diff --git a/etc/rally/rally.conf.sample b/etc/rally/rally.conf.sample
index b072ab17..f81fc9af 100644
--- a/etc/rally/rally.conf.sample
+++ b/etc/rally/rally.conf.sample
@@ -486,6 +486,12 @@
 # Server boot poll interval (floating point value)
 #ec2_server_boot_poll_interval = 1.0
 
+# Interval between checks when waiting for a VM to become pingable
+#vm_ping_poll_interval = 1.0
+
+# Time to wait for a VM to become pingable
+#vm_ping_timeout = 120.0
+
 
 [database]
 
diff --git a/rally/plugins/openstack/scenarios/vm/utils.py b/rally/plugins/openstack/scenarios/vm/utils.py
index a3a1db43..74853642 100644
--- a/rally/plugins/openstack/scenarios/vm/utils.py
+++ b/rally/plugins/openstack/scenarios/vm/utils.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import subprocess
 import sys
 
 import netaddr
+from oslo_config import cfg
 import six
 
 from rally.common.i18n import _
@@ -33,6 +34,17 @@ LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 ICMP_UP_STATUS = "ICMP UP"
 ICMP_DOWN_STATUS = "ICMP DOWN"
 
+VM_BENCHMARK_OPTS = [
+    cfg.FloatOpt("vm_ping_poll_interval", default=1.0,
+                 help="Interval between checks when waiting for a VM to "
+                 "become pingable"),
+    cfg.FloatOpt("vm_ping_timeout", default=120.0,
+                 help="Time to wait for a VM to become pingable")]
+
+CONF = cfg.CONF
+benchmark_group = cfg.OptGroup(name="benchmark", title="benchmark options")
+CONF.register_opts(VM_BENCHMARK_OPTS, group=benchmark_group)
+
 
 class VMScenario(scenario.OpenStackScenario):
     """Base class for VM scenarios with basic atomic actions.
@@ -148,9 +160,9 @@ class VMScenario(scenario.OpenStackScenario):
         server_ip = netaddr.IPAddress(server_ip)
         utils.wait_for(
             server_ip,
-            is_ready=utils.resource_is(ICMP_UP_STATUS,
-                                       self._ping_ip_address),
-            timeout=120
+            is_ready=utils.resource_is(ICMP_UP_STATUS, self._ping_ip_address),
+            timeout=CONF.benchmark.vm_ping_timeout,
+            check_interval=CONF.benchmark.vm_ping_poll_interval
         )
 
     def _run_command(self, server_ip, port, username, password, command,
diff --git a/tests/unit/plugins/openstack/scenarios/vm/test_utils.py b/tests/unit/plugins/openstack/scenarios/vm/test_utils.py
index 9344ed50..3a59cd7a 100644
--- a/tests/unit/plugins/openstack/scenarios/vm/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/unit/plugins/openstack/scenarios/vm/test_utils.py
@@ -18,11 +18,13 @@ import subprocess
 
 import mock
 import netaddr
+from oslo_config import cfg
 
 from rally.plugins.openstack.scenarios.vm import utils
 from tests.unit import test
 
 VMTASKS_UTILS = "rally.plugins.openstack.scenarios.vm.utils"
+CONF = cfg.CONF
 
 
 class VMScenarioTestCase(test.ScenarioTestCase):
@@ -113,7 +115,8 @@ class VMScenarioTestCase(test.ScenarioTestCase):
         self.mock_wait_for.mock.assert_called_once_with(
             netaddr.IPAddress("1.2.3.4"),
             is_ready=self.mock_resource_is.mock.return_value,
-            timeout=120)
+            timeout=CONF.benchmark.vm_ping_timeout,
+            check_interval=CONF.benchmark.vm_ping_poll_interval)
         self.mock_resource_is.mock.assert_called_once_with(
             "ICMP UP", vm_scenario._ping_ip_address)