diff --git a/docs/docs.md b/docs/docs.md
index bfeb98a..7a89f0f 100644
--- a/docs/docs.md
+++ b/docs/docs.md
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ dvr-scan -i video.mp4 --start-time 00:35:52 --duration 00:05:00
 ```
 </span>
 
- * <b><pre>-fs num_frames, --frame-skip num_frames</pre></b> Number of frames to skip after processing a given frame. Improves performance, at expense of frame and time accuracy, and may increase probability of missing motion events. If set, `-l`/`--min-event-length`, `-tb`/`--time-before-event`, and `-tp`/`--time-post-event` will all be scaled relative to the source framerate. Values above 1 or 2 are not recommended.
+ * <b><pre>-fs num_frames, --frame-skip num_frames</pre></b> Number of frames to skip after processing a given frame. Improves performance, at expense of frame and time accuracy, and may increase probability of missing motion events. If set, `-l`/`--min-event-length`, `-Y`/`--max-event-length`, `-tb`/`--time-before-event`, and `-tp`/`--time-post-event` will all be scaled relative to the source framerate. Values above 1 or 2 are not recommended.
 <br/><br/>When using output modes which re-encode processed frames (`encode`, `opencv`), skipped frames are not included. Set `-m`/`--output-mode` to `ffmpeg` or `copy` to include all frames from the input video when writing motion events to disk.
 <br/><br/>Although adjusted for frame skipping, bounding box smoothing may be inconsistent when using frame skipping. Set `-bb 0` to disable smoothing.
 <span class="dvr-scan-example">
@@ -199,6 +199,13 @@ All time values can be given as a timecode (`HH:MM:SS` or `HH:MM:SS.nnn`), in se
 ```
 --min-event-length 2
 ```
+</span>
+
+ * <b><pre>-l time, --max-event-length time</pre></b> Maximum amount of time/frames allowed into a single event.
+<span class="dvr-scan-default">
+```
+--max-event-length 1000
+```
 </span>
 
  * <b><pre>-tb time, --time-before-event time</pre></b> Maximum amount of time to include before each event.
@@ -515,6 +522,14 @@ All time values can be given as a timecode: (`HH:MM:SS` or `HH:MM:SS.nnn`), in s
     ```
     </span>
 
+ * <b><pre>max-event-length</pre></b>
+    Maximum mount of time of a single event.
+    <span class="dvr-scan-default">
+    ```
+    max-event-length = 1000
+    ```
+    </span>
+
  * <b><pre>time-before-event</pre></b>
     Amount of time to include before a motion event.
     <span class="dvr-scan-default">
diff --git a/dvr-scan.cfg b/dvr-scan.cfg
index 57e0866..a5adabb 100644
--- a/dvr-scan.cfg
+++ b/dvr-scan.cfg
@@ -101,6 +101,12 @@
 # Amount of time which must have motion in each frame to trigger an event.
 #min-event-length = 2
 
+# Maximum amount of time of a single event.
