diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6bd6a5428..1e00b73b5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -334,6 +334,17 @@ help writing your own configuration file if needed.
     http://ocsigen.org/lwt/dev/api/Lwt_log_core#2_Logtemplates. */
 
     "template": "$(date) - $(section): $(message)"
+  },
+
+  /* Configuration for the validator and mempool parameters */
+
+  "shell": {
+
+     /* The number of peers to synchronize with
+        before declaring the node 'bootstrapped'. */
+
+     "bootstrap_threshold": 4
+
   }
 }
 ```
diff --git a/src/node/main/node_config_file.ml b/src/node/main/node_config_file.ml
index 586feeb96..0f5d7b855 100644
--- a/src/node/main/node_config_file.ml
+++ b/src/node/main/node_config_file.ml
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ type t = {
   net : net ;
   rpc : rpc ;
   log : log ;
+  shell : shell ;
 }
 
 and net = {
@@ -51,6 +52,10 @@ and log = {
   template : Logging.template ;
 }
 
+and shell = {
+  bootstrap_threshold : int ;
+}
+
 let default_net_limits : P2p.limits = {
   authentification_timeout = 5. ;
   min_connections = 10 ;
@@ -96,11 +101,16 @@ let default_log = {
   template = Logging.default_template ;
 }
 
+let default_shell = {
+  bootstrap_threshold = 4 ;
+}
+
 let default_config = {
   data_dir = default_data_dir ;
   net = default_net ;
   rpc = default_rpc ;
   log = default_log ;
+  shell = default_shell ;
 }
 
 let limit : P2p.limits Data_encoding.t =
@@ -235,16 +245,27 @@ let log =
        (opt "rules" string)
        (dft "template" string default_log.template))
 
+let shell =
+  let open Data_encoding in
+  conv
+    (fun { bootstrap_threshold } -> bootstrap_threshold)
+    (fun bootstrap_threshold -> { bootstrap_threshold })
+    (obj1
+       (dft "bootstrap_threshold" uint8 default_shell.bootstrap_threshold))
+
 let encoding =
   let open Data_encoding in
   conv
-    (fun { data_dir ; rpc ; net ; log } -> (data_dir, rpc, net, log))
-    (fun (data_dir, rpc, net, log) -> { data_dir ; rpc ; net ; log })
-    (obj4
+    (fun { data_dir ; rpc ; net ; log ; shell } ->
+       (data_dir, rpc, net, log, shell))
+    (fun (data_dir, rpc, net, log, shell) ->
+       { data_dir ; rpc ; net ; log ; shell })
+    (obj5
        (dft "data-dir" string default_data_dir)
        (dft "rpc" rpc default_rpc)
        (req "net" net)
-       (dft "log" log default_log))
+       (dft "log" log default_log)
+       (dft "shell" shell default_shell))
 
 let read fp =
   if Sys.file_exists fp then begin
@@ -281,6 +302,7 @@ let update
     ?(cors_headers = [])
     ?rpc_tls
     ?log_output
+    ?bootstrap_threshold
     cfg =
   let data_dir = Utils.unopt ~default:cfg.data_dir data_dir in
   Node_data_version.ensure_data_dir data_dir >>=? fun () ->
@@ -342,8 +364,14 @@ let update
     cfg.log with
     output = Utils.unopt ~default:cfg.log.output log_output ;
   }
+  and shell : shell = {
+    bootstrap_threshold =
+      Utils.unopt
+        ~default:cfg.shell.bootstrap_threshold
+        bootstrap_threshold ;
+  }
   in
-  return { data_dir ; net ; rpc ; log }
+  return { data_dir ; net ; rpc ; log ; shell }
 
 let resolve_addr ?default_port ?(passive = false) peer =
   let addr, port = Utils.parse_addr_port peer in
diff --git a/src/node/main/node_config_file.mli b/src/node/main/node_config_file.mli
index b61bf0d73..dc4c985a3 100644
--- a/src/node/main/node_config_file.mli
+++ b/src/node/main/node_config_file.mli
