diff --git a/src/Conf.defaults b/src/Conf.defaults
index 60fdf3a5..cfa66edf 100644
--- a/src/Conf.defaults
+++ b/src/Conf.defaults
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ reverse_timelines = boolean(default=False)
 time_to_check_streams = integer(default=30)
 announce_stream_status = boolean(default=True)
 retweet_mode = string(default="ask")
-persistant_session = boolean(default=True)
+persist_size = integer(default=1764)
 buffer_order = list(default=list('home','mentions','dm','sent_dm','sent_tweets','favorites','followers','friends','blocks','muted','events'))
 
 [sound]
diff --git a/src/controller/settings.py b/src/controller/settings.py
index a7012be8..910b476d 100644
--- a/src/controller/settings.py
+++ b/src/controller/settings.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import paths
 import widgetUtils
 import config
 import languageHandler
+import output
 from wxUI.dialogs import configuration
 from wxUI import commonMessageDialogs
 from extra.autocompletionUsers import settings
@@ -89,7 +90,7 @@ class accountSettingsController(globalSettingsController):
    self.dialog.set_value("general", "retweet_mode", _(u"Retweet without comments"))
   else:
    self.dialog.set_value("general", "retweet_mode", _(u"Retweet with comments"))
-  self.dialog.set_value("general", "persistant_session", self.config["general"]["persistant_session"])
+  self.dialog.set_value("general", "persist_size", str(self.config["general"]["persist_size"]))
   self.dialog.create_other_buffers()
   buffer_values = self.get_buffers_list()
   self.dialog.buffers.insert_buffers(buffer_values)
@@ -129,9 +130,15 @@ class accountSettingsController(globalSettingsController):
    self.config["general"]["relative_times"] = self.dialog.get_value("general", "relative_time")
   self.config["general"]["max_api_calls"] = self.dialog.get_value("general", "apiCalls")
   self.config["general"]["max_tweets_per_call"] = self.dialog.get_value("general", "itemsPerApiCall")
-  if self.config["general"]["persistant_session"] != self.dialog.get_value("general", "persistant_session"):
-   self.needs_restart = True
-   self.config["general"]["persistant_session"] = self.dialog.get_value("general", "persistant_session")
+  if self.config["general"]["persist_size"] != self.dialog.get_value("general", "persist_size"):
+   if self.dialog.get_value("general", "persist_size") == '':
+    self.config["general"]["persist_size"] =-1
+   else:
+    try:
+     self.config["general"]["persist_size"] = int(self.dialog.get_value("general", "persist_size"))
+    except ValueError:
+     output.speak("Invalid cache size, setting to default.",True)
+     self.config["general"]["persist_size"] =1764
 
   if self.config["general"]["reverse_timelines"] != self.dialog.get_value("general", "reverse_timelines"):
    self.needs_restart = True
diff --git a/src/sessionmanager/session.py b/src/sessionmanager/session.py
index b7e7098e..572c1a57 100644
--- a/src/sessionmanager/session.py
+++ b/src/sessionmanager/session.py
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ class Session(object):
    log.debug("Creating config file %s" % (file_,))
    self.settings = config_utils.load_config(paths.config_path(file_), paths.app_path("Conf.defaults"))
    self.init_sound()
-   if self.settings["general"]["persistant_session"] == True:
+   if self.settings["general"]["persist_size"] != 0:
     self.deshelve()
 #  except:
 #   log.exception("The session configuration has failed.")
@@ -378,7 +378,10 @@ class Session(object):
     if type(key) != str and type(key) != unicode:
         output.speak("Uh oh, while shelving the database, a key of type " + str(type(key)) + " has been found. It will be converted to type str, but this will cause all sorts of problems on deshelve. Please bring this to the attention of the " + application.name + " developers immediately. More information about the error will be written to the error log.",True)
         log.error("Uh oh, " + str(key) + " is of type " + str(type(key)) + "!")
-    shelf[str(key)]=value
+    if type(value) == List and self.settings["general"]["persist_size"] != -1 and len(type) > self.settings["general"]["persist_size"]:
+        shelf[str(key)]=value[self.settings["general"]["persist_size"]:]
+    else:
+        shelf[str(key)]=value
    shelf.close()
   except:
    output.speak("An exception occurred while shelving the " + application.name + " database. It will be deleted and rebuilt automatically. If this error persists, send the error log to the " + application.name + " developers.",True)
diff --git a/src/wxUI/dialogs/configuration.py b/src/wxUI/dialogs/configuration.py
index 4b2bae66..b6220613 100644
--- a/src/wxUI/dialogs/configuration.py
+++ b/src/wxUI/dialogs/configuration.py
@@ -92,7 +92,10 @@ class generalAccount(wx.Panel, baseDialog.BaseWXDialog):
   rMode.Add(lbl, 0, wx.ALL, 5)
   rMode.Add(self.retweet_mode, 0, wx.ALL, 5)
   sizer.Add(rMode, 0, wx.ALL, 5)
-  self.persistant_session = wx.CheckBox(self, -1, _(u"Cache session in database (experimental)"))
+  PersistSizeLabel = wx.StaticText(self, -1, _(u"Number of items per buffer to cache in database (0 to disable caching, blank for unlimited)"))
+  self.persist_size = wx.TextCtrl(self, -1)
+  sizer.Add(PersistSizeLabel, 0, wx.ALL, 5)
+  sizer.Add(self.persist_size, 0, wx.ALL, 5)
   self.SetSizer(sizer)
 
 class other_buffers(wx.Panel):