diff --git a/ovn/controller/bfd.c b/ovn/controller/bfd.c
index 051781f38..e2ca9cf49 100644
--- a/ovn/controller/bfd.c
+++ b/ovn/controller/bfd.c
@@ -40,20 +40,10 @@ bfd_register_ovs_idl(struct ovsdb_idl *ovs_idl)
 
 
 static void
-interface_set_bfd(const struct ovsrec_interface *iface, bool bfd_setting)
+interface_set_bfd(const struct ovsrec_interface *iface, struct smap *bfd)
 {
-    const char *new_setting = bfd_setting ? "true":"false";
-    const char *current_setting = smap_get(&iface->bfd, "enable");
-    if (current_setting && !strcmp(current_setting, new_setting)) {
-        /* If already set to the desired setting we skip setting it again
-         * to avoid flapping to bfd initialization state */
-        return;
-    }
-    const struct smap bfd = SMAP_CONST1(&bfd, "enable", new_setting);
     ovsrec_interface_verify_bfd(iface);
-    ovsrec_interface_set_bfd(iface, &bfd);
-    VLOG_INFO("%s BFD on interface %s", bfd_setting ? "Enabled" : "Disabled",
-                                        iface->name);
+    ovsrec_interface_set_bfd(iface, bfd);
 }
 
 void
@@ -265,6 +255,7 @@ void
 bfd_run(struct ovsdb_idl_index *sbrec_chassis_by_name,
         struct ovsdb_idl_index *sbrec_port_binding_by_datapath,
         const struct ovsrec_interface_table *interface_table,
+        const struct ovsrec_open_vswitch_table *ovs_table,
         const struct ovsrec_bridge *br_int,
         const struct sbrec_chassis *chassis_rec,
         const struct hmap *local_datapaths)
@@ -292,15 +283,46 @@ bfd_run(struct ovsdb_idl_index *sbrec_chassis_by_name,
         }
     }
 
+    const struct ovsrec_open_vswitch *cfg;
+    cfg = ovsrec_open_vswitch_table_first(ovs_table);
+    const char *min_rx = NULL;
+    const char *decay_min_rx = NULL;
+    const char *min_tx = NULL;
+    const char *mult = NULL;
+    if (cfg) {
+        min_rx = smap_get(&cfg->external_ids, "ovn-bfd-min-rx");
+        decay_min_rx = smap_get(&cfg->external_ids, "ovn-bfd-decay-min-rx");
+        min_tx = smap_get(&cfg->external_ids, "ovn-bfd-min-tx");
+        mult = smap_get(&cfg->external_ids, "ovn-bfd-mult");
+    }
+    struct smap bfd = SMAP_INITIALIZER(&bfd);
+    if (min_rx) {
+        smap_add(&bfd, "min_rx", min_rx);
+    }
+    if (decay_min_rx) {
+        smap_add(&bfd, "decay_min_rx", decay_min_rx);
+    }
+    if (min_tx) {
+        smap_add(&bfd, "min_tx", min_tx);
+    }
+    if (mult) {
+        smap_add(&bfd, "mult", mult);
+    }
     /* Enable or disable bfd */
     const struct ovsrec_interface *iface;
     OVSREC_INTERFACE_TABLE_FOR_EACH (iface, interface_table) {
         if (sset_contains(&tunnels, iface->name)) {
-                interface_set_bfd(
-                        iface, sset_contains(&bfd_ifaces, iface->name));
+            bool bfd_setting = sset_contains(&bfd_ifaces, iface->name);
+            smap_replace(&bfd, "enable", bfd_setting ? "true":"false");
+            if (!smap_equal(&iface->bfd, &bfd)) {
+                interface_set_bfd(iface, &bfd);
+                VLOG_INFO("%s BFD on interface %s",
+                          bfd_setting ? "Enabled" : "Disabled", iface->name);
+            }
          }
     }
 
+    smap_destroy(&bfd);
     sset_destroy(&tunnels);
     sset_destroy(&bfd_ifaces);
     sset_destroy(&bfd_chassis);
diff --git a/ovn/controller/bfd.h b/ovn/controller/bfd.h
index 7ea345a3e..9243bec69 100644
--- a/ovn/controller/bfd.h
+++ b/ovn/controller/bfd.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ struct ovsdb_idl;
 struct ovsdb_idl_index;
 struct ovsrec_bridge;
 struct ovsrec_interface_table;
+struct ovsrec_open_vswitch_table;
 struct sbrec_chassis;
 struct sset;
 
