diff --git a/HISTORY b/HISTORY
index cb1d0e32..2451edf1 100644
--- a/HISTORY
+++ b/HISTORY
@@ -404,3 +404,6 @@ Video Disk Recorder Revision History
 - Fixed an occasional segfault in the EIT processor.
 - A value of '0' for the EPGScanTimeout setup parameter now completely turns off
   scanning for EPG data on both single and multiple card systems.
+- New setup parameter "PrimaryLimit" that allows to prevent timers from using the
+  primary DVB interface in multi card systems. Default value is 0, which means
+  that every timer may use the primary interface.
diff --git a/MANUAL b/MANUAL
index 009f8de1..f77bd276 100644
--- a/MANUAL
+++ b/MANUAL
@@ -333,6 +333,15 @@ Video Disk Recorder User's Manual
                          connection after which the connection is automatically
                          closed. Default is 300, a value of 0 means no timeout.
 
+  PrimaryLimit = 0       The minimum priority a timer must have to be allowed to
+                         use the primary DVB interface, or to force another timer
+                         with higher priority to use the primary DVB interface.
+                         This is mainly useful for recordings that should take
+                         place only when there is nothing else to do, but should
+                         never keep the user from viewing stuff on the primary
+                         interface. On systems with only one DVB card, timers
+                         with a priority below PrimaryLimit will never execute.
+
 * Executing system commands
 
   The "Main" menu option "Commands" allows you to execute any system commands
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 21d8c581..66eb1780 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * See the main source file 'vdr.c' for copyright information and
  * how to reach the author.
  *
- * $Id: config.c 1.42 2001/02/18 13:11:59 kls Exp $
+ * $Id: config.c 1.43 2001/02/24 13:20:18 kls Exp $
  */
 
 #include "config.h"
@@ -739,6 +739,7 @@ cSetup::cSetup(void)
   MarginStop = 10;
   EPGScanTimeout = 5;
   SVDRPTimeout = 300;
+  PrimaryLimit = 0;
   CurrentChannel = -1;
 }
 
@@ -760,6 +761,7 @@ bool cSetup::Parse(char *s)
      else if (!strcasecmp(Name, "MarginStop"))          MarginStop         = atoi(Value);
      else if (!strcasecmp(Name, "EPGScanTimeout"))      EPGScanTimeout     = atoi(Value);
      else if (!strcasecmp(Name, "SVDRPTimeout"))        SVDRPTimeout       = atoi(Value);
+     else if (!strcasecmp(Name, "PrimaryLimit"))        PrimaryLimit       = atoi(Value);
      else if (!strcasecmp(Name, "CurrentChannel"))      CurrentChannel     = atoi(Value);
      else
         return false;
@@ -814,6 +816,7 @@ bool cSetup::Save(const char *FileName)
         fprintf(f, "MarginStop         = %d\n", MarginStop);
         fprintf(f, "EPGScanTimeout     = %d\n", EPGScanTimeout);
         fprintf(f, "SVDRPTimeout       = %d\n", SVDRPTimeout);
+        fprintf(f, "PrimaryLimit       = %d\n", PrimaryLimit);
         fprintf(f, "CurrentChannel     = %d\n", CurrentChannel);
         f.Close();
         isyslog(LOG_INFO, "saved setup to %s", FileName);
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 963bcae3..60a95c3a 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * See the main source file 'vdr.c' for copyright information and
  * how to reach the author.
  *
- * $Id: config.h 1.41 2001/02/18 13:12:06 kls Exp $
+ * $Id: config.h 1.42 2001/02/24 13:19:39 kls Exp $
  */
 
 #ifndef __CONFIG_H
@@ -270,6 +270,7 @@ public:
   int MarginStart, MarginStop;
   int EPGScanTimeout;
   int SVDRPTimeout;
+  int PrimaryLimit;
   int CurrentChannel;
   cSetup(void);
   bool Load(const char *FileName);
diff --git a/dvbapi.c b/dvbapi.c
index 15b5f357..8518d7f9 100644
--- a/dvbapi.c
+++ b/dvbapi.c
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * See the main source file 'vdr.c' for copyright information and
  * how to reach the author.
  *
- * $Id: dvbapi.c 1.60 2001/02/24 12:18:30 kls Exp $
+ * $Id: dvbapi.c 1.61 2001/02/24 13:13:19 kls Exp $
  */
 
