diff --git a/RTCP/Cobalt/InputProc/src/Buffer/BufferSettings.cc b/RTCP/Cobalt/InputProc/src/Buffer/BufferSettings.cc
index 2ddf659924e94c1b4ab9a87f6ec660fc41a338e5..faad047d87ebc88d1c1a3fbd843123c162c8f41b 100644
--- a/RTCP/Cobalt/InputProc/src/Buffer/BufferSettings.cc
+++ b/RTCP/Cobalt/InputProc/src/Buffer/BufferSettings.cc
@@ -37,14 +37,14 @@ namespace LOFAR
     {
     }
 
-    BufferSettings::BufferSettings(const struct StationID &station, bool attach)
+    BufferSettings::BufferSettings(const struct StationID &station, bool attach, time_t timeout)
       :
       version(currentVersion),
       station(station)
     {
       if (attach) {
         do {
-          SharedStruct<struct BufferSettings> shm(station.hash(), false);
+          SharedStruct<struct BufferSettings> shm(station.hash(), false, timeout);
 
           *this = shm.get();
         } while (!valid());
diff --git a/RTCP/Cobalt/InputProc/src/Buffer/BufferSettings.h b/RTCP/Cobalt/InputProc/src/Buffer/BufferSettings.h
index 0ace450518b44fc6ff977c94141181574ca5b145..e8f7edaa14a7ef24b34d7df34503d5b58907674d 100644
--- a/RTCP/Cobalt/InputProc/src/Buffer/BufferSettings.h
+++ b/RTCP/Cobalt/InputProc/src/Buffer/BufferSettings.h
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ namespace LOFAR
 
       // if attach=true, read settings from shared memory, using the given stationID
       // if attach=false, set sane default values
-      BufferSettings(const struct StationID &station, bool attach);
+      BufferSettings(const struct StationID &station, bool attach, time_t timeout = 60);
 
       // Shortcut to set nrSamples to represent `seconds' of buffer.
       void setBufferSize(double seconds);