diff --git a/game/settings.cpp b/game/settings.cpp
index bdc45b2..689ae85 100644
--- a/game/settings.cpp
+++ b/game/settings.cpp
@@ -252,6 +252,11 @@ Settings::Settings()
     // Number of search results kept in a search
     arbitration.add("search-limit", Setting::TypeInt) = 100;
 
+    // ============== Topping mode options ==============
+    Setting &topping = m_conf->getRoot().add("topping", Setting::TypeGroup);
+
+    topping.add("timeout-penalty", Setting::TypeInt) = 60;
+
     // Try to read the values from the configuration file
     try
     {
@@ -272,6 +277,7 @@ Settings::Settings()
         copySetting<int>(tmpConf, *m_conf, "arbitration.solo-value");
         copySetting<int>(tmpConf, *m_conf, "arbitration.penalty-value");
         copySetting<int>(tmpConf, *m_conf, "arbitration.warnings-limit");
+        copySetting<int>(tmpConf, *m_conf, "topping.timeout-penalty");
     }
     catch (const std::exception &e)
     {
@@ -365,6 +371,8 @@ int Settings::getInt(const string &iName) const
         return 5;
     else if (iName == "arbitration.warnings-limit")
         return 3;
+    else if (iName == "arbitration.timeout-penalty")
+        return 60;
     return 0;
 #endif
 }
diff --git a/game/topping.cpp b/game/topping.cpp
index 1054b7b..fd7a04a 100644
--- a/game/topping.cpp
+++ b/game/topping.cpp
@@ -131,8 +131,9 @@ void Topping::turnTimeOut()
 
     // Give a penalty to the player
     // XXX: should we give the penalty directly in the NO_MOVE move?
-    // TODO: get the value from the preferences instead of hard-coding
-    addPenalty(180);
+    int penalty = Settings::Instance().getInt("topping.timeout-penalty");
+    if (penalty > 0)
+        addPenalty(penalty);
 
     // Next turn
     endTurn();
diff --git a/qt/prefs_dialog.cpp b/qt/prefs_dialog.cpp
index 95430a0..cb389ac 100644
--- a/qt/prefs_dialog.cpp
+++ b/qt/prefs_dialog.cpp
@@ -101,6 +101,8 @@ PrefsDialog::PrefsDialog(QWidget *iParent)
     spinBoxArbitSearchLimit->setToolTip(spinBoxTrainSearchLimit->toolTip());
     spinBoxArbitWarnLimit->setToolTip(_q("Maximal number of \"acceptable\" warnings.\n"
                                          "Any additional warning will give a penalty to the player."));
+    spinBoxToppingExpPenalty->setToolTip(_q("Number of points added to the player score when the timer expires.\n"
+                                            "Set it to 0 if you don't want any penalty."));
 
     // Auto-completion on the dictionary path
     QCompleter *completer = new QCompleter(this);
@@ -159,6 +161,9 @@ PrefsDialog::PrefsDialog(QWidget *iParent)
         spinBoxArbitWarnLimit->setValue(Settings::Instance().getInt("arbitration.warnings-limit"));
         spinBoxArbitSearchLimit->setValue(Settings::Instance().getInt("arbitration.search-limit"));
 
+        // Topping settings
+        spinBoxToppingExpPenalty->setValue(Settings::Instance().getInt("topping.timeout-penalty"));
+
         // Confirmations
         bool confoStartGame = qs.value(kCONFO_START_GAME, true).toBool();
         checkBoxConfoStartGame->setChecked(confoStartGame);
@@ -291,6 +296,11 @@ void PrefsDialog::updateSettings()
         Settings::Instance().setInt("arbitration.warnings-limit",
                                     spinBoxArbitWarnLimit->value());
 
+        // Topping settings
+        Settings::Instance().setInt("topping.timeout-penalty",
+                                    spinBoxToppingExpPenalty->value());
+
+
         // Confirmations settings
         qs.setValue(kCONFO_START_GAME, checkBoxConfoStartGame->isChecked());
         qs.setValue(kCONFO_LOAD_GAME, checkBoxConfoLoadGame->isChecked());
diff --git a/qt/ui/prefs_dialog.ui b/qt/ui/prefs_dialog.ui
index df68566..f4b4a12 100644
--- a/qt/ui/prefs_dialog.ui
+++ b/qt/ui/prefs_dialog.ui
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
     <x>0</x>
     <y>0</y>
     <width>474</width>
-    <height>630</height>
+    <height>699</height>
    </rect>
   </property>
   <property name="windowTitle">
@@ -489,6 +489,45 @@
          </layout>
         </widget>
        </item>
+       <item>
+        <widget class="QGroupBox" name="groupBox_6">
+         <property name="title">
+          <string>_(&quot;Topping mode&quot;)</string>
+         </property>
+         <layout class="QGridLayout" name="gridLayout_4">
+          <item row="1" column="0">
+           <widget class="QLabel" name="label_11">
+            <property name="text">
+             <string>_(&quot;Additional penalty given when the timer expires:&quot;</string>
+            </property>
+           </widget>
+          </item>
+          <item row="1" column="1">
+           <widget class="QSpinBox" name="spinBoxToppingExpPenalty">
+            <property name="maximum">
+             <number>9999</number>
+            </property>
+            <property name="value">
+             <number>60</number>
+            </property>
+           </widget>
+          </item>
+          <item row="1" column="2">
+           <spacer name="horizontalSpacer_5">
+            <property name="orientation">
+             <enum>Qt::Horizontal</enum>
+            </property>
+            <property name="sizeHint" stdset="0">
+             <size>
+              <width>40</width>
+              <height>20</height>
+             </size>
+            </property>
+           </spacer>
+          </item>
+         </layout>
+        </widget>
+       </item>
        <item>
         <spacer name="verticalSpacer_2">
          <property name="orientation">