diff --git a/src/elpa1/elpa1_tridiag_template.F90 b/src/elpa1/elpa1_tridiag_template.F90
index c3e318c8fd07de167d058af4f47b477d975db707..c0c3d1173355de27c733fe7ff31b5be8a9ab6408 100644
--- a/src/elpa1/elpa1_tridiag_template.F90
+++ b/src/elpa1/elpa1_tridiag_template.F90
@@ -201,10 +201,11 @@ call prmat(na,useGpu,a_mat,a_dev,lda,matrixCols,nblk,my_prow,my_pcol,np_rows,np_
 #if COMPLEXCASE == 1
       real(kind=REAL_DATATYPE), allocatable         :: tmp_real(:)
 #endif
+      integer(kind=ik)                              :: min_tile_size, error
       integer(kind=ik)                              :: istat
       character(200)                                :: errorMessage
       character(20)                                 :: gpuString
-      integer(kind=c_intptr_t), parameter             :: size_of_datatype = size_of_&
+      integer(kind=c_intptr_t), parameter           :: size_of_datatype = size_of_&
                                                                           &PRECISION&
                                                                           &_&
                                                                           &MATH_DATATYPE
@@ -250,7 +251,21 @@ call prmat(na,useGpu,a_mat,a_dev,lda,matrixCols,nblk,my_prow,my_pcol,np_rows,np_
       ! tile_size is thus nblk * 6
       !
       tile_size = nblk*least_common_multiple(np_rows,np_cols) ! minimum global tile size
-      tile_size = ((128*max(np_rows,np_cols)-1)/tile_size+1)*tile_size ! make local tiles at least 128 wide
+
+      ! make tile_size a smallest possible multiple of previously defined tile size, such that it is
+      ! larger or equal to min_tile_size
+      ! min_tile_size has been originally hardcoded as 128 * max(np_rows, np_cols), so it is now the implicit value
+      ! it can, however, be set by the user
+      call obj%get("min_tile_size", min_tile_size ,error)
+      if (error .ne. ELPA_OK) then
+        print *,"Problem setting option. Aborting..."
+        stop
+      endif
+      if(min_tile_size == 0) then
+        ! not set by the user, use the default value
+        min_tile_size = 128*max(np_rows, np_cols)
+      endif
+      tile_size = ((min_tile_size-1)/tile_size+1)*tile_size
 
       l_rows_per_tile = tile_size/np_rows ! local rows of a tile
       l_cols_per_tile = tile_size/np_cols ! local cols of a tile
diff --git a/src/elpa2/elpa2_bandred_template.F90 b/src/elpa2/elpa2_bandred_template.F90
index 9aed2c62cb7f17165849de4bec49e415596123a2..9aa2edd7028c4ee28af0468f81c4e69ca6819eb3 100644
--- a/src/elpa2/elpa2_bandred_template.F90
+++ b/src/elpa2/elpa2_bandred_template.F90
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@
       logical                                     :: successCUDA
       integer(kind=ik)                            :: istat
       character(200)                              :: errorMessage
+      integer(kind=ik)                            :: min_tile_size, error
 
 #if REALCASE == 1
       logical, intent(in)                         :: useQR
@@ -276,7 +277,21 @@
       ! Matrix is split into tiles; work is done only for tiles on the diagonal or above
 
       tile_size = nblk*least_common_multiple(np_rows,np_cols) ! minimum global tile size
-      tile_size = ((128*max(np_rows,np_cols)-1)/tile_size+1)*tile_size ! make local tiles at least 128 wide
+
+      ! make tile_size a smallest possible multiple of previously defined tile size, such that it is
+      ! larger or equal to min_tile_size
+      ! min_tile_size has been originally hardcoded as 128 * max(np_rows, np_cols), so it is now the implicit value
+      ! it can, however, be set by the user
+      call obj%get("min_tile_size", min_tile_size ,error)
+      if (error .ne. ELPA_OK) then
+        print *,"Problem setting option. Aborting..."
+        stop
+      endif
+      if(min_tile_size == 0) then
+        ! not set by the user, use the default value
+        min_tile_size = 128*max(np_rows, np_cols)
+      endif
+      tile_size = ((min_tile_size-1)/tile_size+1)*tile_size
 
       l_rows_tile = tile_size/np_rows ! local rows of a tile
       l_cols_tile = tile_size/np_cols ! local cols of a tile
diff --git a/src/elpa_index.c b/src/elpa_index.c
index d679747f5aca28314950fd4f1a2270a66040561e..cb432bbebe6ec85814989da100fb6716856179dc 100644
--- a/src/elpa_index.c
+++ b/src/elpa_index.c
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ static int band_to_full_cardinality();
 static int band_to_full_enumerate(int i);
 static int band_to_full_is_valid(elpa_index_t index, int n, int new_value);
 
+static int min_tile_size_cardinality();
+
 static int na_is_valid(elpa_index_t index, int n, int new_value);
 static int nev_is_valid(elpa_index_t index, int n, int new_value);
 static int bw_is_valid(elpa_index_t index, int n, int new_value);
@@ -159,6 +161,9 @@ static const elpa_index_int_entry_t int_entries[] = {
                         number_of_complex_kernels, complex_kernel_enumerate, \
                         complex_kernel_is_valid, complex_kernel_name),
 
+        INT_ENTRY("min_tile_size", "Minimal tile size used internally in elpa1_tridiag and elpa2_bandred", 0, ELPA_AUTOTUNE_NOT_TUNABLE, ELPA_AUTOTUNE_DOMAIN_ANY,
+                        min_tile_size_cardinality, NULL, NULL, NULL),
+
 	//INT_ENTRY("blocking_in_band_to_full", "Loop blocking, default 3", 3, ELPA_AUTOTUNE_MEDIUM, ELPA_AUTOTUNE_DOMAIN_ANY, band_to_full_cardinality, band_to_full_enumerate, band_to_full_is_valid, NULL),
 	INT_ENTRY("blocking_in_band_to_full", "Loop blocking, default 3", 3, ELPA_AUTOTUNE_NOT_TUNABLE, ELPA_AUTOTUNE_DOMAIN_ANY, band_to_full_cardinality, band_to_full_enumerate, band_to_full_is_valid, NULL),
         //BOOL_ENTRY("qr", "Use QR decomposition, only used for ELPA_SOLVER_2STAGE, real case", 0, ELPA_AUTOTUNE_MEDIUM, ELPA_AUTOTUNE_DOMAIN_REAL),
@@ -653,6 +658,11 @@ static int band_to_full_is_valid(elpa_index_t index, int n, int new_value) {
         abort();
 }
 
+static int min_tile_size_cardinality() {
+        /* TODO */
+        fprintf(stderr, "TODO on %s:%d\n", __FILE__, __LINE__);
+        abort();
+}
 elpa_index_t elpa_index_instance() {
         elpa_index_t index = (elpa_index_t) calloc(1, sizeof(struct elpa_index_struct));