diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 9c209e1..79ea741 100644
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 #
 #
-RELEASE_VERSION="0.9.9"
+RELEASE_VERSION="1.0.1"
 
 buildpath=/tmp/gh-ost
 target=gh-ost
diff --git a/go/base/context.go b/go/base/context.go
index 5d9b1ae..971d1e9 100644
--- a/go/base/context.go
+++ b/go/base/context.go
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ type MigrationContext struct {
 	maxLoad                             LoadMap
 	criticalLoad                        LoadMap
 	PostponeCutOverFlagFile             string
-	SwapTablesTimeoutSeconds            int64
+	CutOverLockTimeoutSeconds           int64
 	PanicFlagFile                       string
 
 	ServeSocketFile string
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ func newMigrationContext() *MigrationContext {
 		InspectorConnectionConfig:           mysql.NewConnectionConfig(),
 		ApplierConnectionConfig:             mysql.NewConnectionConfig(),
 		MaxLagMillisecondsThrottleThreshold: 1000,
-		SwapTablesTimeoutSeconds:            3,
+		CutOverLockTimeoutSeconds:           3,
 		maxLoad:                             NewLoadMap(),
 		criticalLoad:                        NewLoadMap(),
 		throttleMutex:                       &sync.Mutex{},
@@ -210,6 +210,17 @@ func (this *MigrationContext) HasMigrationRange() bool {
 	return this.MigrationRangeMinValues != nil && this.MigrationRangeMaxValues != nil
 }
 
+func (this *MigrationContext) SetCutOverLockTimeoutSeconds(timeoutSeconds int64) error {
+	if timeoutSeconds < 1 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Minimal timeout is 1sec. Timeout remains at %d", this.CutOverLockTimeoutSeconds)
+	}
+	if timeoutSeconds > 10 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Maximal timeout is 10sec. Timeout remains at %d", this.CutOverLockTimeoutSeconds)
+	}
+	this.CutOverLockTimeoutSeconds = timeoutSeconds
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (this *MigrationContext) SetDefaultNumRetries(retries int64) {
 	this.throttleMutex.Lock()
 	defer this.throttleMutex.Unlock()
@@ -217,6 +228,7 @@ func (this *MigrationContext) SetDefaultNumRetries(retries int64) {
 		this.defaultNumRetries = retries
 	}
 }
+
 func (this *MigrationContext) MaxRetries() int64 {
 	this.throttleMutex.Lock()
 	defer this.throttleMutex.Unlock()
diff --git a/go/cmd/gh-ost/main.go b/go/cmd/gh-ost/main.go
index 572457f..e56f4ea 100644
--- a/go/cmd/gh-ost/main.go
+++ b/go/cmd/gh-ost/main.go
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ func main() {
 	flag.BoolVar(&migrationContext.SwitchToRowBinlogFormat, "switch-to-rbr", false, "let this tool automatically switch binary log format to 'ROW' on the replica, if needed. The format will NOT be switched back. I'm too scared to do that, and wish to protect you if you happen to execute another migration while this one is running")
 	chunkSize := flag.Int64("chunk-size", 1000, "amount of rows to handle in each iteration (allowed range: 100-100,000)")
 	defaultRetries := flag.Int64("default-retries", 60, "Default number of retries for various operations before panicking")
+	cutOverLockTimeoutSeconds := flag.Int64("cut-over-lock-timeout-seconds", 3, "Max number of seconds to hold locks on tables while attempting to cut-over (retry attempted when lock exceeds timeout)")
 	flag.Int64Var(&migrationContext.NiceRatio, "nice-ratio", 0, "force being 'nice', imply sleep time per chunk time. Example values: 0 is aggressive. 3: for every ms spend in a rowcopy chunk, spend 3ms sleeping immediately after")
 
 	flag.Int64Var(&migrationContext.MaxLagMillisecondsThrottleThreshold, "max-lag-millis", 1500, "replication lag at which to throttle operation")
@@ -172,6 +173,9 @@ func main() {
 	migrationContext.SetChunkSize(*chunkSize)
 	migrationContext.SetDefaultNumRetries(*defaultRetries)
 	migrationContext.ApplyCredentials()
+	if err := migrationContext.SetCutOverLockTimeoutSeconds(*cutOverLockTimeoutSeconds); err != nil {
+		log.Errore(err)
+	}
 
