diff --git a/conn_pool.go b/conn_pool.go
index 2a88bba..582ab85 100644
--- a/conn_pool.go
+++ b/conn_pool.go
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ var errNoPool = errors.New("no pool")
 // Default timeout for retrieving a connection from the pool.
 var ConnPoolTimeout = time.Hour * 24 * 30
 
+// ConnPoolAvailWaitTime is the amount of time to wait for an existing
+// connection from the pool before considering the creation of a new
+// one.
+var ConnPoolAvailWaitTime = time.Millisecond
+
 type connectionPool struct {
 	host        string
 	mkConn      func(host string, ah AuthHandler) (*memcached.Client, error)
@@ -75,7 +80,7 @@ func (cp *connectionPool) GetWithTimeout(d time.Duration) (*memcached.Client, er
 	default:
 	}
 
-	t := time.NewTimer(connPoolAvailTimer)
+	t := time.NewTimer(ConnPoolAvailWaitTime)
 	defer t.Stop()
 
 	// Try to grab an available connection within 1ms
diff --git a/conn_pool_test.go b/conn_pool_test.go
index 985cb6b..d3a463c 100644
--- a/conn_pool_test.go
+++ b/conn_pool_test.go
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func TestConnPool(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestConnPoolSoonAvailable(t *testing.T) {
-	defer func(d time.Duration) { connPoolAvailTimer = d }(connPoolAvailTimer)
+	defer func(d time.Duration) { ConnPoolAvailWaitTime = d }(ConnPoolAvailWaitTime)
 
 	cp := newConnectionPool("h", &basicAuth{}, 3, 4)
 	cp.mkConn = testMkConn
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ func TestConnPoolSoonAvailable(t *testing.T) {
 
 	time.AfterFunc(time.Millisecond, func() { cp.Return(aClient) })
 
-	connPoolAvailTimer = time.Second
+	ConnPoolAvailWaitTime = time.Second
 
 	sc, err := cp.Get()
 	if err != nil || sc != aClient {