+#max-event-length = 1000
+
+# Maximum amount of time of an event
+#max-event-length = 999999
+
 # Amount of time to include before an event.
 #time-before-event = 1.5s
 
diff --git a/dvr_scan/cli.py b/dvr_scan/cli.py
index d2c7fb9..7e2b386 100644
--- a/dvr_scan/cli.py
+++ b/dvr_scan/cli.py
@@ -310,6 +310,18 @@ def get_cli_parser(user_config: ConfigRegistry):
         ),
     )
 
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "-Y",
+        "--max-event-length",
+        metavar="time",
+        type=timecode_type_check("time"),
+        help=(
+            "Length of time that must contain motion before triggering a new event. Can be"
+            " specified as frames (123), seconds (12.3s), or timecode (00:00:01).%s"
+            % user_config.get_help_string("max-event-length")
+        ),
+    )
+
     parser.add_argument(
         "-tb",
         "--time-before-event",
diff --git a/dvr_scan/config.py b/dvr_scan/config.py
index c45c5d1..b0ff3b5 100644
--- a/dvr_scan/config.py
+++ b/dvr_scan/config.py
@@ -380,6 +380,7 @@ def from_config(config_value: str, default: "RGBValue") -> "RGBValue":
     "max-events": 0,
     "merge-window": MergeWindowValue(),
     "min-event-length": TimecodeValue("0.1s"),
+    "max-event-length": TimecodeValue("999999s"),
     "time-before-event": TimecodeValue("1.5s"),
     "time-post-event": TimecodeValue("2.0s"),
     "use-pts": False,
diff --git a/dvr_scan/scanner.py b/dvr_scan/scanner.py
index ee0899c..a95d06d 100644
--- a/dvr_scan/scanner.py
+++ b/dvr_scan/scanner.py
@@ -190,6 +190,7 @@ def __init__(
 
         # Motion Event Parameters (set_event_params)
         self._min_event_len = None  # -l/--min-event-length
+        self._max_event_len = None  # -Y/--max-event-length
         self._time_before_event = None  # -tb/--time-before-event
         self._time_post_event = None  # -tp/--time-post-event
         self._merge_window = None  # --merge-window (None means auto: use -tp)
@@ -409,6 +410,7 @@ def set_regions(
     def set_event_params(
         self,
         min_event_len: ty.Union[int, float, str] = "0.1s",
+        max_event_len: ty.Union[int, float, str] = "999999s",
         time_pre_event: ty.Union[int, float, str] = "1.5s",
         time_post_event: ty.Union[int, float, str] = "2s",
         merge_window: ty.Optional[ty.Union[int, float, str]] = None,
@@ -419,6 +421,7 @@ def set_event_params(
         A `merge_window` of None or "auto" uses the value of `time_post_event`."""
         assert self._input.framerate is not None
         self._min_event_len = FrameTimecode(min_event_len, self._input.framerate)
+        self._max_event_len = FrameTimecode(max_event_len, self._input.framerate)
         self._time_before_event = FrameTimecode(time_pre_event, self._input.framerate)
         self._post_event_len = FrameTimecode(time_post_event, self._input.framerate)
         if merge_window is None or (
@@ -667,9 +670,11 @@ def scan(self) -> ty.Optional[DetectionResult]:
         # from the average framerate, but emitted event boundaries are always exact (PTS-based).
         pre_event_len: int = self._time_before_event.frame_num // (self._frame_skip + 1)
         min_event_len: int = max(self._min_event_len.frame_num // (self._frame_skip + 1), 1)
+        max_event_len: int = max(self._max_event_len.frame_num // (self._frame_skip + 1), 1)
 
         # Calculations below rely on min_event_len always being >= 1 (cannot be zero)
         assert min_event_len >= 1, "min_event_len must be at least 1 frame"
+        assert max_event_len >= 1, "max_event_len must be at least 1 frame"
 
         # Presentation duration of one source frame at the average framerate.
         frame_duration: float = 1.0 / float(self._input.framerate)
@@ -804,6 +809,11 @@ def scan(self) -> ty.Optional[DetectionResult]:
                 or height_fraction > self._max_height
             ):
                 frame_score = 0
+            max_event_len_reached = False
+            if in_motion_event and event_start is not None:
+                if (frame.timecode.frame_num - event_start.frame_num) > max_event_len:
+                    max_event_len_reached = True
+                    frame_score = 0
             above_threshold = frame_score >= self._threshold
 
             event_window.append(frame_score)
@@ -867,7 +877,10 @@ def scan(self) -> ty.Optional[DetectionResult]:
                     post_motion_frames = []
                 # Otherwise, we wait until the merge window has passed before ending
                 # this motion event and start looking for a new one.
-                elif (frame.timecode.seconds - last_motion_time.seconds) >= merge_window_duration:
+                # If the event is longer than max_event_len, we end it immediately.
+                elif (
+                    frame.timecode.seconds - last_motion_time.seconds
+                ) >= merge_window_duration or max_event_len_reached:
                     in_motion_event = False
 
                     logger.debug("event %d high score %f" % (1 + len(event_list), self._highscore))
diff --git a/dvr_scan/shared/__init__.py b/dvr_scan/shared/__init__.py
index 685234b..5111c62 100644
--- a/dvr_scan/shared/__init__.py
+++ b/dvr_scan/shared/__init__.py
@@ -226,6 +226,7 @@ def init_scanner(
 
     scanner.set_event_params(
         min_event_len=settings.get("min-event-length"),
+        max_event_len=settings.get("max-event-length"),
         time_pre_event=settings.get("time-before-event"),
         time_post_event=settings.get("time-post-event"),
         merge_window=settings.get("merge-window"),