diff --git a/src/driver/driver_input.F b/src/driver/driver_input.F
index 5bc3e2bd8b..3a47cc333e 100644
--- a/src/driver/driver_input.F
+++ b/src/driver/driver_input.F
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ c
       double precision ascale, bscale, tscale, hscale
       logical ignore,diagh
       integer mh,ind
+      integer max_retries,retry_delay
 
 *     **** external functions ****
       logical  driver_parse_boolean
@@ -98,7 +99,7 @@ c
      $                      mt_log,1,diagh))
      $        call errquit('driver_input: rtdb put failed',0, RTDB_ERR)
 c
-c socket ipi_client ip:port
+c socket ipi_client ip:port retries delay
 c
       else if (inp_compare(.false.,'socket', field)) then
          if (inp_a(f2)) then
@@ -114,6 +115,22 @@ c
      >                           ipname(1:ind)))
      >          call errquit('driver_input: rtdb put failed',8,RTDB_ERR)
                end if
+
+               if (.not. inp_i(max_retries)) call errquit(
+     &              'driver_input: failed to read retries integer', 0,
+     &              INPUT_ERR)
+               if (.not. inp_i(retry_delay)) call errquit(
+     &              'driver_input: failed to read delay float', 0,
+     &              INPUT_ERR)
+
+               if (.not. rtdb_put(rtdb,'driver:socket_retries',mt_int,1,
+     &              max_retries)) call errquit(
+     &              'driver_input: rtdb put failed', 10, RTDB_ERR)
+
+               if (.not. rtdb_put(rtdb,'driver:socket_delay',mt_int,1,
+     &              retry_delay)) call errquit(
+     &              'driver_input: rtdb put failed', 11, RTDB_ERR)
+
                diagh = .true.
                if (.not. rtdb_put(rtdb,'driver:socket',
      $                      mt_log,1,diagh))
diff --git a/src/driver/socket_driver.F b/src/driver/socket_driver.F
index 362779ae86..a46f131a4a 100644
--- a/src/driver/socket_driver.F
+++ b/src/driver/socket_driver.F
@@ -25,8 +25,7 @@
       integer rion(2),fion(2),nion,nion0
       real*8 unita(3,3),invunita(3,3),stress(3,3),energy
       real*8 cpu1,cpu2
-      real*8 retry_delay_seconds
-      integer max_retries
+      integer max_retries, retry_delay_seconds
 
 *     **** external functions ****
       logical  task_gradient
@@ -102,14 +101,21 @@
 
       statebuffer(1:13) = "READY        "
 
+      if (.not. rtdb_get(rtdb, 'driver:socket_retries', mt_int, 1,
+     >                     max_retries)) then
+         max_retries = 30
+      end if
+      if (.not. rtdb_get(rtdb, 'driver:socket_delay', mt_int, 1,
+     >                     retry_delay_seconds)) then
+         retry_delay_seconds = 2
+      end if
+
       if (taskid.eq.MASTER) then
          write(luout,*)
          write(luout,*) "== i-PI Socket Client Driver =="
          write(luout,'(" Connected to    = ",A)') socket_ip
          write(luout,'(" Number of atoms =",I8)') nion
          write(luout,*)
-         retry_delay_seconds = 2.0
-         max_retries = 30
          call util_talker(ip,inet,ii-1,port,sock,max_retries,
      >   retry_delay_seconds)
          write(luout,*)