diff --git a/src/dialogs/dialog-preferences.c b/src/dialogs/dialog-preferences.c
index 28f18a8..ea637bd 100644
--- a/src/dialogs/dialog-preferences.c
+++ b/src/dialogs/dialog-preferences.c
@@ -595,6 +595,10 @@ pref_window_page_initializer (PrefState *state,
 				page, row++, 1, 1, 64, 1, 
 				gnm_gconf_set_workbook_nsheets,
 				_("Default Number of Sheets"));
+	int_pref_create_widget (state->root, GNM_CONF_WORKBOOK_AUTOSAVE_TIME,
+				page, row++, 0, 0, 365*24*60*60, 60, 
+				gnm_gconf_set_workbook_autosave_time,
+				_("Default autosave frequency in seconds"));
 	bool_pref_create_widget (node, GNM_CONF_GUI_ED_LIVESCROLLING,
 				 page, row++, 
 				 gnm_gconf_set_gui_livescrolling,
diff --git a/src/gnumeric-gconf-priv.h b/src/gnumeric-gconf-priv.h
index fcbd100..dd9c1b6 100644
--- a/src/gnumeric-gconf-priv.h
+++ b/src/gnumeric-gconf-priv.h
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ G_BEGIN_DECLS
 #define GNM_CONF_FILE_SINGLE_SHEET_SAVE	"save/single_sheet"
 
 #define GNM_CONF_WORKBOOK_NSHEETS	"core/workbook/n-sheet"
+#define GNM_CONF_WORKBOOK_AUTOSAVE_TIME	"core/workbook/autosave_time"
 
 #define GNM_CONF_GUI_DIR		"core/gui"
 #define GNM_CONF_GUI_RES_H		"screen/horizontaldpi"
diff --git a/src/gnumeric-gconf.c b/src/gnumeric-gconf.c
index 423a5b6..dbc84b3 100644
--- a/src/gnumeric-gconf.c
+++ b/src/gnumeric-gconf.c
@@ -184,6 +184,8 @@ gnm_conf_init_essential (void)
 		node, GNM_CONF_GUI_RES_V, 10., 1000., 96.);
 	prefs.initial_sheet_number = go_conf_load_int (
 		root, GNM_CONF_WORKBOOK_NSHEETS, 1, 64, 3);
+	prefs.autosave_time = go_conf_load_int (
+		root, GNM_CONF_WORKBOOK_AUTOSAVE_TIME, 0, 365*24*60*60, 0);
 	prefs.horizontal_window_fraction = go_conf_load_double (
 		  node, GNM_CONF_GUI_WINDOW_X, .1, 1., .6);
 	prefs.vertical_window_fraction = go_conf_load_double (
@@ -835,6 +837,15 @@ gnm_gconf_set_workbook_nsheets (gint val)
 	prefs.initial_sheet_number = val;
 	go_conf_set_int (root, GNM_CONF_WORKBOOK_NSHEETS, val);
 }
+void
+gnm_gconf_set_workbook_autosave_time (gint val)
+
+{
+	if (val < 0)
+		val = 0;
+	prefs.autosave_time = val;
+	go_conf_set_int (root, GNM_CONF_WORKBOOK_AUTOSAVE_TIME, val);
+}
 
 void
 gnm_gconf_set_xml_compression (gint val)
diff --git a/src/gnumeric-gconf.h b/src/gnumeric-gconf.h
index 603c90d..22f2942 100644
--- a/src/gnumeric-gconf.h
+++ b/src/gnumeric-gconf.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	gint		 undo_max_number;
 
 	gint		 initial_sheet_number;
+	gint		 autosave_time;
 	float		 horizontal_window_fraction;
 	float		 vertical_window_fraction;
 	float		 zoom;
@@ -189,6 +190,7 @@ void     gnm_gconf_set_sort_ascending (gboolean value);
 
 /* workbook */
 void     gnm_gconf_set_workbook_nsheets (gint value);
+void     gnm_gconf_set_workbook_autosave_time (gint value);
 void     gnm_gconf_set_unfocused_rs (gboolean value);
 
 /* function selector and formula guru */
diff --git a/src/wbc-gtk.c b/src/wbc-gtk.c
index a71ba6f..5e31ed6 100644
--- a/src/wbc-gtk.c
+++ b/src/wbc-gtk.c
@@ -4826,6 +4826,7 @@ wbc_gtk_init (GObject *obj)
 	wbc_gtk_set_toggle_action_state (wbcg, "ViewSheets", FALSE);
 	wbc_gtk_set_toggle_action_state (wbcg, "ViewStatusbar", FALSE);
 #endif
+	wbcg_set_autosave_time (wbcg, gnm_app_prefs->autosave_time);
 }
 
 GSF_CLASS_FULL (WBCGtk, wbc_gtk, NULL, NULL, wbc_gtk_class_init, NULL,