diff --git a/doc/config_settings.xml b/doc/config_settings.xml
index 7cbcfc7a..49ea3728 100644
--- a/doc/config_settings.xml
+++ b/doc/config_settings.xml
@@ -773,8 +773,19 @@
             <command>
                 <option>update_interval</option>
             </command>
+            <option>seconds</option>
         </term>
-        <listitem>Update interval in seconds 
+        <listitem>Update interval
+        <para /></listitem>
+    </varlistentry>
+    <varlistentry>
+        <term>
+            <command>
+                <option>update_interval_on_battery</option>
+            </command>
+            <option>seconds</option>
+        </term>
+        <listitem>Update interval when running on batterypower
         <para /></listitem>
     </varlistentry>
     <varlistentry>
diff --git a/src/conky.c b/src/conky.c
index 9f819707..e2cc74b2 100644
--- a/src/conky.c
+++ b/src/conky.c
@@ -147,6 +147,8 @@ enum x_initialiser_state x_initialised = NO;
 static volatile int g_signal_pending;
 /* Update interval */
 double update_interval;
+double update_interval_old;
+double update_interval_bat;
 void *global_cpu = NULL;
 
 int argc_copy;
@@ -7083,6 +7085,13 @@ static void main_loop(void)
 	next_update_time = get_time();
 	info.looped = 0;
 	while (terminate == 0 && (total_run_times == 0 || info.looped < total_run_times)) {
+		char buf[max_user_text];
+		get_battery_short_status(buf, max_user_text, "BAT0");
+		if(buf[0] == 'D') {
+			update_interval = update_interval_bat;
+		} else {
+			update_interval = update_interval_old;
+		}
 		info.looped++;
 
 #ifdef SIGNAL_BLOCKING
@@ -7822,6 +7831,8 @@ static void set_default_configurations(void)
 
 	no_buffers = 1;
 	update_interval = 3.0;
+	update_interval_old = update_interval;
+	update_interval_bat = update_interval;
 	info.music_player_interval = 1.0;
 	stuff_in_uppercase = 0;
 	info.users.number = 1;
@@ -8579,9 +8590,17 @@ static void load_config_file(const char *f)
 		}
 #endif /* IMLIB2 */
 #endif /* X11 */
+		CONF("update_interval_on_battery") {
+			if (value) {
+				update_interval_bat = strtod(value, 0);
+			} else {
+				CONF_ERR;
+			}
+		}
 		CONF("update_interval") {
 			if (value) {
 				update_interval = strtod(value, 0);
+				update_interval_old = update_interval;
 			} else {
 				CONF_ERR;
 			}
@@ -9148,6 +9167,7 @@ void initialisation(int argc, char **argv) {
 
 			case 'u':
 				update_interval = strtod(optarg, 0);
+				update_interval_old = update_interval;
 				if (info.music_player_interval == 0) {
 					// default to update_interval
 					info.music_player_interval = update_interval;