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ void bfd_register_ovs_idl(struct ovsdb_idl *);
 void bfd_run(struct ovsdb_idl_index *sbrec_chassis_by_name,
              struct ovsdb_idl_index *sbrec_port_binding_by_datapath,
              const struct ovsrec_interface_table *interface_table,
+             const struct ovsrec_open_vswitch_table *ovs_table,
              const struct ovsrec_bridge *br_int,
              const struct sbrec_chassis *chassis_rec,
              const struct hmap *local_datapaths);
diff --git a/ovn/controller/ovn-controller.8.xml b/ovn/controller/ovn-controller.8.xml
index 8035638b3..0c13b54eb 100644
--- a/ovn/controller/ovn-controller.8.xml
+++ b/ovn/controller/ovn-controller.8.xml
@@ -159,6 +159,16 @@
         specific to this particular chassis. An example would be:
         <code>cms_option1,cms_option2:foo</code>.
       </dd>
+
+      <dt><code>external_ids:ovn-bfd-min-rx</code></dt>
+      <dt><code>external_ids:ovn-bfd-decay-min-rx</code></dt>
+      <dt><code>external_ids:ovn-bfd-min-tx</code></dt>
+      <dt><code>external_ids:ovn-bfd-mult</code></dt>
+      <dd>
+        These are the BFD parameters to use when <code>ovn-controller</code>
+        enables BFD on the tunnel ports. These can be used to override the
+        default BFD parameters.
+      </dd>
     </dl>
 
     <p>
diff --git a/ovn/controller/ovn-controller.c b/ovn/controller/ovn-controller.c
index 85921a03a..bca94e521 100644
--- a/ovn/controller/ovn-controller.c
+++ b/ovn/controller/ovn-controller.c
@@ -765,10 +765,12 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
                               &flow_table, &group_table, &meter_table);
 
                     if (chassis_id) {
-                        bfd_run(sbrec_chassis_by_name,
-                                sbrec_port_binding_by_datapath,
-                                ovsrec_interface_table_get(ovs_idl_loop.idl),
-                                br_int, chassis, &local_datapaths);
+                        bfd_run(
+                            sbrec_chassis_by_name,
+                            sbrec_port_binding_by_datapath,
+                            ovsrec_interface_table_get(ovs_idl_loop.idl),
+                            ovsrec_open_vswitch_table_get(ovs_idl_loop.idl),
+                            br_int, chassis, &local_datapaths);
                     }
                     physical_run(
                         sbrec_chassis_by_name,
diff --git a/tests/ovn.at b/tests/ovn.at
index 769e09f81..5160d74c5 100644
--- a/tests/ovn.at
+++ b/tests/ovn.at
@@ -9271,6 +9271,32 @@ AT_CHECK([ovn-sbctl --columns chassis --bare find Port_Binding logical_port=cr-o
          [0],[[1
 ]])
 
+as gw2
+ovs-vsctl set Open . external-ids:ovn-bfd-min-rx=2000
+for chassis in gw1 hv1 hv2; do
+    echo "checking gw2 -> $chassis"
+    OVS_WAIT_UNTIL([
+    bfd_cfg=$(ovs-vsctl --bare --columns bfd find Interface name=ovn-$chassis-0)
+    test "$bfd_cfg" = "enable=true min_rx=2000"
+])
+done
+ovs-vsctl set Open . external-ids:ovn-bfd-min-tx=1500
+for chassis in gw1 hv1 hv2; do
+    echo "checking gw2 -> $chassis"
+    OVS_WAIT_UNTIL([
+    bfd_cfg=$(ovs-vsctl --bare --columns bfd find Interface name=ovn-$chassis-0)
+    test "$bfd_cfg" = "enable=true min_rx=2000 min_tx=1500"
+])
+done
+ovs-vsctl remove Open . external-ids ovn-bfd-min-rx
+for chassis in gw1 hv1 hv2; do
+    echo "checking gw2 -> $chassis"
+    OVS_WAIT_UNTIL([
+    bfd_cfg=$(ovs-vsctl --bare --columns bfd find Interface name=ovn-$chassis-0)
+    test "$bfd_cfg" = "enable=true min_tx=1500"
+])
+done
+
 OVN_CLEANUP([gw1],[gw2],[hv1],[hv2])
 
 AT_CLEANUP
