diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9c9b200..50a540c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -113,7 +113,8 @@ If the `CONFIG_FILE` environment variable is not set, the program will fall back
    - `CONFIG_GSHEET_ID` - Set this to your Google Sheet ID with the keys to whitelist.
    - `DELEGATION_WHITELIST_LIST` - Set this to your delegation whitelist sheet title where the whitelist keys are.
    - `DELEGATION_WHITELIST_COLUMN` - Set this to your delegation whitelist sheet column where the whitelist keys are.
-   -  Or disable whitelisting alltogether by setting `DELEGATION_WHITELIST_DISABLED=1`. The previous four env variables are then ignored.
+   - `DELEGATION_WHITELIST_REFRESH_INTERVAL` - Whitelist refresh interval in minutes. If not set default value `10` is used.
+   -  Or disable whitelisting alltogether by setting `DELEGATION_WHITELIST_DISABLED=1`. The previous env variables are then ignored.
 
 3. **AWS S3 Configuration**:
    - `AWS_ACCOUNT_ID` - Your AWS Account ID.
diff --git a/src/cmd/delegation_backend/main_bpu.go b/src/cmd/delegation_backend/main_bpu.go
index 0fc0415..a4ab983 100644
--- a/src/cmd/delegation_backend/main_bpu.go
+++ b/src/cmd/delegation_backend/main_bpu.go
@@ -121,22 +121,30 @@ func main() {
 	// Sheets service and whitelist loop
 	app.WhitelistDisabled = appCfg.DelegationWhitelistDisabled
 	if app.WhitelistDisabled {
-		log.Infof("delegation whitelist is disabled")
+		log.Infof("Delegation whitelist is disabled")
 	} else {
-		log.Infof("delegation whitelist is enabled")
 		sheetsService, err2 := sheets.NewService(ctx, option.WithScopes(sheets.SpreadsheetsReadonlyScope))
 		if err2 != nil {
 			log.Fatalf("Error creating Sheets service: %v", err2)
 		}
-		initWl := RetrieveWhitelist(sheetsService, log, appCfg)
+		initWl, err := RetrieveWhitelist(sheetsService, log, appCfg, 1)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf("Failed to initialize whitelist: %v", err)
+		}
 		wlMvar := new(WhitelistMVar)
 		wlMvar.Replace(&initWl)
 		app.Whitelist = wlMvar
+		log.Infof("Delegation whitelist is enabled")
 		go func() {
 			for {
-				wl := RetrieveWhitelist(sheetsService, log, appCfg)
-				wlMvar.Replace(&wl)
-				time.Sleep(WHITELIST_REFRESH_INTERVAL)
+				time.Sleep(SetWhitelistRefreshInterval(log))
+				wl, err := RetrieveWhitelist(sheetsService, log, appCfg, 10)
+				if err != nil {
+					log.Errorf("Failed to refresh delegation whitelist, using previous one, error: %v", err)
+				} else {
+					wlMvar.Replace(&wl)
+					log.Infof("Delegation whitelist refreshed, number of BPs: %v", len(wl))
+				}
 			}
 		}()
 	}
diff --git a/src/delegation_backend/constants.go b/src/delegation_backend/constants.go
index 3793993..7f05c86 100644
--- a/src/delegation_backend/constants.go
+++ b/src/delegation_backend/constants.go
@@ -25,6 +25,25 @@ func NetworkId(networkName string) uint8 {
 	return 0
 }
 
+func SetWhitelistRefreshInterval(log logging.StandardLogger) time.Duration {
+	var defaultValue time.Duration = time.Duration(10) * time.Minute
+	var whitelistRefreshInterval time.Duration
+
+	envVarValue, exists := os.LookupEnv("DELEGATION_WHITELIST_REFRESH_INTERVAL")
+	if exists {
+		minutes, err := strconv.Atoi(envVarValue)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Warnf("Error parsing DELEGATION_WHITELIST_REFRESH_INTERVAL, falling back to default value: %v, error: %v", defaultValue, err)
+			whitelistRefreshInterval = defaultValue
+		}
+		whitelistRefreshInterval = time.Duration(minutes) * time.Minute
+	} else {
+		whitelistRefreshInterval = defaultValue
+	}
+	log.Infof("Delegation whitelist refresh interval: %v", whitelistRefreshInterval)
+	return whitelistRefreshInterval
+}
+
 func SetRequestsPerPkHourly(log logging.StandardLogger) int {
 	var defaultValue = 120
 	var requestsPerPkHourly int
diff --git a/src/delegation_backend/sheets.go b/src/delegation_backend/sheets.go
index ebc6261..a7dc0eb 100644
--- a/src/delegation_backend/sheets.go
+++ b/src/delegation_backend/sheets.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ func processRows(rows [][](interface{})) Whitelist {
 // Retrieve data from delegation program spreadsheet
 // and extract public keys out of the column containing
 // public keys of program participants.
-func RetrieveWhitelist(service *sheets.Service, log *logging.ZapEventLogger, appCfg AppConfig) Whitelist {
+func RetrieveWhitelist(service *sheets.Service, log *logging.ZapEventLogger, appCfg AppConfig, retries int) (Whitelist, error) {
 	var resp *sheets.ValueRange
 	var err error
 
@@ -41,11 +41,11 @@ func RetrieveWhitelist(service *sheets.Service, log *logging.ZapEventLogger, app
 		}
 		return nil
 	}
-	retries := 10
 	err = ExponentialBackoff(operation, retries, initialBackoff)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Errorf("Unable to retrieve data from sheet after %v retries: %v", retries, err)
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return processRows(resp.Values)
+	return processRows(resp.Values), nil
 }