diff --git a/openglcanvas.cpp b/openglcanvas.cpp
index 9d4dfbb5b7b93090b6aa5ff56429bb3995bd5e14..e032944472c04a9e5134deae51245491f171cf42 100644
--- a/openglcanvas.cpp
+++ b/openglcanvas.cpp
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ OpenGLCanvas::OpenGLCanvas(QWidget *parent) :
     center_phi = 0.f;
     fov_scale_relation = "Square Root";
     visualization = "Perspective";
+    auto_fov_max=false;
 
     time_frames = 0;
     time_timer.setInterval(0);
@@ -84,6 +85,15 @@ void OpenGLCanvas::change_fov(double f){
 void OpenGLCanvas::change_fov(int new_fov){
     if(new_fov<=360&&new_fov>=1)
             change_fov((double)new_fov);
+    if(auto_fov_max){
+        if(new_fov<60)
+            change_fov_max(60);
+        else
+            if(new_fov>180)
+                change_fov_max(1);
+            else
+                change_fov_max(90-new_fov/2);
+    }
 }
 
 void OpenGLCanvas::change_fov_max(int new_fov_max){
@@ -185,7 +195,7 @@ void OpenGLCanvas::read_config_file(){
     shader_dir[0]='\0';
     input_image_file=(char*)malloc(512*sizeof(char));
     input_image_file[0]='\0';
-    char *max_fov_str=(char*)malloc(64*sizeof(char));
+    char *read_line=(char*)malloc(64*sizeof(char));
     struct stat testbuf;
     if(stat(filepath,&testbuf)){
         fprintf(stderr,"~/.panorc does not exist\n");
@@ -217,11 +227,18 @@ void OpenGLCanvas::read_config_file(){
             }
             // check for 'max_fov' option
             if(!strncmp(line,"max_fov=",8)){
-                strcpy(max_fov_str,line+8);
-                max_fov_str[strlen(line)-9]='\0';
-                fov_max=atof(max_fov_str);
+                strcpy(read_line,line+8);
+                read_line[strlen(line)-9]='\0';
+                fov_max=atof(read_line);
                 fprintf(stderr,"max_fov=%f\n",fov_max);
             }
+            // check for 'auto_max_fov' option
+            if(!strncmp(line,"auto_max_fov=",13)){
+                strcpy(read_line,line+13);
+                read_line[strlen(line)-14]='\0';
+                auto_fov_max=atof(read_line);
+                fprintf(stderr,"auto_max_fov=%d\n",auto_fov_max);
+            }
         }
         fclose(rcfile);
     }
diff --git a/openglcanvas.h b/openglcanvas.h
index c13215fa91fd4abbdcabb7df3590037eb45fc2fa..eefb5db321f92316dcc9c3447d74e96c4988867e 100644
--- a/openglcanvas.h
+++ b/openglcanvas.h
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ private:
     double center_phi;
     QString fov_scale_relation;
     QString visualization;
+    bool auto_fov_max;
 
     Chronos time_time;
     QTimer time_timer;