diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3e4e627..2f2c477 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ The full usage and options are:
     Options:
       -r filename: device file to read events from. Can specify multiple -r options.
       -d delay: maximum delay (milliseconds) of released events. Default 100.
-      -s startup_timeout: time to wait (milliseconds) before startup. Default 100.
+      -s startup_timeout: time to wait (milliseconds) before startup. Default 500.
       -k csv_string: csv list of rescue key names to exit kloak in case the
          keyboard becomes unresponsive. Default is 'KEY_LEFTSHIFT,KEY_RIGHTSHIFT,KEY_ESC'.
       -p: persistent mode (disable rescue key sequence)
diff --git a/auto-generated-man-pages/kloak.8 b/auto-generated-man-pages/kloak.8
index fdcb49e..c7ab06a 100644
--- a/auto-generated-man-pages/kloak.8
+++ b/auto-generated-man-pages/kloak.8
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ delay: maximum delay (milliseconds) of released events\. Default 100\.
 .IP "\[ci]" 4
 \-s
 .IP
-startup_timeout: time to wait (milliseconds) before startup\. Default 100\.
+startup_timeout: time to wait (milliseconds) before startup\. Default 500\.
 .IP "\[ci]" 4
 \-k
 .IP
diff --git a/man/kloak.8.ronn b/man/kloak.8.ronn
index 4ec246f..028ec88 100644
--- a/man/kloak.8.ronn
+++ b/man/kloak.8.ronn
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ kloak(8) -- anti keystroke deanonymization tool
 
   * -s
 
-    startup_timeout: time to wait (milliseconds) before startup. Default 100.
+    startup_timeout: time to wait (milliseconds) before startup. Default 500.
 
   * -k
 
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 951bd58..631eb77 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 #define MAX_RESCUE_KEYS 10           // max number of rescue keys to exit in case of emergency
 #define MIN_KEYBOARD_KEYS 20         // need at least this many keys to be a keyboard
 #define POLL_TIMEOUT_MS 1            // timeout to check for new events
-#define DEFAULT_MAX_DELAY_MS 20      // upper bound on event delay
+#define DEFAULT_MAX_DELAY_MS 100      // upper bound on event delay
 #define DEFAULT_STARTUP_DELAY_MS 500 // wait before grabbing the input device
 
 #define panic(format, ...) do { fprintf(stderr, format "\n", ## __VA_ARGS__); fflush(stderr); cleanup(); exit(EXIT_FAILURE); } while (0)
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ void usage() {
     fprintf(stderr, "Options:\n");
     fprintf(stderr, "  -r filename: device file to read events from. Can specify multiple -r options.\n");
     fprintf(stderr, "  -d delay: maximum delay (milliseconds) of released events. Default 100.\n");
-    fprintf(stderr, "  -s startup_timeout: time to wait (milliseconds) before startup. Default 100.\n");
+    fprintf(stderr, "  -s startup_timeout: time to wait (milliseconds) before startup. Default 500.\n");
     fprintf(stderr, "  -k csv_string: csv list of rescue key names to exit kloak in case the\n"
             "     keyboard becomes unresponsive. Default is 'KEY_LEFTSHIFT,KEY_RIGHTSHIFT,KEY_ESC'.\n");
     fprintf(stderr, "  -p: persistent mode (disable rescue key sequence)\n");