diff --git a/conf.c b/conf.c
index 384fc56..be3a189 100644
--- a/conf.c
+++ b/conf.c
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ static double max_drift = 500000.0; /* in ppm */
 static double max_slew_rate = 1e6 / 12.0; /* in ppm */
 
 static double max_distance = 3.0;
+static double max_jitter = 1.0;
 static double reselect_distance = 1e-4;
 static double stratum_weight = 1e-3;
 static double combine_limit = 3.0;
@@ -510,6 +511,8 @@ CNF_ParseLine(const char *filename, int number, char *line)
     parse_double(p, &max_distance);
   } else if (!strcasecmp(command, "maxdrift")) {
     parse_double(p, &max_drift);
+  } else if (!strcasecmp(command, "maxjitter")) {
+    parse_double(p, &max_jitter);
   } else if (!strcasecmp(command, "maxsamples")) {
     parse_int(p, &max_samples);
   } else if (!strcasecmp(command, "maxslewrate")) {
@@ -1551,6 +1554,14 @@ CNF_GetMaxDistance(void)
 
 /* ================================================== */
 
+double
+CNF_GetMaxJitter(void)
+{
+  return max_jitter;
+}
+
+/* ================================================== */
+
 double
 CNF_GetReselectDistance(void)
 {
diff --git a/conf.h b/conf.h
index 13e58b5..d241665 100644
--- a/conf.h
+++ b/conf.h
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ extern double CNF_GetCorrectionTimeRatio(void);
 extern double CNF_GetMaxSlewRate(void);
 
 extern double CNF_GetMaxDistance(void);
+extern double CNF_GetMaxJitter(void);
 extern double CNF_GetReselectDistance(void);
 extern double CNF_GetStratumWeight(void);
 extern double CNF_GetCombineLimit(void);
diff --git a/doc/chrony.conf.adoc b/doc/chrony.conf.adoc
index 30c77c9..123666a 100644
--- a/doc/chrony.conf.adoc
+++ b/doc/chrony.conf.adoc
@@ -600,6 +600,13 @@ Setting *maxdistance* to a larger value can be useful to allow synchronisation
 with a server that only has a very infrequent connection to its sources and can
 accumulate a large dispersion between updates of its clock.
 
+[[maxjitter]]*maxjitter* _jitter_::
+The *maxjitter* directive sets the maximum allowed jitter of the sources to not
+be rejected by the source selection algorithm. This prevents synchronisation
+with sources that have a small root distance, but their time is too variable.
++
+By default, the maximum jitter is 1 second.
+
 [[minsources]]*minsources* _sources_::
 The *minsources* directive sets the minimum number of sources that need to be
 considered as selectable in the source selection algorithm before the local
diff --git a/sources.c b/sources.c
index 55e6a82..5c9bbe3 100644
--- a/sources.c
+++ b/sources.c
@@ -71,12 +71,12 @@ typedef enum {
   SRC_UNSELECTABLE,     /* Has noselect option set */
   SRC_BAD_STATS,        /* Doesn't have valid stats data */
   SRC_BAD_DISTANCE,     /* Has root distance longer than allowed maximum */
+  SRC_JITTERY,          /* Had std dev larger than allowed maximum */
   SRC_WAITS_STATS,      /* Others have bad stats, selection postponed */
   SRC_STALE,            /* Has older samples than others */
   SRC_ORPHAN,           /* Has stratum equal or larger than orphan stratum */
   SRC_UNTRUSTED,        /* Overlaps trusted sources */
   SRC_FALSETICKER,      /* Doesn't agree with others */
-  SRC_JITTERY,          /* Scatter worse than other's dispersion (not used) */
   SRC_WAITS_SOURCES,    /* Not enough sources, selection postponed */
   SRC_NONPREFERRED,     /* Others have prefer option */
   SRC_WAITS_UPDATE,     /* No updates, selection postponed */
@@ -159,6 +159,7 @@ static int selected_source_index; /* Which source index is currently
 #define DISTANT_PENALTY 32
 
 static double max_distance;
+static double max_jitter;
 static double reselect_distance;
 static double stratum_weight;
 static double combine_limit;
@@ -184,6 +185,7 @@ void SRC_Initialise(void) {
   max_n_sources = 0;
   selected_source_index = INVALID_SOURCE;
   max_distance = CNF_GetMaxDistance();
+  max_jitter = CNF_GetMaxJitter();
   reselect_distance = CNF_GetReselectDistance();
   stratum_weight = CNF_GetStratumWeight();
   combine_limit = CNF_GetCombineLimit();
@@ -665,6 +667,12 @@ SRC_SelectSource(SRC_Instance updated_inst)
       continue;
     }
 
+    /* And the same applies for the estimated standard deviation */
+    if (si->std_dev > max_jitter) {
+      sources[i]->status = SRC_JITTERY;
+      continue;
+    }
+
     sources[i]->status = SRC_OK; /* For now */
 
     if (sources[i]->reachability && max_reach_sample_ago < first_sample_ago)