diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwbase/windowmanager.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwbase/windowmanager.hpp
index e3bd428e2..eb84741c4 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwbase/windowmanager.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwbase/windowmanager.hpp
@@ -156,8 +156,9 @@ namespace MWBase
             virtual void setValue (const std::string& id, int value) = 0;
 
             /// Set time left for the player to start drowning (update the drowning bar)
-            /// @param time value from [0,20]
-            virtual void setDrowningTimeLeft (float time) =0;
+            /// @param time time left to start drowning
+            /// @param maxTime how long we can be underwater (in total) until drowning starts
+            virtual void setDrowningTimeLeft (float time, float maxTime) = 0;
 
             virtual void setPlayerClass (const ESM::Class &class_) = 0;
             ///< set current class of player
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.cpp
index 02cc5c6a9..946259e10 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.cpp
@@ -203,9 +203,9 @@ namespace MWGui
         }
     }
 
-    void HUD::setDrowningTimeLeft(float time)
+    void HUD::setDrowningTimeLeft(float time, float maxTime)
     {
-        size_t progress = time/20.0*200.0;
+        size_t progress = time/maxTime*200.0;
         mDrowning->setProgressPosition(progress);
 
         bool isDrowning = (progress == 0);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.hpp
index 38535630f..973ac0745 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.hpp
@@ -22,8 +22,9 @@ namespace MWGui
         void setBatchCount(unsigned int count);
 
         /// Set time left for the player to start drowning
-        /// @param time value from [0,20]
-        void setDrowningTimeLeft(float time);
+        /// @param time time left to start drowning
+        /// @param maxTime how long we can be underwater (in total) until drowning starts
+        void setDrowningTimeLeft(float time, float maxTime);
         void setDrowningBarVisible(bool visible);
 
         void setHmsVisible(bool visible);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp
index 0457fcb59..2ed113126 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp
@@ -625,9 +625,9 @@ namespace MWGui
         mStatsWindow->setValue (id, value);
     }
 
-    void WindowManager::setDrowningTimeLeft (float time)
+    void WindowManager::setDrowningTimeLeft (float time, float maxTime)
     {
-        mHud->setDrowningTimeLeft(time);
+        mHud->setDrowningTimeLeft(time, maxTime);
     }
 
     void WindowManager::setPlayerClass (const ESM::Class &class_)
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.hpp
index ab9770a41..074cb3208 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.hpp
@@ -166,8 +166,9 @@ namespace MWGui
     virtual void setValue (const std::string& id, int value);
 
     /// Set time left for the player to start drowning (update the drowning bar)
-    /// @param time value from [0,20]
-    virtual void setDrowningTimeLeft (float time);
+    /// @param time time left to start drowning
+    /// @param maxTime how long we can be underwater (in total) until drowning starts
+    virtual void setDrowningTimeLeft (float time, float maxTime);
 
     virtual void setPlayerClass (const ESM::Class &class_);                        ///< set current class of player
     virtual void configureSkills (const SkillList& major, const SkillList& minor); ///< configure skill groups, each set contains the skill ID for that group.
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.cpp
index ff9bacf7b..34402977c 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.cpp
@@ -298,13 +298,15 @@ namespace MWMechanics
 
             if(stats.getTimeToStartDrowning() != mWatchedStats.getTimeToStartDrowning())
             {
+                const float fHoldBreathTime = MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->getStore().get<ESM::GameSetting>()
+                        .find("fHoldBreathTime")->getFloat();
                 mWatchedStats.setTimeToStartDrowning(stats.getTimeToStartDrowning());
-                if(stats.getTimeToStartDrowning() >= 20.0f)
+                if(stats.getTimeToStartDrowning() >= fHoldBreathTime)
                     winMgr->setDrowningBarVisibility(false);
                 else
                 {
                     winMgr->setDrowningBarVisibility(true);
-                    winMgr->setDrowningTimeLeft(stats.getTimeToStartDrowning());
+                    winMgr->setDrowningTimeLeft(stats.getTimeToStartDrowning(), fHoldBreathTime);
                 }
             }