diff --git a/src/spicelib/analysis/traninit.c b/src/spicelib/analysis/traninit.c
index b25aa6cf4..135ed12dc 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/analysis/traninit.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/analysis/traninit.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ Modified: 2000 AlansFixes
 #include "ngspice/cktdefs.h"
 #include "ngspice/trandefs.h"
 #include "ngspice/iferrmsg.h"
+#include "ngspice/cpextern.h"
 
 /*
  * this used to be in setup, but we need it here now
@@ -25,7 +26,7 @@ int TRANinit(CKTcircuit	*ckt, JOB *anal)
     /*  The following code has been taken from macspice 3f4 (A. Wilson)
         in the file traninit.new.c - Seems interesting */
     if(ckt->CKTmaxStep == 0) {
-        if (ckt->CKTstep < ( ckt->CKTfinalTime - ckt->CKTinitTime )/50.0)
+        if ((ckt->CKTstep < ( ckt->CKTfinalTime - ckt->CKTinitTime )/50.0) && cp_getvar("stepsizelimit", CP_BOOL, NULL, 0))
             ckt->CKTmaxStep = ckt->CKTstep;
         else
             ckt->CKTmaxStep = ( ckt->CKTfinalTime - ckt->CKTinitTime )/50.0;
diff --git a/src/spinit.in b/src/spinit.in
index 305e7dfea..1a2dbfcbc 100644
--- a/src/spinit.in
+++ b/src/spinit.in
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ set x11lineararcs
 ** default (if compiled with --enable-openmp) is: 2
 *set num_threads=4
 set interactive
+* step size is limited to TSTEP in tansient simulation
+set stepsizelimit
 
 strcmp __flag $program "ngspice"
 if $__flag = 0
diff --git a/visualc/spinit_all b/visualc/spinit_all
index f7b3a8de8..d9678dc22 100644
--- a/visualc/spinit_all
+++ b/visualc/spinit_all
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ set filetype=ascii
 ** default (if compiled with --enable-openmp) is: 2
 set num_threads=4
 set interactive
+set stepsizelimit
 
 strcmp __flag $program "ngspice"
 if $__flag = 0
diff --git a/visualc/spinitd b/visualc/spinitd
index 18e34ecef..58a0767e3 100644
--- a/visualc/spinitd
+++ b/visualc/spinitd
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ set filetype=ascii
 ** default (if compiled with --enable-openmp) is: 2
 set num_threads=4
 set interactive
+set stepsizelimit
 
 strcmp __flag $program "ngspice"
 if $__flag = 0
diff --git a/visualc/spinitd64 b/visualc/spinitd64
index 24454aa92..64ba2bbff 100644
--- a/visualc/spinitd64
+++ b/visualc/spinitd64
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ set filetype=ascii
 ** default (if compiled with --enable-openmp) is: 2
 set num_threads=4
 set interactive
+set stepsizelimit
 
 strcmp __flag $program "ngspice"
 if $__flag = 0
diff --git a/visualc/spinitr b/visualc/spinitr
index 302dd2d77..ebb06bc9a 100644
--- a/visualc/spinitr
+++ b/visualc/spinitr
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ set filetype=ascii
 ** default (if compiled with --enable-openmp) is: 2
 set num_threads=4
 set interactive
+set stepsizelimit
 
 strcmp __flag $program "ngspice"
 if $__flag = 0
diff --git a/visualc/spinitr64 b/visualc/spinitr64
index 9eec6811e..56ce63aad 100644
--- a/visualc/spinitr64
+++ b/visualc/spinitr64
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ set filetype=ascii
 ** default (if compiled with --enable-openmp) is: 2
 set num_threads=4
 set interactive
+set stepsizelimit
 
 strcmp __flag $program "ngspice"
 if $__flag = 0