diff --git a/src/ESP_FlexyStepper.cpp b/src/ESP_FlexyStepper.cpp
index 90d0d49..ece2b54 100644
--- a/src/ESP_FlexyStepper.cpp
+++ b/src/ESP_FlexyStepper.cpp
@@ -277,6 +277,38 @@ void ESP_FlexyStepper::setBrakePin(byte brakePin, byte activeState)
     // configure the IO pins
     pinMode(this->brakePin, OUTPUT);
     this->deactivateBrake();
+    _isBrakeConfigured = true;
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    _isBrakeConfigured = false;
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * set a delay in milliseconds between stopping the stepper motor and engaging the pyhsical brake (trigger the eternal pin configured via setBrakePin() ).
+ * Default is 0, resulting in immediate triggering of the motor brake once the motor stops moving.
+ * This value does NOT affect the triggering of the brake in cade of an emergency stop. In this case the brake will always get triggered without delay
+ */
+void ESP_FlexyStepper::setBrakeEngageDelayMs(unsigned long delay)
+{
+  this->_brakeEngageDelayMs = delay;
+}
+
+/**
+ * set a timeout in milliseconds fter which the brake shall be released once triggered and no motion is performed by the stpper motor.
+ * By default the value is -1 indicating, that the brake shall never be automatically released, as long as the stepper motor is not moving to a new position.
+ * Value must be larger than 1 (Even though 1ms delay does probably not make any sense since physical brakes have a delay that is most likely higher than that just to engange)
+ */
+void ESP_FlexyStepper::setBrakeReleaseDelayMs(signed long delay)
+{
+  if (delay < 0)
+  {
+    this->_brakeReleaseDelayMs = -1;
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    this->_brakeReleaseDelayMs = delay;
   }
 }
 
@@ -285,10 +317,11 @@ void ESP_FlexyStepper::setBrakePin(byte brakePin, byte activeState)
  */
 void ESP_FlexyStepper::activateBrake()
 {
-  if (this->brakePin >= 0)
+  if (this->_isBrakeConfigured)
   {
     digitalWrite(this->brakePin, (this->brakePinActiveState == ESP_FlexyStepper::ACTIVE_HIGH) ? 1 : 0);
     this->_isBrakeActive = true;
+    this->_timeToEngangeBrake = LONG_MAX;
   }
 }
 
@@ -297,10 +330,12 @@ void ESP_FlexyStepper::activateBrake()
  */
 void ESP_FlexyStepper::deactivateBrake()
 {
-  if (this->brakePin >= 0)
+  if (this->_isBrakeConfigured)
   {
     digitalWrite(this->brakePin, (this->brakePinActiveState == ESP_FlexyStepper::ACTIVE_HIGH) ? 0 : 1);
     this->_isBrakeActive = false;
+    this->_timeToReleaseBrake = LONG_MAX;
+    this->_hasMovementOccuredSinceLastBrakeRelease = false;
   }
 }
 
@@ -975,6 +1010,7 @@ void ESP_FlexyStepper::setTargetPositionInSteps(long absolutePositionToMoveToInS
   this->isOnWayToHome = false;
   this->isOnWayToLimit = false;
   targetPosition_InSteps = absolutePositionToMoveToInSteps;
+  this->firstProcessingAfterTargetReached = true;
 }
 
 //
@@ -1022,8 +1058,8 @@ bool ESP_FlexyStepper::processMovement(void)
     directionOfMotion = 0;
     targetPosition_InSteps = currentPosition_InSteps;
 
-    //activate brake if configured and not active already
-    if (!this->_isBrakeActive)
+    //activate brake (if configured) driectly due to emergency stop if not already active
+    if (this->_isBrakeConfigured && !this->_isBrakeActive)
     {
       this->activateBrake();
     }
@@ -1035,6 +1071,16 @@ bool ESP_FlexyStepper::processMovement(void)
     return (true);
   }
 
+  //check if delayed brake shall be engaged / released
+  if (this->_timeToEngangeBrake != LONG_MAX && this->_timeToEngangeBrake <= millis())
+  {
+    this->activateBrake();
+  }
+  else if (this->_timeToReleaseBrake != LONG_MAX && this->_timeToReleaseBrake <= millis())
+  {
+    this->deactivateBrake();
+  }
+
   long distanceToTarget_Signed;
 