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ type t = {
   net : net ;
   rpc : rpc ;
   log : log ;
+  shell : shell ;
 }
 
 and net = {
@@ -41,6 +42,10 @@ and log = {
   template : Logging.template ;
 }
 
+and shell = {
+  bootstrap_threshold : int ;
+}
+
 val default_data_dir: string
 val default_net_port: int
 val default_rpc_port: int
@@ -65,6 +70,7 @@ val update:
   ?cors_headers:string list ->
   ?rpc_tls:tls ->
   ?log_output:Logging.Output.t ->
+  ?bootstrap_threshold:int ->
   t -> t tzresult Lwt.t
 
 val to_string: t -> string
diff --git a/src/node/main/node_run_command.ml b/src/node/main/node_run_command.ml
index 538e56aa5..644413c11 100644
--- a/src/node/main/node_run_command.ml
+++ b/src/node/main/node_run_command.ml
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ let init_node ?sandbox (config : Node_config_file.t) =
     context_root = context_dir config.data_dir ;
     p2p = p2p_config ;
     test_network_max_tll = Some (48 * 3600) ; (* 2 days *)
-    bootstrap_threshold = 4 ; (* TODO add parameter *)
+    bootstrap_threshold = config.shell.bootstrap_threshold ;
   } in
   Node.create node_config
 
diff --git a/src/node/main/node_shared_arg.ml b/src/node/main/node_shared_arg.ml
index c49f16343..371c128e8 100644
--- a/src/node/main/node_shared_arg.ml
+++ b/src/node/main/node_shared_arg.ml
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ type t = {
   cors_headers: string list ;
   rpc_tls: Node_config_file.tls option ;
   log_output: Logging.Output.t option ;
+  bootstrap_threshold: int option ;
 }
 
 let wrap
@@ -55,10 +56,11 @@ let wrap
 
   (* when `--expected-connections` is used,
      override all the bounds defined in the configuration file. *)
-  let min_connections, expected_connections, max_connections =
+  let bootstrap_threshold,
+      min_connections, expected_connections, max_connections =
     match connections with
-    | None -> None, None, None
-    | Some x -> Some (x/2), Some x, Some (3*x/2) in
+    | None -> None, None, None, None
+    | Some x ->  Some (min (x/4) 2), Some (x/2), Some x, Some (3*x/2) in
 
   { data_dir ;
     config_file ;
@@ -79,6 +81,7 @@ let wrap
     rpc_tls ;
     log_output ;
     peer_table_size ;
+    bootstrap_threshold ;
   }
 
 module Manpage = struct
@@ -258,7 +261,9 @@ let read_and_patch_config_file ?(ignore_bootstrap_peers=false) args =
         listen_addr ; closed ;
         rpc_listen_addr ; rpc_tls ;
         cors_origins ; cors_headers ;
-        log_output } = args in
+        log_output ;
+        bootstrap_threshold ;
+      } = args in
   let bootstrap_peers =
     if no_bootstrap_peers || ignore_bootstrap_peers
     then begin
@@ -271,4 +276,5 @@ let read_and_patch_config_file ?(ignore_bootstrap_peers=false) args =
     ?max_download_speed ?max_upload_speed ?binary_chunks_size
     ?peer_table_size ?expected_pow
     ~bootstrap_peers ?listen_addr ?rpc_listen_addr
-    ~closed ~cors_origins ~cors_headers ?rpc_tls ?log_output cfg
+    ~closed ~cors_origins ~cors_headers ?rpc_tls ?log_output
+    ?bootstrap_threshold cfg
diff --git a/src/node/main/node_shared_arg.mli b/src/node/main/node_shared_arg.mli
index 37dd80fd5..695cd7b23 100644
--- a/src/node/main/node_shared_arg.mli
+++ b/src/node/main/node_shared_arg.mli
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ type t = {
   cors_headers: string list ;
   rpc_tls: Node_config_file.tls option ;
   log_output: Logging.Output.t option ;
+  bootstrap_threshold: int option ;
 }
 
 module Term : sig