diff --git a/mxqd.c b/mxqd.c
index 1c7b6e78..93d8a4f9 100644
--- a/mxqd.c
+++ b/mxqd.c
@@ -340,6 +340,7 @@ int server_init(struct mxq_server *server, int argc, char *argv[])
     unsigned long arg_memory_total = 2048;
     unsigned long arg_memory_limit_slot_soft = 0;
     unsigned long arg_memory_limit_slot_hard = 0;
+    unsigned long arg_maxtime = 0;
     int i;
     struct mxq_daemon *daemon = &server->daemon;
 
@@ -369,6 +370,7 @@ int server_init(struct mxq_server *server, int argc, char *argv[])
                 MX_OPTION_REQUIRED_ARG("hostname",       6),
                 MX_OPTION_OPTIONAL_ARG("mysql-default-file",  'M'),
                 MX_OPTION_OPTIONAL_ARG("mysql-default-group", 'S'),
+                MX_OPTION_OPTIONAL_ARG("max-time",      't'),
                 MX_OPTION_END
     };
 
@@ -515,6 +517,13 @@ int server_init(struct mxq_server *server, int argc, char *argv[])
             case 'S':
                 arg_mysql_default_group = optctl.optarg;
                 break;
+
+            case 't':
+                if (mx_strtoul(optctl.optarg, &arg_maxtime) < 0) {
+                    mx_log_err("Invalid argument supplied for option --max-time '%s': %m", optctl.optarg);
+                    return -EX_USAGE;
+                }
+                break;
         }
     }
 
@@ -643,6 +652,9 @@ int server_init(struct mxq_server *server, int argc, char *argv[])
         mx_log_err("MAIN: cpuset_init() failed. exiting.");
         return -EX_OSERR;
     }
+
+    server->maxtime = arg_maxtime;
+
     server->memory_total = arg_memory_total;
 
     server->memory_avg_per_slot = (long double)server->memory_total / (long double)server->slots;
@@ -1233,7 +1245,7 @@ unsigned long start_job(struct mxq_group_list *glist)
 
 /**********************************************************************/
 
-unsigned long start_user(struct mxq_user_list *ulist, int job_limit, long slots_to_start)
+unsigned long start_user(struct mxq_user_list *ulist, int job_limit, long slots_to_start, int *need_more_slots)
 {
     struct mxq_server *server;
     struct mxq_group_list *glist;
@@ -1277,10 +1289,13 @@ unsigned long start_user(struct mxq_user_list *ulist, int job_limit, long slots_
         if (mxq_group_jobs_inq(group) == 0) {
             goto start_user_continue;
         }
+        if (server->maxtime && glist->group.job_time>server->maxtime) {
+            goto start_user_continue;
+        }
         if (glist->slots_per_job > slots_to_start) {
+            *need_more_slots=1;
             goto start_user_continue;
         }
-
         if (group->group_priority < prio) {
             if (started) {
                 goto start_user_rewind;
@@ -1315,12 +1330,10 @@ unsigned long start_user(struct mxq_user_list *ulist, int job_limit, long slots_
 long start_user_with_least_running_global_slot_count(struct mxq_server *server)
 {
     struct mxq_user_list *ulist;
-    struct mxq_group_list *glist;
-    struct mxq_group *group;
     unsigned long slots_started = 0;
     unsigned long slots_free;
     unsigned long global_slots_per_user;
-    int waiting = 0;
+    int need_more_slots=0;
 
     assert(server);
 
@@ -1336,25 +1349,10 @@ long start_user_with_least_running_global_slot_count(struct mxq_server *server)
     global_slots_per_user = server->global_slots_running / server->user_cnt;
 
     for (ulist = server->users; ulist; ulist = ulist->next) {
-        /* if other users are waiting and this user is already using
-         * more slots then avg user in cluster do not start anything
-         * (next users are using even more atm because list is sorted) */
-        if (waiting && ulist->global_slots_running > global_slots_per_user)
-            return -1;
-
-        slots_started = start_user(ulist, 1, slots_free);
-        if (slots_started)
+        need_more_slots=0;
+        slots_started = start_user(ulist, 1, slots_free, &need_more_slots);
+        if (slots_started || need_more_slots) {
             return slots_started;
-
-        if (waiting)
-            continue;
-
-        for (glist = ulist->groups; glist; glist = glist->next) {
-            group = &glist->group;
-            if (glist->jobs_max > glist->jobs_running && group->group_jobs_inq) {
-                waiting = 1;
-                break;
-            }
         }
     }
     return 0;
diff --git a/mxqd.h b/mxqd.h
index 3aa599c5..5c9ce7e3 100644
--- a/mxqd.h
+++ b/mxqd.h
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ struct mxq_server {
     long double   memory_avg_per_slot;
     unsigned long memory_limit_slot_soft;
     unsigned long memory_limit_slot_hard;
+    unsigned long maxtime;
     cpu_set_t      cpu_set_available;
 
     struct mx_mysql *mysql;