diff --git a/src/config.h b/src/config.h
index dec29f83..af0612fc 100644
--- a/src/config.h
+++ b/src/config.h
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@
 #define PROGNAME "piler"
 #define PILERGETD_PROGNAME "pilergetd"
 
-#define VERSION "1.1.1"
+#define VERSION "1.1.1-rc1"
 
-#define BUILD 885
+#define BUILD 886
 
 #define HOSTID "mailarchiver"
 
diff --git a/src/defs.h b/src/defs.h
index e5118bba..4faef028 100644
--- a/src/defs.h
+++ b/src/defs.h
@@ -269,6 +269,7 @@ struct import {
    int status;
    int total_messages;
    int processed_messages;
+   int batch_processing_limit;
    int import_job_id;
    int remove_after_import;
    int keep_eml;
diff --git a/src/pilerimport.c b/src/pilerimport.c
index 2f0d5b24..f965589b 100644
--- a/src/pilerimport.c
+++ b/src/pilerimport.c
@@ -484,7 +484,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv){
    data.recursive_folder_names = 0;
    data.quiet = 0;
 
-   import.import_job_id = import.total_messages = import.total_size = import.processed_messages = 0;
+
+   import.import_job_id = import.total_messages = import.total_size = import.processed_messages = import.batch_processing_limit = 0;
    import.started = import.updated = import.finished = import.remove_after_import = 0;
    import.extra_recipient = NULL;
 
@@ -513,6 +514,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv){
             {"folder",       required_argument,  0,  'F' },
             {"folder_imap",  required_argument,  0,  'f' },
             {"add-recipient",required_argument,  0,  'a' },
+            {"batch-limit",  required_argument,  0,  'b' },
             {"quiet",        no_argument,        0,  'q' },
             {"recursive",    required_argument,  0,  'R' },
             {"remove-after-import",no_argument,  0,  'r' },
@@ -524,9 +526,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv){
 
       int option_index = 0;
 
-      c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "c:m:M:e:d:i:K:u:p:P:x:F:f:a:GDRrqh?", long_options, &option_index);
+      c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "c:m:M:e:d:i:K:u:p:P:x:F:f:a:b:GDRrqh?", long_options, &option_index);
 #else
-      c = getopt(argc, argv, "c:m:M:e:d:i:K:u:p:P:x:F:f:a:GDRrqh?");
+      c = getopt(argc, argv, "c:m:M:e:d:i:K:u:p:P:x:F:f:a:b:GDRrqh?");
 #endif
 
       if(c == -1) break;
@@ -599,6 +601,10 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv){
                     data.import->remove_after_import = 1;
                     break;
 
+         case 'b' :
+                    data.import->batch_processing_limit = atoi(optarg);
+                    break;
+
          case 'a' :
                     data.import->extra_recipient = optarg;
                     break;
diff --git a/src/pop3.c b/src/pop3.c
index e0d94f94..2909451b 100644
--- a/src/pop3.c
+++ b/src/pop3.c
@@ -209,6 +209,13 @@ int process_pop3_emails(int sd, struct session_data *sdata, struct __data *data,
       }
 
       unlink(filename);
+
+
+      /* whether to quit after processing a batch of messages */
+
+      if(data->import->batch_processing_limit > 0 && data->import->processed_messages >= data->import->batch_processing_limit){
+         break;
+      }
    }