diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 6732b23..d539a5b 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ struct config_item {
 struct config_item config_tab[] = {
 	GLOB_ITEM_INT("assume_two_step", 0, 0, 1),
 	GLOB_ITEM_INT("check_fup_sync", 0, 0, 1),
+	GLOB_ITEM_DBL("first_step_threshold", 0.00002, 0.0, DBL_MAX),
 	GLOB_ITEM_DBL("step_threshold", 0.0, 0.0, DBL_MAX),
 	GLOB_ITEM_INT("tx_timestamp_timeout", 1, 1, INT_MAX),
 	PORT_ITEM_INT("udp_ttl", 1, 1, 255),
@@ -584,12 +585,6 @@ static enum parser_result parse_global_setting(const char *option,
 			return r;
 		*cfg->pi_integral_norm_max = df;
 
-	} else if (!strcmp(option, "first_step_threshold")) {
-		r = get_ranged_double(value, &df, 0.0, DBL_MAX);
-		if (r != PARSED_OK)
-			return r;
-		*cfg->first_step_threshold = df;
-
 	} else if (!strcmp(option, "max_frequency")) {
 		r = get_ranged_int(value, &val, 0, INT_MAX);
 		if (r != PARSED_OK)
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 45805de..b8781fa 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@ struct config {
 	struct port_defaults pod;
 	enum servo_type clock_servo;
 
-	double *first_step_threshold;
 	int *max_frequency;
 
 	double *pi_proportional_const;
diff --git a/phc2sys.c b/phc2sys.c
index fa75607..44ba1fc 100644
--- a/phc2sys.c
+++ b/phc2sys.c
@@ -1305,8 +1305,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 				return -1;
 			break;
 		case 'F':
-			if (get_arg_val_d(c, optarg, &servo_first_step_threshold,
-					  0.0, DBL_MAX))
+			if (get_arg_val_d(c, optarg, &tmp, 0.0, DBL_MAX))
+				return -1;
+			if (config_set_double(cfg, "first_step_threshold", tmp))
 				return -1;
 			break;
 		case 'R':
diff --git a/ptp4l.c b/ptp4l.c
index 3b913c0..575ee0c 100644
--- a/ptp4l.c
+++ b/ptp4l.c
@@ -103,7 +103,6 @@ static struct config cfg_settings = {
 	.transport = TRANS_UDP_IPV4,
 	.clock_servo = CLOCK_SERVO_PI,
 
-	.first_step_threshold = &servo_first_step_threshold,
 	.max_frequency = &servo_max_frequency,
 
 	.pi_proportional_const = &configured_pi_kp,
diff --git a/servo.c b/servo.c
index f1eddc8..4f26ea6 100644
--- a/servo.c
+++ b/servo.c
@@ -27,12 +27,12 @@
 
 #define NSEC_PER_SEC 1000000000
 
-double servo_first_step_threshold = 0.00002; /* 20 microseconds */
 int servo_max_frequency = 900000000;
 
 struct servo *servo_create(struct config *cfg, enum servo_type type,
 			   int fadj, int max_ppb, int sw_ts)
 {
+	double servo_first_step_threshold;
 	double servo_step_threshold;
 	struct servo *servo;
 
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ struct servo *servo_create(struct config *cfg, enum servo_type type,
 		servo->step_threshold = 0.0;
 	}
 
+	servo_first_step_threshold =
+		config_get_double(cfg, NULL, "first_step_threshold");
+
 	if (servo_first_step_threshold > 0.0) {
 		servo->first_step_threshold =
 			servo_first_step_threshold * NSEC_PER_SEC;
diff --git a/servo.h b/servo.h
index 88d926b..b5252df 100644
--- a/servo.h
+++ b/servo.h
@@ -24,15 +24,6 @@
 
 struct config;
 
-/**
- * When set to zero, the clock is not stepped on start. When set to a non-zero
- * value, the value bahaves as a threshold and the clock is stepped on start if
- * the offset is bigger than the threshold.
- *
- * Note that this variable is measured in seconds, and allows fractional values.
- */
-extern double servo_first_step_threshold;
-
 /**
  * When set to a non-zero value, this variable sets an additional limit for
  * the frequency adjustment of the clock. It's in ppb.