diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/FragmentOptionsMisc.java b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/FragmentOptionsMisc.java
index 44ac1893b1..5380ad1a77 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/FragmentOptionsMisc.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/FragmentOptionsMisc.java
@@ -185,6 +185,8 @@ public class FragmentOptionsMisc extends FragmentBase implements SharedPreferenc
     private ImageButton ibSqliteCache;
     private SwitchCompat swLegacyQueries;
     private SwitchCompat swOauthTabs;
+    private TextView tvStartDelay;
+    private SeekBar sbStartDelay;
     private TextView tvChunkSize;
     private SeekBar sbChunkSize;
     private TextView tvThreadRange;
@@ -289,7 +291,7 @@ public class FragmentOptionsMisc extends FragmentBase implements SharedPreferenc
             "sqlite_integrity_check", "wal", "sqlite_checkpoints", "sqlite_analyze", "sqlite_auto_vacuum", "sqlite_sync_extra", "sqlite_cache",
             "legacy_queries",
             "oauth_tabs",
-            "chunk_size", "thread_range",
+            "start_delay", "chunk_size", "thread_range",
             "autoscroll_editor", "undo_manager",
             "browser_zoom", "fake_dark",
             "ignore_formatted_size",
@@ -441,6 +443,8 @@ public class FragmentOptionsMisc extends FragmentBase implements SharedPreferenc
         ibSqliteCache = view.findViewById(R.id.ibSqliteCache);
         swLegacyQueries = view.findViewById(R.id.swLegacyQueries);
         swOauthTabs = view.findViewById(R.id.swOauthTabs);
+        tvStartDelay = view.findViewById(R.id.tvStartDelay);
+        sbStartDelay = view.findViewById(R.id.sbStartDelay);
         tvChunkSize = view.findViewById(R.id.tvChunkSize);
         sbChunkSize = view.findViewById(R.id.sbChunkSize);
         tvThreadRange = view.findViewById(R.id.tvThreadRange);
@@ -1291,6 +1295,24 @@ public class FragmentOptionsMisc extends FragmentBase implements SharedPreferenc
             }
         });
 
+        sbStartDelay.setOnSeekBarChangeListener(new SeekBar.OnSeekBarChangeListener() {
+            @Override
+            public void onProgressChanged(SeekBar seekBar, int progress, boolean fromUser) {
+                int start_delay = progress * 10;
+                prefs.edit().putInt("start_delay", start_delay).apply();
+            }
+
+            @Override
+            public void onStartTrackingTouch(SeekBar seekBar) {
+                // Do nothing
+            }
+
+            @Override
+            public void onStopTrackingTouch(SeekBar seekBar) {
+                // Do nothing
+            }
+        });
+
         sbChunkSize.setOnSeekBarChangeListener(new SeekBar.OnSeekBarChangeListener() {
             @Override
             public void onProgressChanged(SeekBar seekBar, int progress, boolean fromUser) {
@@ -2413,6 +2435,10 @@ public class FragmentOptionsMisc extends FragmentBase implements SharedPreferenc
 
             swOauthTabs.setChecked(prefs.getBoolean("oauth_tabs", true));
 
+            int start_delay = prefs.getInt("start_delay", 0);
+            tvStartDelay.setText(getString(R.string.title_advanced_start_delay, start_delay));
+            sbStartDelay.setProgress(start_delay / 10);
+
             int chunk_size = prefs.getInt("chunk_size", Core.DEFAULT_CHUNK_SIZE);
             tvChunkSize.setText(getString(R.string.title_advanced_chunk_size, chunk_size));
             sbChunkSize.setProgress(chunk_size);
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/ServiceSynchronize.java b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/ServiceSynchronize.java
index 1587297e87..44d5371a1c 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/ServiceSynchronize.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/faircode/email/ServiceSynchronize.java
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
+import java.util.concurrent.Semaphore;
 import java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
@@ -293,6 +294,7 @@ public class ServiceSynchronize extends ServiceBase implements SharedPreferences
             private int lastQuitId = -1;
             private List<Long> initialized = new ArrayList<>();
             private List<TupleAccountNetworkState> accountStates = new ArrayList<>();
+            private final Map<String, Semaphore> startSerializer = new HashMap<>();
             private PowerManager pm = Helper.getSystemService(ServiceSynchronize.this, PowerManager.class);
             private PowerManager.WakeLock wl = pm.newWakeLock(
                     PowerManager.PARTIAL_WAKE_LOCK, BuildConfig.APPLICATION_ID + ":service");
@@ -556,6 +558,22 @@ public class ServiceSynchronize extends ServiceBase implements SharedPreferences
                     @Override
                     public void delegate() {
                         try {
+                            int start_delay = prefs.getInt("start_delay", 0);
+                            if (start_delay > 0) {
+                                Semaphore sem;
+                                synchronized (startSerializer) {
+                                    if (!startSerializer.containsKey(accountNetworkState.accountState.host))
+                                        startSerializer.put(accountNetworkState.accountState.host, new Semaphore(1));
+                                    sem = startSerializer.get(accountNetworkState.accountState.host);
+                                }
+                                sem.acquire();
+                                getMainHandler().postDelayed(new Runnable() {
+                                    @Override
+                                    public void run() {
+                                        sem.release();
+                                    }
+                                }, start_delay * 1000L);
+                            }
                             monitorAccount(accountNetworkState.accountState, astate, sync, force);
                         } catch (Throwable ex) {
                             Log.e(accountNetworkState.accountState.name, ex);
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/layout/fragment_options_misc.xml b/app/src/main/res/layout/fragment_options_misc.xml
index 3f62b068bc..b046663e48 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/layout/fragment_options_misc.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/layout/fragment_options_misc.xml
@@ -1197,6 +1197,29 @@
                     app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@id/swLegacyQueries"
                     app:switchPadding="12dp" />
 
+                <TextView
+                    android:id="@+id/tvStartDelay"
+                    android:layout_width="0dp"
+                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+                    android:layout_marginTop="12dp"
+                    android:layout_marginEnd="48dp"
+                    android:text="@string/title_advanced_start_delay"
+                    android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.AppCompat.Small"
+                    app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
+                    app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
+                    app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@id/swOauthTabs" />
+
+                <SeekBar
+                    android:id="@+id/sbStartDelay"
+                    android:layout_width="0dp"
+                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+                    android:max="30"
+                    android:min="0"
+                    android:progress="0"
+                    app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
+                    app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
+                    app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@id/tvStartDelay" />
+
                 <TextView
                     android:id="@+id/tvChunkSize"
                     android:layout_width="0dp"
@@ -1207,7 +1230,7 @@
                     android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.AppCompat.Small"
                     app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
                     app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
-                    app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@id/swOauthTabs" />
+                    app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@id/sbStartDelay" />
 
                 <SeekBar
                     android:id="@+id/sbChunkSize"
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml b/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
index 38a2385e6f..1b258f7caa 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -946,6 +946,7 @@
     <string name="title_advanced_sqlite_cache" translatable="false">sqlite cache: %1$s %% - %2$s</string>
     <string name="title_advanced_legacy_queries" translatable="false">Legacy queries</string>
     <string name="title_advanced_oauth_tabs" translatable="false">OAuth tabs</string>
+    <string name="title_advanced_start_delay" translatable="false">Start delay: %1$d s</string>
     <string name="title_advanced_chunk_size" translatable="false">Chunk size: %1$d</string>
     <string name="title_advanced_thread_range" translatable="false">Thread range: %1$d days</string>
     <string name="title_advanced_auto_scroll" translatable="false">Auto scroll editor</string>