 	log.Infof("starting gh-ost %+v", AppVersion)
 	acceptSignals(migrationContext)
diff --git a/go/logic/applier.go b/go/logic/applier.go
index fa2edf0..6022f9d 100644
--- a/go/logic/applier.go
+++ b/go/logic/applier.go
@@ -632,7 +632,7 @@ func (this *Applier) LockOriginalTableAndWait(sessionIdChan chan int64, tableLoc
 		return err
 	}
 
-	tableLockTimeoutSeconds := this.migrationContext.SwapTablesTimeoutSeconds * 2
+	tableLockTimeoutSeconds := this.migrationContext.CutOverLockTimeoutSeconds * 2
 	log.Infof("Setting LOCK timeout as %d seconds", tableLockTimeoutSeconds)
 	query = fmt.Sprintf(`set session lock_wait_timeout:=%d`, tableLockTimeoutSeconds)
 	if _, err := tx.Exec(query); err != nil {
@@ -690,8 +690,8 @@ func (this *Applier) RenameOriginalTable(sessionIdChan chan int64, originalTable
 	}
 	sessionIdChan <- sessionId
 
-	log.Infof("Setting RENAME timeout as %d seconds", this.migrationContext.SwapTablesTimeoutSeconds)
-	query := fmt.Sprintf(`set session lock_wait_timeout:=%d`, this.migrationContext.SwapTablesTimeoutSeconds)
+	log.Infof("Setting RENAME timeout as %d seconds", this.migrationContext.CutOverLockTimeoutSeconds)
+	query := fmt.Sprintf(`set session lock_wait_timeout:=%d`, this.migrationContext.CutOverLockTimeoutSeconds)
 	if _, err := tx.Exec(query); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -725,8 +725,8 @@ func (this *Applier) RenameGhostTable(sessionIdChan chan int64, ghostTableRename
 	}
 	sessionIdChan <- sessionId
 
-	log.Infof("Setting RENAME timeout as %d seconds", this.migrationContext.SwapTablesTimeoutSeconds)
-	query := fmt.Sprintf(`set session lock_wait_timeout:=%d`, this.migrationContext.SwapTablesTimeoutSeconds)
+	log.Infof("Setting RENAME timeout as %d seconds", this.migrationContext.CutOverLockTimeoutSeconds)
+	query := fmt.Sprintf(`set session lock_wait_timeout:=%d`, this.migrationContext.CutOverLockTimeoutSeconds)
 	if _, err := tx.Exec(query); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -861,7 +861,7 @@ func (this *Applier) AtomicCutOverMagicLock(sessionIdChan chan int64, tableLocke
 		return err
 	}
 
-	tableLockTimeoutSeconds := this.migrationContext.SwapTablesTimeoutSeconds * 2
+	tableLockTimeoutSeconds := this.migrationContext.CutOverLockTimeoutSeconds * 2
 	log.Infof("Setting LOCK timeout as %d seconds", tableLockTimeoutSeconds)
 	query = fmt.Sprintf(`set session lock_wait_timeout:=%d`, tableLockTimeoutSeconds)
 	if _, err := tx.Exec(query); err != nil {
@@ -948,8 +948,8 @@ func (this *Applier) AtomicCutoverRename(sessionIdChan chan int64, tablesRenamed
 	}
 	sessionIdChan <- sessionId
 
-	log.Infof("Setting RENAME timeout as %d seconds", this.migrationContext.SwapTablesTimeoutSeconds)
-	query := fmt.Sprintf(`set session lock_wait_timeout:=%d`, this.migrationContext.SwapTablesTimeoutSeconds)
+	log.Infof("Setting RENAME timeout as %d seconds", this.migrationContext.CutOverLockTimeoutSeconds)
+	query := fmt.Sprintf(`set session lock_wait_timeout:=%d`, this.migrationContext.CutOverLockTimeoutSeconds)
 	if _, err := tx.Exec(query); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}