diff --git a/dumux/nonlinear/newtonsolver.hh b/dumux/nonlinear/newtonsolver.hh
index 3265ef86877f21a21ffdb7124012261f6924eb8b..61ccca1595aa0d84bbfc9830d0587730ab40d888 100644
--- a/dumux/nonlinear/newtonsolver.hh
+++ b/dumux/nonlinear/newtonsolver.hh
@@ -782,6 +782,18 @@ public:
     void detachConvergenceWriter()
     { convergenceWriter_ = nullptr; }
 
+    /*!
+     * \brief Return the factor for reducing the time step after a Newton iteration has failed
+     */
+    Scalar retryTimeStepReductionFactor() const
+    { return retryTimeStepReductionFactor_; }
+
+    /*!
+     * \brief Set the factor for reducing the time step after a Newton iteration has failed
+     */
+    void setRetryTimeStepReductionFactor(const Scalar factor)
+    { retryTimeStepReductionFactor_ = factor; }
+
 protected:
 
     /*!