diff --git a/src/script/util.js b/src/script/util.js
index b20ee338..03861ba8 100644
--- a/src/script/util.js
+++ b/src/script/util.js
@@ -123,6 +123,70 @@ gxp.util = {
         return a.href;
     },
 
+    /** api: function[throttle]
+     *  :arg func: ``Function``
+     *  :arg wait: ``Integer``
+     *  :return: ``Function``
+     *
+     *  Returns a function, that, when invoked, will only be triggered at 
+     *  most once during a given window of time.
+     */
+    throttle: (function() {
+
+        //     Underscore.js 1.3.3
+        //     (c) 2009-2012 Jeremy Ashkenas, DocumentCloud Inc.
+        //     Underscore is freely distributable under the MIT license.
+        //     Portions of Underscore are inspired or borrowed from Prototype,
+        //     Oliver Steele's Functional, and John Resig's Micro-Templating.
+        //     For all details and documentation:
+        //     http://documentcloud.github.com/underscore
+
+        // Returns a function, that, as long as it continues to be invoked, will not
+        // be triggered. The function will be called after it stops being called for
+        // N milliseconds. If `immediate` is passed, trigger the function on the
+        // leading edge, instead of the trailing.
+        var debounce = function(func, wait, immediate) {
+          var timeout;
+          return function() {
+            var context = this, args = arguments;
+            var later = function() {
+              timeout = null;
+              if (!immediate) func.apply(context, args);
+            };
+            if (immediate && !timeout) func.apply(context, args);
+            clearTimeout(timeout);
+            timeout = setTimeout(later, wait);
+          };
+        };
+
+        // Returns a function, that, when invoked, will only be triggered at most once
+        // during a given window of time.
+        var throttle = function(func, wait) {
+          var context, args, timeout, throttling, more, result;
+          var whenDone = debounce(function(){ more = throttling = false; }, wait);
+          return function() {
+            context = this; args = arguments;
+            var later = function() {
+              timeout = null;
+              if (more) func.apply(context, args);
+              whenDone();
+            };
+            if (!timeout) timeout = setTimeout(later, wait);
+            if (throttling) {
+              more = true;
+            } else {
+              result = func.apply(context, args);
+            }
+            whenDone();
+            throttling = true;
+            return result;
+          };
+        };
+        return function(func, wait) {
+            return throttle(func, wait);
+        };
+    })(),
+
     /** api: function[md5]
      *  :arg data: ``String``
      *  :returns: ``String`` md5 hash
diff --git a/src/script/widgets/TimelinePanel.js b/src/script/widgets/TimelinePanel.js
index 4647fe1d..94a0e2c5 100644
--- a/src/script/widgets/TimelinePanel.js
+++ b/src/script/widgets/TimelinePanel.js
@@ -158,6 +158,12 @@ window.Timeline && window.SimileAjax && (function() {
  */
 gxp.TimelinePanel = Ext.extend(Ext.Panel, {
 
+    /** api: config[scrollInterval]
+     *  ``Integer`` The Simile scroll event listener will only be handled
+     *  upon every scrollInterval milliseconds. Defaults to 500.
+     */
+    scrollInterval: 500,
+
     /** api: config[featureEditor]
      *  ``gxp.plugins.FeatureEditor``
      */
@@ -806,7 +812,7 @@ gxp.TimelinePanel = Ext.extend(Ext.Panel, {
         // since the bands are linked we need to listen to one band only
         this._silent = true;
         this.timeline.getBand(0).addOnScrollListener(
-            this.setPlaybackCenter.createDelegate(this)
+            gxp.util.throttle(this.setPlaybackCenter.createDelegate(this), this.scrollInterval)
         );
         
     },