diff --git a/src/core/management/commands/housekeeping.py b/src/core/management/commands/housekeeping.py
index 80ce7091fcf2fdd537a88711095b42b8805ce8d0..711fa10c55bc0aca0421d68446198beeabbb1b34 100644
--- a/src/core/management/commands/housekeeping.py
+++ b/src/core/management/commands/housekeeping.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import sys
 import time
+from os import getenv
 
 from django.core.management.base import CommandError
 from django.db.models import Max
@@ -18,9 +19,16 @@ def _no_traceback_exception_hook(exc_type, exc_val, traceback):
 
 
 class Command(RichCommand):
+    DEFAULT_FOREVER_INTERVAL = 120
+
     def add_arguments(self, parser):
         parser.add_argument('--forever', action='store_true', help='repeat the housekeeping forever (until Ctrl+C is pressed)')
-        parser.add_argument('--forever-delay', type=int, default=300, help='seconds to wait between housekeeping runs')
+        parser.add_argument(
+            '--forever-interval',
+            type=int,
+            default=None,
+            help='seconds to wait between housekeeping runs (can be set via FOREVER_INTERVAL environment variable, too)',
+        )
         parser.add_argument('--skip-schedule-imports', action='store_true', help="don't do schedule imports")
         parser.add_argument('--skip-wiki-imports', action='store_true', help="don't import wiki namespaces from upstream")
 
@@ -111,11 +119,11 @@ class Command(RichCommand):
     def handle(self, *args, **options):
         # call _do_housekeeping repeatedly (unless --forever is not set)
         forever = options.get('forever')
-        forever_delay = options.get('forever_delay', '0')
+        forever_interval = int(options.get('forever_interval') or getenv('FOREVER_INTERVAL') or '0')
         if forever:
-            if forever_delay <= 0:
-                raise CommandError('The --forever-delay value must a positive value (in seconds).')
-            self.console.print(f'Running housekeeping forever each {forever_delay}s:', end='\n\n')
+            if forever_interval <= 0:
+                raise CommandError('The --forever-interval value must a positive value (in seconds).')
+            self.console.print(f'Running housekeeping forever each {forever_interval}s:', end='\n\n')
 
         try:
             while True:
@@ -133,7 +141,7 @@ class Command(RichCommand):
 
                 if forever:
                     print()  # empty line
-                    time.sleep(forever_delay)
+                    time.sleep(forever_interval)
                 else:
                     break
         except KeyboardInterrupt: