diff --git a/cmd/tmtop.go b/cmd/tmtop.go
index 39f6664..e6104a0 100644
--- a/cmd/tmtop.go
+++ b/cmd/tmtop.go
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ func main() {
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&config.LCDHost, "lcd-host", "", "LCD API host URL")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&config.DebugFile, "debug-file", "", "Path to file to write debug info/logs to")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Int64Var(&config.HaltHeight, "halt-height", 0, "Custom halt-height")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Uint64Var(&config.BlocksBehind, "blocks-behind", 1000, "How many blocks behind to check to calculate block time")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&config.Timezone, "timezone", "", "Timezone to display dates in")
 
 	if err := rootCmd.Execute(); err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/config/config.go b/pkg/config/config.go
index 8a8d085..8a7bcf5 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ type InputConfig struct {
 	DisableEmojis         bool
 	DebugFile             string
 	HaltHeight            int64
+	BlocksBehind          uint64
 	LCDHost               string
 	Timezone              string
 }
@@ -66,6 +67,10 @@ func ParseAndValidateConfig(input InputConfig) (*Config, error) {
 		return nil, errors.New("chain-type is 'cosmos-lcd', but lcd-host is not set")
 	}
 
+	if input.BlocksBehind <= 0 {
+		return nil, errors.New("cannot run with a negative blocks-behind")
+	}
+
 	timezone := time.Local //nolint:gosmopolitan // local timezone is expected here
 
 	if input.Timezone != "" {
@@ -91,6 +96,7 @@ func ParseAndValidateConfig(input InputConfig) (*Config, error) {
 		DisableEmojis:         input.DisableEmojis,
 		DebugFile:             input.DebugFile,
 		HaltHeight:            input.HaltHeight,
+		BlocksBehind:          input.BlocksBehind,
 		LCDHost:               input.LCDHost,
 		Timezone:              timezone,
 	}
@@ -112,6 +118,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	DisableEmojis         bool
 	DebugFile             string
 	HaltHeight            int64
+	BlocksBehind          uint64
 	LCDHost               string
 	Timezone              *time.Location
 }
diff --git a/pkg/tendermint/tendermint.go b/pkg/tendermint/tendermint.go
index 98d2461..d58305d 100644
--- a/pkg/tendermint/tendermint.go
+++ b/pkg/tendermint/tendermint.go
@@ -127,8 +127,6 @@ func (rpc *RPC) Block(height int64) (types.TendermintBlockResponse, error) {
 }
 
 func (rpc *RPC) GetBlockTime() (time.Duration, error) {
-	var blocksBehind int64 = 1000
-
 	latestBlock, err := rpc.Block(0)
 	if err != nil {
 		rpc.Logger.Error().Err(err).Msg("Could not fetch current block")
@@ -146,7 +144,7 @@ func (rpc *RPC) GetBlockTime() (time.Duration, error) {
 			Msg("Error converting latest block height to int64, which should never happen.")
 		return 0, err
 	}
-	olderBlockHeight := latestBlockHeight - blocksBehind
+	olderBlockHeight := latestBlockHeight - int64(rpc.Config.BlocksBehind)
 	if olderBlockHeight <= 0 {
 		olderBlockHeight = 1
 	}