diff --git a/dumux/boxmodels/common/boxproblem.hh b/dumux/boxmodels/common/boxproblem.hh
index d504756a9cf5039a6ae462bdf80d62318fcf10e9..d61a5aff7c0ffad5c6f673f240dba7721c5f8060 100644
--- a/dumux/boxmodels/common/boxproblem.hh
+++ b/dumux/boxmodels/common/boxproblem.hh
@@ -142,6 +142,14 @@ public:
         model().init(asImp_());
     }
 
+    /*!
+     * \brief Returns the maximum allowed time step size [s]
+     *
+     * By default this the time step size is unrestricted.
+     */
+    Scalar maxTimeStepSize() const 
+    { return std::numeric_limits<Scalar>::infinity(); }
+
     /*!
      * \brief Specifies which kind of boundary condition should be
      *        used for which equation on a given boundary segment.