diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8036237c21..8165839de7 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@
 # WITH_DIRECTMUSIC: enable DirectMusic MIDI support
 # WITH_NETWORK: enable networking
 # DEDICATED: allows compilation on UNIX without SDL. Useful for dedicated servers
+# MAX_NUM_AUTOSAVES: sets the number of autosaves the games will make before starting
+#		to overwrite the old ones. If not set, the game will use 16.
+#		NOTE: assign a number, not a string of a number
 #
 # Paths:
 # INSTALL: If not set, the game uses the directory of the binary to
@@ -118,7 +121,7 @@
 
 # Makefile version tag
 # it checks if the version tag in Makefile.config is the same and force update outdated config files
-MAKEFILE_VERSION:=7
+MAKEFILE_VERSION:=8
 
 # CONFIG_WRITER has to be found even for manual configuration
 CONFIG_WRITER=makefiledir/Makefile.config_writer
@@ -512,6 +515,10 @@ CDEFS += -DMIDI_ARG=\"$(MIDI_ARG)\"
 endif
 endif
 
+ifdef MAX_NUM_AUTOSAVES
+CDEFS += -DMAX_NUM_AUTOSAVES=$(MAX_NUM_AUTOSAVES)
+endif
+
 ifdef WITH_NETWORK
 CDEFS += -DENABLE_NETWORK
 ifdef QNX
diff --git a/makefiledir/Makefile.config_writer b/makefiledir/Makefile.config_writer
index 0544bdb5a6..f74197edd9 100644
--- a/makefiledir/Makefile.config_writer
+++ b/makefiledir/Makefile.config_writer
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ $(MAKE_CONFIG):
 	$(call CONFIG_LINE,\# SUPRESS_LANG_ERRORS: supresses output about missing and mismatched strings)
 	$(call CONFIG_LINE,\# WITH_NETWORK: makes OpenTTD able to play multiplayer using TCP and UDP)
 	$(call CONFIG_LINE,\# DEDICATED: compiles a dedicated server. This one can only host using a CLI, but do not need SDL)
+	$(call CONFIG_LINE,\# MAX_NUM_AUTOSAVES: sets the max number of autosaves the game keeps before overwriting old ones)
 	$(call CONFIG_LINE,STATIC:=$(STATIC))
 	$(call CONFIG_LINE,TRANSLATOR:=$(TRANSLATOR))
 	$(call CONFIG_LINE,DISPLAY_WARNINGS:=$(DISPLAY_WARNINGS))
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ $(MAKE_CONFIG):
 	$(call CONFIG_LINE,WITH_DIRECTMUSIC:=$(WITH_DIRECTMUSIC))
 	$(call CONFIG_LINE,WITH_NETWORK:=$(WITH_NETWORK))
 	$(call CONFIG_LINE,DEDICATED:=$(DEDICATED))
+	$(call CONFIG_LINE,MAX_NUM_AUTOSAVES:=$(MAX_NUM_AUTOSAVES))
 	$(call CONFIG_LINE,GPMI:=$(GPMI))
 	$(call CONFIG_LINE,)
 
diff --git a/openttd.c b/openttd.c
index e63685382b..cc4732df72 100644
--- a/openttd.c
+++ b/openttd.c
@@ -888,10 +888,14 @@ static void DoAutosave(void)
 		SetDParam(2, _date);
 		s = GetString(buf + strlen(_path.autosave_dir) + strlen(PATHSEP), STR_4004);
 		strcpy(s, ".sav");
-	} else { /* Save a maximum of 15 autosaves */
-		int n = _autosave_ctr;
-		_autosave_ctr = (_autosave_ctr + 1) & 15;
-		sprintf(buf, "%s%sautosave%d.sav", _path.autosave_dir, PATHSEP, n);
+	} else { /* generate a savegame name and number according to _patches.max_num_autosaves */
+		sprintf(buf, "%s%sautosave%d.sav", _path.autosave_dir, PATHSEP, _autosave_ctr);
+
+		_autosave_ctr++;
+		if (_autosave_ctr >= _patches.max_num_autosaves) {
+			// we reached the limit for numbers of autosaves. We will start over
+			_autosave_ctr = 0;
+		}
 	}
 
 	DEBUG(misc, 2) ("Autosaving to %s", buf);
diff --git a/settings.c b/settings.c
index 6a92e948a5..4456c09887 100644
--- a/settings.c
+++ b/settings.c
@@ -818,6 +818,11 @@ static const SettingDesc gameopt_settings[] = {
   {NULL,          0,                          NULL,     NULL,                     NULL}
 };
 
+#if !defined(MAX_NUM_AUTOSAVES)
+// no custom default max number of autosaves have been set in the makefile, so we will set the default max to 16
+#define MAX_NUM_AUTOSAVES 16
+#endif
+
 // The player-based settings (are not send over the network)
 // Not everything can just be added to this list. For example, service_interval
 //  can not be done, because every client assigns the service_interval value to the
@@ -841,6 +846,7 @@ static const SettingDesc patch_player_settings[] = {
 	{"toolbar_pos",					SDT_UINT8,	(void*)0,			&_patches.toolbar_pos,					NULL},
 	{"keep_all_autosave",		SDT_BOOL,		(void*)false, &_patches.keep_all_autosave,		NULL},
 	{"autosave_on_exit",		SDT_BOOL,		(void*)false, &_patches.autosave_on_exit,			NULL},
+	{"max_autosave_num",			SDT_UINT8, (void*)MAX_NUM_AUTOSAVES,		&_patches.max_num_autosaves,			NULL},
 
 	{"bridge_pillars",			SDT_BOOL,		(void*)true,	&_patches.bridge_pillars,				NULL},
 	{"invisible_trees",			SDT_BOOL,		(void*)false, &_patches.invisible_trees,			NULL},
diff --git a/variables.h b/variables.h
index ae1c3b61fd..1e9bb99eb6 100644
--- a/variables.h
+++ b/variables.h
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@ typedef struct Patches {
 
 	bool keep_all_autosave;		// name the autosave in a different way.
 	bool autosave_on_exit;		// save an autosave when you quit the game, but do not ask "Do you really want to quit?"
+	byte max_num_autosaves;		// controls how many autosavegames are made before the game starts to overwrite (names them 0 to max_num_autosaves - 1)
 	bool extra_dynamite;			// extra dynamite
 
 	bool never_expire_vehicles; // never expire vehicles