 #include "dvbapi.h"
@@ -1609,7 +1609,7 @@ bool cDvbApi::SetPrimaryDvbApi(int n)
 
 cDvbApi *cDvbApi::GetDvbApi(int Ca, int Priority)
 {
-  cDvbApi *d = NULL;
+  cDvbApi *d = NULL, *dMinPriority = NULL;
   int index = Ca - 1;
   for (int i = MAXDVBAPI; --i >= 0; ) {
       if (dvbApi[i]) {
@@ -1619,13 +1619,25 @@ cDvbApi *cDvbApi::GetDvbApi(int Ca, int Priority)
             }
          else if (Ca == 0) { // means any device would be acceptable
             if (!d || !dvbApi[i]->Recording() || (d->Recording() && d->Priority() > dvbApi[i]->Priority()))
-               d = dvbApi[i];
+               d = dvbApi[i]; // this is one that is either not currently recording or has the lowest priority
             if (d && d != PrimaryDvbApi && !d->Recording()) // avoids the PrimaryDvbApi if possible
                break;
+            if (d && d->Recording() && d->Priority() < Setup.PrimaryLimit && (!dMinPriority || d->Priority() < dMinPriority->Priority()))
+               dMinPriority = d; // this is the one with the lowest priority below Setup.PrimaryLimit
             }
          }
       }
-  return (d && (!d->Recording() || d->Priority() < Priority || (!d->Ca() && Ca))) ? d : NULL;
+  if (d == PrimaryDvbApi) { // the PrimaryDvbApi was the only one that was free
+     if (Priority < Setup.PrimaryLimit)
+        return NULL;        // not enough priority to use the PrimaryDvbApi
+     if (dMinPriority)      // there's one that must not use the PrimaryDvbApi...
+        d = dMinPriority;   // ...so let's kick out that one
+     }
+  return (d                           // we found one...
+      && (!d->Recording()             // ...that's either not currently recording...
+          || d->Priority() < Priority // ...or has a lower priority...
+          || (!d->Ca() && Ca)))       // ...or doesn't need this card
+          ? d : NULL;
 }
 
 int cDvbApi::Index(void)
diff --git a/i18n.c b/i18n.c
index 89915264..f81a2029 100644
--- a/i18n.c
+++ b/i18n.c
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * See the main source file 'vdr.c' for copyright information and
  * how to reach the author.
  *
- * $Id: i18n.c 1.13 2001/02/18 13:14:00 kls Exp $
+ * $Id: i18n.c 1.14 2001/02/24 13:57:14 kls Exp $
  *
  * Slovenian translations provided by Miha Setina <mihasetina@softhome.net>
  * Italian   translations provided by Alberto Carraro <bertocar@tin.it>
@@ -421,6 +421,11 @@ const tPhrase Phrases[] = {
     "", // TODO
     "Timeout SVDRP",
   },
+  { "PrimaryLimit",
+    "Primär-Limit",
+    "", // TODO
+    "", // TODO
+  },
   // The days of the week:
   { "MTWTFSS",
     "MDMDFSS",
diff --git a/menu.c b/menu.c
index 37c1a16c..651ae70c 100644
--- a/menu.c
+++ b/menu.c
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * See the main source file 'vdr.c' for copyright information and
  * how to reach the author.
  *
- * $Id: menu.c 1.66 2001/02/18 13:12:32 kls Exp $
+ * $Id: menu.c 1.67 2001/02/24 14:03:39 kls Exp $
  */
 
 #include "menu.h"
@@ -1609,6 +1609,7 @@ void cMenuSetup::Set(void)
   Add(new cMenuEditIntItem( tr("MarginStop"),         &data.MarginStop));
   Add(new cMenuEditIntItem( tr("EPGScanTimeout"),     &data.EPGScanTimeout));
   Add(new cMenuEditIntItem( tr("SVDRPTimeout"),       &data.SVDRPTimeout));
+  Add(new cMenuEditIntItem( tr("PrimaryLimit"),       &data.PrimaryLimit));
 }
 
 eOSState cMenuSetup::ProcessKey(eKeys Key)
@@ -1996,7 +1997,7 @@ bool cRecordControls::Start(cTimer *Timer)
                }
             }
         }
-     else
+     else if (!Timer || Timer->priority >= Setup.PrimaryLimit)
         esyslog(LOG_ERR, "ERROR: no free DVB device to record channel %d!", ch);
      }
   else