b/pkg/apis/acid.zalan.do/v1/operator_configuration_type.go
index f5aac03b6..d4654d9c8 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/acid.zalan.do/v1/operator_configuration_type.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/acid.zalan.do/v1/operator_configuration_type.go
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ type KubernetesMetaConfiguration struct {
 	// TODO: use namespacedname
 	PodEnvironmentConfigMap string `json:"pod_environment_configmap,omitempty"`
 	PodPriorityClassName    string `json:"pod_priority_class_name,omitempty"`
+	MasterPodMoveTimeout    time.Duration `json:"master_pod_move_timeout,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // PostgresPodResourcesDefaults defines the spec of default resources
diff --git a/pkg/controller/node.go b/pkg/controller/node.go
index 96698f329..1700ca176 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/node.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/node.go
@@ -41,18 +41,21 @@ func (c *Controller) nodeAdd(obj interface{}) {
 	}
 
 	c.logger.Debugf("new node has been added: %q (%s)", util.NameFromMeta(node.ObjectMeta), node.Spec.ProviderID)
+
 	// check if the node became not ready while the operator was down (otherwise we would have caught it in nodeUpdate)
 	if !c.nodeIsReady(node) {
-		err := retryutil.Retry(2 * time.Minute, 10 * time.Minute,
+
+		err := retryutil.Retry(1 * time.Minute, c.opConfig.MasterPodMoveTimeout,
 			func() (bool, error) {
 				err := c.moveMasterPodsOffNode(node)
 				if  err != nil {
-					return false, fmt.Errorf(("Unable to move master pods off the unschedulable node. Will retry after delay"))
+					return false, fmt.Errorf("unable to move master pods off the unschedulable node; will retry after delay")
 				}
 				return true, nil
 			} )
+
 		if err != nil {
-			c.logger.Warning("Unable to move maser pods")
+			c.logger.Warning("failed to move master pods from the node %q: timeout expired", node.Name)
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -174,7 +177,7 @@ func (c *Controller) moveMasterPodsOffNode(node *v1.Node) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("could not move master %d/%d pods from the %q node",
 			leftPods, totalPods, nodeName)
 	}
-	
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/controller/operator_config.go b/pkg/controller/operator_config.go
index dae651b1d..e89a782c4 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/operator_config.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/operator_config.go
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ func (c *Controller) importConfigurationFromCRD(fromCRD *acidv1.OperatorConfigur
 	result.ClusterNameLabel = fromCRD.Kubernetes.ClusterNameLabel
 	result.NodeReadinessLabel = fromCRD.Kubernetes.NodeReadinessLabel
 	result.PodPriorityClassName = fromCRD.Kubernetes.PodPriorityClassName
+	result.MasterPodMoveTimeout = fromCRD.Kubernetes.MasterPodMoveTimeout
 
 	result.DefaultCPURequest = fromCRD.PostgresPodResources.DefaultCPURequest
 	result.DefaultMemoryRequest = fromCRD.PostgresPodResources.DefaultMemoryRequest
diff --git a/pkg/util/config/config.go b/pkg/util/config/config.go
index 31cda4b98..6ff217b6d 100644
--- a/pkg/util/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/util/config/config.go
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	// value of this string must be valid JSON or YAML; see initPodServiceAccount
 	PodServiceAccountDefinition            string `name:"pod_service_account_definition" default:""`
 	PodServiceAccountRoleBindingDefinition string `name:"pod_service_account_role_binding_definition" default:""`
+	MasterPodMoveTimeout                   time.Duration `name:"master_pod_move_timeout" default:"10m"`
 	DbHostedZone                           string `name:"db_hosted_zone" default:"db.example.com"`
 	AWSRegion                              string `name:"aws_region" default:"eu-central-1"`
 	WALES3Bucket                           string `name:"wal_s3_bucket"`