   //check if limit switch flag is active
@@ -1079,10 +1125,10 @@ bool ESP_FlexyStepper::processMovement(void)
         {
           this->_homeReachedCallback();
         }
-        //activate brake since we reached the final position
-        if (!this->_isBrakeActive)
+        //activate brake (or schedule activation) since we reached the final position
+        if (this->_isBrakeConfigured && !this->_isBrakeActive)
         {
-          this->activateBrake();
+          this->triggerBrakeIfNeededOrSetTimeout();
         }
         return true;
       }
@@ -1093,14 +1139,15 @@ bool ESP_FlexyStepper::processMovement(void)
         (this->disallowedDirection == 1 && distanceToTarget_Signed > 0) ||
         (this->disallowedDirection == -1 && distanceToTarget_Signed < 0))
     {
+      //limit switch is acitve and movement in request direction is not allowed
       currentStepPeriod_InUS = 0.0;
       nextStepPeriod_InUS = 0.0;
       directionOfMotion = 0;
       targetPosition_InSteps = currentPosition_InSteps;
-      //activate brake since we reached the final position
-      if (!this->_isBrakeActive)
+      //activate brake (or schedule activation) since limit is active for requested direction
+      if (this->_isBrakeConfigured && !this->_isBrakeActive)
       {
-        this->activateBrake();
+        this->triggerBrakeIfNeededOrSetTimeout();
       }
       return true;
     }
@@ -1139,10 +1186,10 @@ bool ESP_FlexyStepper::processMovement(void)
     else
     {
       this->lastStepDirectionBeforeLimitSwitchTrigger = 0;
-      //activate brake since we reached the final position
-      if (!this->_isBrakeActive)
+      //activate brake since motor is stopped
+      if (this->_isBrakeConfigured && !this->_isBrakeActive && this->_hasMovementOccuredSinceLastBrakeRelease)
       {
-        this->activateBrake();
+        this->triggerBrakeIfNeededOrSetTimeout();
       }
       return (true);
     }
@@ -1156,8 +1203,8 @@ bool ESP_FlexyStepper::processMovement(void)
   if (periodSinceLastStep_InUS < (unsigned long)nextStepPeriod_InUS)
     return (false);
 
-  //deactivate brake if configured and active
-  if (this->_isBrakeActive)
+  //we have to move, so deactivate brake (if configured at all) immediately
+  if (this->_isBrakeConfigured && this->_isBrakeActive)
   {
     this->deactivateBrake();
   }
@@ -1178,6 +1225,8 @@ bool ESP_FlexyStepper::processMovement(void)
   // return the step line low
   digitalWrite(stepPin, LOW);
 
+  this->_hasMovementOccuredSinceLastBrakeRelease = true;
+
   // check if the move has reached its final target position, return true if all
   // done
   if (currentPosition_InSteps == targetPosition_InSteps)
@@ -1198,9 +1247,9 @@ bool ESP_FlexyStepper::processMovement(void)
           this->_targetPositionReachedCallback();
         }
         //activate brake since we reached the final position
-        if (!this->_isBrakeActive)
+        if (this->_isBrakeConfigured && !this->_isBrakeActive)
         {
-          this->activateBrake();
+          this->triggerBrakeIfNeededOrSetTimeout();
         }
       }
       return (true);
@@ -1209,6 +1258,30 @@ bool ESP_FlexyStepper::processMovement(void)
   return (false);
 }
 
+/**
+ * internal helper to determine if brake shall be acitvated (if configured at all) or if a delay needs to be set
+ */
+void ESP_FlexyStepper::triggerBrakeIfNeededOrSetTimeout()
+{
+  //check if break is already set or a timeout has already beend set
+  if (this->_isBrakeConfigured && !this->_isBrakeActive && this->_timeToEngangeBrake == LONG_MAX)
+  {
+    if (this->_brakeReleaseDelayMs > 0 && this->_hasMovementOccuredSinceLastBrakeRelease)
+    {
+      this->_timeToReleaseBrake = millis() + this->_brakeReleaseDelayMs;
+    }
+
+    if (this->_brakeEngageDelayMs == 0)
+    {
+      this->activateBrake();
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      this->_timeToEngangeBrake = millis() + this->_brakeEngageDelayMs;
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 // Get the current velocity of the motor in steps/second.  This functions is
 // updated while it accelerates up and down in speed.  This is not the desired
 // speed, but the speed the motor should be moving at the time the function is
diff --git a/src/ESP_FlexyStepper.h b/src/ESP_FlexyStepper.h
index b2896f2..0c6f800 100644
--- a/src/ESP_FlexyStepper.h
+++ b/src/ESP_FlexyStepper.h
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class ESP_FlexyStepper
 
   //IO setup and helper / debugging functions
   void connectToPins(byte stepPinNumber, byte directionPinNumber);
-  void setBrakePin(byte brakePin, byte activeState = 1);
+  void setBrakePin(byte brakePin, byte activeState = ESP_FlexyStepper::ACTIVE_HIGH);
   long getTaskStackHighWaterMark(void);
   void clearLimitSwitchActive(void);
   bool motionComplete();
@@ -98,6 +98,9 @@ class ESP_FlexyStepper
   void setDirectionToHome(signed char directionTowardHome);
   void setLimitSwitchActive(byte limitSwitchType);
 
+  void setBrakeEngageDelayMs(unsigned long);
+  void setBrakeReleaseDelayMs(signed long);
+
   float getCurrentVelocityInStepsPerSecond();
   float getCurrentVelocityInRevolutionsPerSecond();
   float getCurrentVelocityInMillimetersPerSecond(void);
@@ -157,10 +160,18 @@ class ESP_FlexyStepper
   static void taskRunner(void *parameter);
 
   void DeterminePeriodOfNextStep();
+  void triggerBrakeIfNeededOrSetTimeout(void);
 
   byte stepPin;
-  byte brakePin;
+  byte brakePin = -1;
   byte brakePinActiveState = ACTIVE_HIGH;
+  unsigned long _brakeEngageDelayMs = 0;
+  signed long _brakeReleaseDelayMs = -1;
+  unsigned long _timeToEngangeBrake = LONG_MAX;
+  unsigned long _timeToReleaseBrake = LONG_MAX;
+  bool _isBrakeConfigured = false;
+  bool _hasMovementOccuredSinceLastBrakeRelease = true;
+
   byte directionPin;
   bool _isBrakeActive = false;
   float stepsPerMillimeter;