diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index b00193d0c6..684527b2fb 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -56,6 +56,12 @@
       <version>4.5.1</version>
     </dependency>
 
+    <dependency>
+      <groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
+      <artifactId>commons-lang3</artifactId>
+      <version>3.5</version>
+    </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.jenkins-ci.plugins</groupId>
       <artifactId>durable-task</artifactId>
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/KubernetesCloud.java b/src/main/java/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/KubernetesCloud.java
index d89be62fd2..fa40d87cfe 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/KubernetesCloud.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/KubernetesCloud.java
@@ -54,7 +54,9 @@
 import hudson.model.Node;
 import hudson.security.ACL;
 import hudson.slaves.Cloud;
+import hudson.slaves.CloudRetentionStrategy;
 import hudson.slaves.NodeProvisioner;
+import hudson.slaves.RetentionStrategy;
 import hudson.util.FormValidation;
 import hudson.util.ListBoxModel;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.Container;
@@ -73,6 +75,7 @@
 import jenkins.model.Jenkins;
 import jenkins.model.JenkinsLocationConfiguration;
 import static org.csanchez.jenkins.plugins.kubernetes.PodTemplateUtils.substituteEnv;
+import org.jenkinsci.plugins.durabletask.executors.OnceRetentionStrategy;
 
 /**
  * Kubernetes cloud provider.
@@ -539,9 +542,14 @@ public ProvisioningCallback(KubernetesCloud cloud, PodTemplate t, Label label) {
 
         public Node call() throws Exception {
             KubernetesSlave slave = null;
+            RetentionStrategy retentionStrategy = null;
             try {
-
-                slave = new KubernetesSlave(t, t.getName(), cloud, t.getLabel());
+                if (t.getIdleMinutes() == 0) {
+                    retentionStrategy = new OnceRetentionStrategy(cloud.getRetentionTimeout());
+                } else {
+                    retentionStrategy = new CloudRetentionStrategy(t.getIdleMinutes());
+                }
+                slave = new KubernetesSlave(t, t.getName(), cloud, t.getLabel(), retentionStrategy);
                 Jenkins.getActiveInstance().addNode(slave);
 
                 Pod pod = getPodTemplate(slave, label);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/KubernetesSlave.java b/src/main/java/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/KubernetesSlave.java
index 8a4722580a..158a1b8a46 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/KubernetesSlave.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/KubernetesSlave.java
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@
 import hudson.model.TaskListener;
 import hudson.slaves.AbstractCloudSlave;
 import hudson.slaves.JNLPLauncher;
-import hudson.slaves.NodeProperty;
 import hudson.slaves.OfflineCause;
+import hudson.slaves.RetentionStrategy;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.DoneablePod;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.Pod;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.KubernetesClient;
@@ -44,34 +44,31 @@ public class KubernetesSlave extends AbstractCloudSlave {
 
     private transient final KubernetesCloud cloud;
 
-    @DataBoundConstructor
     public KubernetesSlave(PodTemplate template, String nodeDescription, KubernetesCloud cloud, String labelStr)
             throws Descriptor.FormException, IOException {
-        super(getSlaveName(template),
-                nodeDescription,
-                template.getRemoteFs(),
-                1,
-                Node.Mode.NORMAL,
-                labelStr == null ? null : labelStr,
-                new JNLPLauncher(),
-                new OnceRetentionStrategy(cloud.getRetentionTimeout()),
-                template.getNodeProperties());
 
-        // this.pod = pod;
-        this.cloud = cloud;
+        this(template, nodeDescription, cloud, labelStr, new OnceRetentionStrategy(cloud.getRetentionTimeout()));
     }
 
     @Deprecated
     public KubernetesSlave(PodTemplate template, String nodeDescription, KubernetesCloud cloud, Label label)
             throws Descriptor.FormException, IOException {
+        this(template, nodeDescription, cloud, label.toString(), new OnceRetentionStrategy(cloud.getRetentionTimeout())) ;
+    }
+
+    @DataBoundConstructor
+    public KubernetesSlave(PodTemplate template, String nodeDescription, KubernetesCloud cloud, String labelStr,
+                           RetentionStrategy rs)
+            throws Descriptor.FormException, IOException {
+
         super(getSlaveName(template),
                 nodeDescription,
                 template.getRemoteFs(),
                 1,
                 Node.Mode.NORMAL,
-                label == null ? null : label.toString(),
+                labelStr == null ? null : labelStr,
                 new JNLPLauncher(),
-                new OnceRetentionStrategy(cloud.getRetentionTimeout()),
+                rs,
                 template.getNodeProperties());
 
         // this.pod = pod;
@@ -114,7 +111,7 @@ protected void _terminate(TaskListener listener) throws IOException, Interrupted
             computer.disconnect(OfflineCause.create(new Localizable(HOLDER, "offline")));
             LOGGER.log(Level.INFO, "Disconnected computer {0}", name);
         } catch (Exception e) {
-            LOGGER.log(Level.SEVERE, "Failure to terminate instance for slave " + name, e);
+            LOGGER.log(Level.SEVERE, "Failed to terminate pod for slave " + name, e);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/PodTemplate.java b/src/main/java/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/PodTemplate.java
index 35eca3af79..1bdde5d609 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/PodTemplate.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/PodTemplate.java
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 import hudson.model.Label;
 import hudson.model.labels.LabelAtom;
 
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
+
 /**
  * Kubernetes Pod Template
  * 
@@ -51,6 +53,8 @@ public class PodTemplate extends AbstractDescribableImpl<PodTemplate> {
 
     private int instanceCap = Integer.MAX_VALUE;
 
+    private int idleMinutes;
+
     private String label;
 
     private String serviceAccount;
@@ -188,7 +192,7 @@ public int getInstanceCap() {
 
     @DataBoundSetter
     public void setInstanceCapStr(String instanceCapStr) {
-        if ("".equals(instanceCapStr)) {
+        if (StringUtils.isBlank(instanceCapStr)) {
             setInstanceCap(Integer.MAX_VALUE);
         } else {
             setInstanceCap(Integer.parseInt(instanceCapStr));
@@ -203,6 +207,31 @@ public String getInstanceCapStr() {
         }
     }
 
+    public void setIdleMinutes(int i) {
+        this.idleMinutes = i;
+    }
+
+    public int getIdleMinutes() {
+        return idleMinutes;
+    }
+
+    @DataBoundSetter
+    public void setIdleMinutesStr(String idleMinutes) {
+        if (StringUtils.isBlank(idleMinutes)) {
+            setIdleMinutes(0);
+        } else {
+            setIdleMinutes(Integer.parseInt(idleMinutes));
+        }
+    }
+
+    public String getIdleMinutesStr() {
+        if (getIdleMinutes() == 0) {
+            return "";
+        } else {
+            return String.valueOf(idleMinutes);
+        }
+    }
+
     public Set<LabelAtom> getLabelSet() {
         return Label.parse(label);
     }
diff --git a/src/main/resources/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/PodTemplate/config.jelly b/src/main/resources/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/PodTemplate/config.jelly
index 8f585696b5..978178a206 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/PodTemplate/config.jelly
+++ b/src/main/resources/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/PodTemplate/config.jelly
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@
     <f:textbox/>
   </f:entry>
 
+  <f:entry field="idleMinutesStr" title="${%Time in minutes to retain slave when idle}">
+    <f:textbox/>
+  </f:entry>
+
     <f:entry title="${%Annotations}" description="${%List of annotations to set in slave pod}">
       <f:repeatableHeteroProperty field="annotations" hasHeader="true" addCaption="Add Annotation"
                                   deleteCaption="Delete annotation Variable" />