diff --git a/src/input_common.cpp b/src/input_common.cpp
index 24fde6e2d..cda4ca11e 100644
--- a/src/input_common.cpp
+++ b/src/input_common.cpp
@@ -32,8 +32,10 @@ Implementation file for the low level input library
    Time in milliseconds to wait for another byte to be available for
    reading after \\x1b is read before assuming that escape key was
    pressed, and not an escape sequence.
+
+   This is the value used by the readline library.
 */
-#define WAIT_ON_ESCAPE 10
+#define WAIT_ON_ESCAPE 500
 
 /** Characters that have been read and returned by the sequence matching code */
 static std::deque<wint_t> lookahead_list;