diff --git a/src/servo/servo.cxx b/src/servo/servo.cxx
index 500734ba..cde79c7d 100644
--- a/src/servo/servo.cxx
+++ b/src/servo/servo.cxx
@@ -32,22 +32,19 @@
 using namespace upm;
 
 Servo::Servo (int pin) {
-    mraa_result_t error = MRAA_SUCCESS;
+    init(pin, MIN_PULSE_WIDTH, MAX_PULSE_WIDTH, DEFAULT_WAIT_DISABLE_PWM);
+}
 
-    m_minPulseWidth   = MIN_PULSE_WIDTH;
-    m_maxPulseWidth   = MAX_PULSE_WIDTH;
-    m_maxPeriod       = MAX_PERIOD;
+Servo::Servo (int pin, int minPulseWidth, int maxPulseWidth) {
+    init(pin, minPulseWidth, maxPulseWidth, DEFAULT_WAIT_DISABLE_PWM);
+}
 
-    m_maxAngle        = 180.0;
-    m_servoPin        = pin;
-    m_pwmServoContext = mraa_pwm_init (m_servoPin);
-
-    m_currAngle = 180;
-
-    setAngle (0);
+Servo::Servo (int pin, int minPulseWidth, int maxPulseWidth, int waitAndDisablePwm) {
+    init(pin, minPulseWidth, maxPulseWidth, waitAndDisablePwm);
 }
 
 Servo::~Servo () {
+    haltPwm();
     mraa_pwm_close (m_pwmServoContext);
 }
 
@@ -57,10 +54,8 @@ Servo::~Servo () {
  * X usec
  * _______
  *        |_______________________________________
- *                      20000 usec
+ *                      m_period usec
  *
- * Max period can be only 7968750(nses) which is ~8(msec)
- * so the servo wil not work as expected.
  * */
 mraa_result_t Servo::setAngle (int angle) {
     if (m_pwmServoContext == NULL) {
@@ -72,22 +67,27 @@ mraa_result_t Servo::setAngle (int angle) {
         return MRAA_ERROR_UNSPECIFIED;
     }
 
-    int period = (m_maxPulseWidth - m_minPulseWidth) / m_maxAngle;
-
-    int cycles = (int)(100.0 * (abs (m_currAngle - angle) / m_maxAngle));
-
-    // int cycles = (int)(100.0 * ((float)angle / (float)m_maxAngle));
-
     mraa_pwm_enable (m_pwmServoContext, 1);
-    for (int cycle = 0; cycle < cycles; cycle++) {
-        mraa_pwm_period_us (m_pwmServoContext, m_maxPeriod);
-        mraa_pwm_pulsewidth_us (m_pwmServoContext, calcPulseTraveling(angle));
+    mraa_pwm_period_us (m_pwmServoContext, m_period);
+    mraa_pwm_pulsewidth_us (m_pwmServoContext, calcPulseTraveling(angle));
+
+    if (m_waitAndDisablePwm) {
+        sleep(1); // we must make sure that we don't turn off PWM before the servo is done moving.
+        haltPwm();
     }
-    mraa_pwm_enable (m_pwmServoContext, 0);
 
     m_currAngle = angle;
 }
 
+mraa_result_t Servo::haltPwm () {
+    if (m_pwmServoContext == NULL) {
+        std::cout << "PWM context is NULL" << std::endl;
+        return MRAA_ERROR_UNSPECIFIED;
+    }
+
+    return mraa_pwm_enable (m_pwmServoContext, 0);
+}
+
 /*
  * Calculating relative pulse time to the value.
  * */
@@ -117,8 +117,8 @@ Servo::setMaxPulseWidth (int width) {
 }
 
 void
-Servo::setMaxPeriod (int width) {
-    m_maxPeriod = width;
+Servo::setPeriod (int period) {
+    m_period = period;
 }
 
 int
@@ -132,6 +132,26 @@ Servo::getMaxPulseWidth () {
 }
 
 int
-Servo::getMaxPeriod () {
-    return m_maxPeriod;
+Servo::getPeriod () {
+    return m_period;
+}
+
+/**
+ *  private mathod:  would like to use delegating constructors instead but that requires C++11
+ */
+void
+Servo::init (int pin, int minPulseWidth, int maxPulseWidth, int waitAndDisablePwm) {
+    m_minPulseWidth   = minPulseWidth;
+    m_maxPulseWidth   = maxPulseWidth;
+    m_period          = PERIOD;
+
+    m_waitAndDisablePwm = waitAndDisablePwm;
+
+    m_maxAngle        = 180.0;
+    m_servoPin        = pin;
+    m_pwmServoContext = mraa_pwm_init (m_servoPin);
+
+    m_currAngle = 180;
+
+    setAngle (0);
 }
diff --git a/src/servo/servo.h b/src/servo/servo.h
index c832d9ef..1449682e 100644
--- a/src/servo/servo.h
+++ b/src/servo/servo.h
@@ -28,12 +28,14 @@
 
 namespace upm {
 
-#define MIN_PULSE_WIDTH      600
-#define MAX_PULSE_WIDTH      2500
-#define MAX_PERIOD           7968
+#define MIN_PULSE_WIDTH             600
+#define MAX_PULSE_WIDTH             2500
+#define PERIOD                      20000
 
-#define HIGH                  1
-#define LOW                   0
+#define HIGH                        1
+#define LOW                         0
+
+#define DEFAULT_WAIT_DISABLE_PWM    0
 
 /**
  * @brief C++ API for servo libraries 
@@ -53,6 +55,26 @@ class Servo {
          */
         Servo (int pin);
 
+        /**
+         * Instantiates a servo object
+         *
+         * @param pin servo pin number
+         * @param minPulseWidth minimum pulse width, in microseconds
+         * @param maxPulseWidth maximum pulse width, in microseconds
+         */
+        Servo (int pin, int minPulseWidth, int maxPulseWidth);
+
+        /**
+         * Instantiates a servo object
+         *
+         * @param pin servo pin number
+         * @param minPulseWidth minimum pulse width, in microseconds
+         * @param maxPulseWidth maximum pulse width, in microseconds
+         * @param waitAndDisablePwm if 1, PWM will be enabled only during setAngle() execution
+         *      for a period of 1 second, and then turned back off. If 0, PWM will remain on afterward.
+         */
+        Servo (int pin, int minPulseWidth, int maxPulseWidth, int waitAndDisablePwm);
+
         /**
          * Servo object destructor.
          */
@@ -66,6 +88,11 @@ class Servo {
          */
         mraa_result_t setAngle (int angle);
 
+        /**
+         * Halts PWM for this servo and allows it to move freely.
+         */
+        mraa_result_t haltPwm ();
+
         /**
          * Return name of the component
          *
@@ -93,9 +120,9 @@ class Servo {
         /**
          * Set maximum period width
          *
-         * @param width maximum PWM period width
+         * @param period PWM period width
          */
-        void setMaxPeriod (int width);
+        void setPeriod (int period);
 
         /**
          * Return minimum pulse width
@@ -116,7 +143,7 @@ class Servo {
          *
          * @return maximum PWM period width
          */
-        int getMaxPeriod ();
+        int getPeriod ();
 
     protected:
         int calcPulseTraveling (int value);
@@ -129,7 +156,12 @@ class Servo {
 
         int                 m_minPulseWidth;
         int                 m_maxPulseWidth;
-        int                 m_maxPeriod;
+        int                 m_period;
+
+        int                 m_waitAndDisablePwm;
+
+    private:
+        void init (int pin, int minPulseWidth, int maxPulseWidth, int waitAndDisablePwm);
 };
 
 }