diff --git a/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/KinesisClientLibConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/KinesisClientLibConfiguration.java
index 2756c803..dd5f8c41 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/KinesisClientLibConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/KinesisClientLibConfiguration.java
@@ -191,6 +191,11 @@ public class KinesisClientLibConfiguration {
      * The number of times the Proxy will retry listShards call when throttled.
      */
     public static final int DEFAULT_MAX_LIST_SHARDS_RETRY_ATTEMPTS = 50;
+    
+    /**
+     * The number of times a worker will try to initialize before exiting
+     */
+    public static final int DEFAULT_WORKER_INITIALIZATION_RETRY_ATTEMPTS = 20;
 
     private String applicationName;
     private String tableName;
@@ -254,6 +259,9 @@ public class KinesisClientLibConfiguration {
     
     @Getter
     private int maxListShardsRetryAttempts = DEFAULT_MAX_LIST_SHARDS_RETRY_ATTEMPTS;
+    
+    @Getter
+    private int maxWorkerInitializationRetryAttempts = DEFAULT_WORKER_INITIALIZATION_RETRY_ATTEMPTS;
 
     /**
      * Constructor.
@@ -1407,7 +1415,7 @@ public class KinesisClientLibConfiguration {
     /**
      * @param listShardsBackoffTimeInMillis Max sleep between two listShards call when throttled
      *                                     in {@link com.amazonaws.services.kinesis.clientlibrary.proxies.KinesisProxy}.
-     * @return
+     * @return KinesisClientLibConfiguration
      */
     public KinesisClientLibConfiguration withListShardsBackoffTimeInMillis(long listShardsBackoffTimeInMillis) {
         checkIsValuePositive("listShardsBackoffTimeInMillis", listShardsBackoffTimeInMillis);
@@ -1418,11 +1426,22 @@ public class KinesisClientLibConfiguration {
     /**
      * @param maxListShardsRetryAttempts Max number of retries for listShards when throttled
      *                                   in {@link com.amazonaws.services.kinesis.clientlibrary.proxies.KinesisProxy}.
-     * @return
+     * @return KinesisClientLibConfiguration
      */
     public KinesisClientLibConfiguration withMaxListShardsRetryAttempts(int maxListShardsRetryAttempts) {
         checkIsValuePositive("maxListShardsRetryAttempts", maxListShardsRetryAttempts);
         this.maxListShardsRetryAttempts = maxListShardsRetryAttempts;
         return this;
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * @param maxWorkerInitializationRetryAttempts Max number of retries a worker will attempt to initialize before exiting
+     *                                   in {@link com.amazonaws.services.kinesis.clientlibrary.proxies.KinesisProxy}.
+     * @return KinesisClientLibConfiguration
+     */
+    public KinesisClientLibConfiguration withMaxWorkerInitializationRetryAttempts(int maxWorkerInitializationRetryAttempts) {
+        checkIsValuePositive("maxWorkerInitializationRetryAttempts", maxWorkerInitializationRetryAttempts);
+        this.maxWorkerInitializationRetryAttempts = maxWorkerInitializationRetryAttempts;
+        return this;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/Worker.java b/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/Worker.java
index 4a03b449..397bfb64 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/Worker.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/Worker.java
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@ public class Worker implements Runnable {
 
     private static final Log LOG = LogFactory.getLog(Worker.class);
 
-    private static final int MAX_INITIALIZATION_ATTEMPTS = 20;
     private static final WorkerStateChangeListener DEFAULT_WORKER_STATE_CHANGE_LISTENER = new NoOpWorkerStateChangeListener();
 
     private WorkerLog wlog = new WorkerLog();
@@ -566,7 +565,7 @@ public class Worker implements Runnable {
             initialize();
             LOG.info("Initialization complete. Starting worker loop.");
         } catch (RuntimeException e1) {
-            LOG.error("Unable to initialize after " + MAX_INITIALIZATION_ATTEMPTS + " attempts. Shutting down.", e1);
+            LOG.error("Unable to initialize after " + config.getMaxWorkerInitializationRetryAttempts() + " attempts. Shutting down.", e1);
             shutdown();
         }
 
@@ -619,7 +618,7 @@ public class Worker implements Runnable {
         boolean isDone = false;
         Exception lastException = null;
 
-        for (int i = 0; (!isDone) && (i < MAX_INITIALIZATION_ATTEMPTS); i++) {
+        for (int i = 0; (!isDone) && (i < config.getMaxWorkerInitializationRetryAttempts()); i++) {
             try {
                 LOG.info("Initialization attempt " + (i + 1));
                 LOG.info("Initializing LeaseCoordinator");
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/KinesisClientLibConfigurationTest.java b/src/test/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/KinesisClientLibConfigurationTest.java
index cccbcb30..bec90578 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/KinesisClientLibConfigurationTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/amazonaws/services/kinesis/clientlibrary/lib/worker/KinesisClientLibConfigurationTest.java
@@ -418,4 +418,25 @@ public class KinesisClientLibConfigurationTest {
         config = config.withIgnoreUnexpectedChildShards(true);
         assertTrue(config.shouldIgnoreUnexpectedChildShards());
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * Test testDefaultWorkerInitRetry() default value of 20
+     */
+    @Test
+    public final void testDefaultWorkerInitRetry() {
+        final String stageName = "testStageName";
+        KinesisClientLibConfiguration config = new KinesisClientLibConfiguration(stageName, null, null, null);
+        Assert.assertEquals(config.getMaxWorkerInitializationRetryAttempts(), 20);
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * Test testDefaultWorkerInitRetry() custom value of 10
+     */
+    @Test
+    public final void testCustomWorkerInitRetry() {
+        final String stageName = "testStageName";
+        KinesisClientLibConfiguration config = new KinesisClientLibConfiguration(stageName, null, null, null).withMaxWorkerInitializationRetryAttempts(10);
+        Assert.assertEquals(config.getMaxWorkerInitializationRetryAttempts(), 10);
+    }
+
 }