diff --git a/RCSwitch.cpp b/RCSwitch.cpp
index b4483aa4945f6ed2bfd7f0c77ac2e539345725f6..b7ed81c19cb6fcd61fddad12f95aba6818a89513 100644
--- a/RCSwitch.cpp
+++ b/RCSwitch.cpp
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ unsigned int RCSwitch::nReceivedBitlength = 0;
 unsigned int RCSwitch::nReceivedDelay = 0;
 unsigned int RCSwitch::nReceivedProtocol = 0;
 int RCSwitch::nReceiveTolerance = 60;
-unsigned int RCSwitch::nSeparationLimit = 4600;
+const unsigned int RCSwitch::nSeparationLimit = 4600;
 // separationLimit: minimum microseconds between received codes, closer codes are ignored.
 // according to discussion on issue #14 it might be more suitable to set the separation
 // limit to the same time as the 'low' part of the sync signal for the current protocol.
diff --git a/RCSwitch.h b/RCSwitch.h
index cffceb1edfc83182b9e5bb265713e27d5aa22497..5a4a80b7dc8088bb46f27fef178c2e1f4054eb97 100644
--- a/RCSwitch.h
+++ b/RCSwitch.h
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ class RCSwitch {
     static unsigned int nReceivedBitlength;
     static unsigned int nReceivedDelay;
     static unsigned int nReceivedProtocol;
-    static unsigned int nSeparationLimit;
+    const static unsigned int nSeparationLimit;
     #endif
     /* 
      * timings[0] contains sync timing, followed by a number of bits