diff --git a/gstlal-inspiral/bin/gstlal_inspiral_pipe b/gstlal-inspiral/bin/gstlal_inspiral_pipe
index 57b0c005b942fe8713240467a9fac79cdbf749d3..f0376a81fa3c7d080e5cc3613ddbcd826e3c7882 100755
--- a/gstlal-inspiral/bin/gstlal_inspiral_pipe
+++ b/gstlal-inspiral/bin/gstlal_inspiral_pipe
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ def parse_command_line():
 	parser.add_option("--fmax", metavar = "num", type = "float", default = 1600, help = "set the max frequency cutoff, default 1600 (Hz)")
 	parser.add_option("--sample-rate", metavar = "Hz", type = "int", help = "Set the sample rate.  If not set, the sample rate will be based on the template frequency.  The sample rate must be at least twice the highest frequency in the templates. If provided it must be a power of two")
 	parser.add_option("--identity-transform", action = "store_true", help = "Use identity transform, i.e. no SVD")
-	parser.add_option("--append-time-reversed-template", action = "store_true", help = "Append time reversed template to the svd bank files (optional).")
+	parser.add_option("--mchirp-threshold", default = 0.0, type = "float", help = "Set the mchirp threshold below which the time reversed templates will be appended to the svd bank file for background estimation. Default to 0.0, which effectively turns off this feature.")
 
 	# trigger generation options
 	parser.add_option("--vetoes", metavar = "filename", help = "Set the veto xml file.")
diff --git a/gstlal-inspiral/python/inspiral_pipe.py b/gstlal-inspiral/python/inspiral_pipe.py
index 56fd681696e4916a6a5bd42c2f3b6e8e3ed1cbbb..db12eaae2983aa7b17e61e998b4da2a6897d937c 100644
--- a/gstlal-inspiral/python/inspiral_pipe.py
+++ b/gstlal-inspiral/python/inspiral_pipe.py
@@ -482,7 +482,6 @@ def svd_layer(dag, jobs, parent_nodes, psd, bank_cache, options, seg, output_dir
 					if key[0] <= new_template_mchirp_dict['%04d' % (i+bin_offset,)][1] < key[1]:
 						options.autocorrelation_length = value
 
-
 				svdnode = dagparts.DAGNode(
 					jobs['svd'],
 					dag,
@@ -507,7 +506,7 @@ def svd_layer(dag, jobs, parent_nodes, psd, bank_cache, options, seg, output_dir
 					input_cache_file_name = os.path.basename(svd_bank_name).replace(".xml.gz", ".cache"),
 					output_files = {"write-svd":svd_bank_name},
 				)
-				if options.append_time_reversed_temp:
+				if new_template_mchirp_dict['%04d' % (i+bin_offset,)][1] < options.mchirp_threshold:
 					svdnode.add_var_arg("--append-time-reversed-template")
 
 				# impose a priority to help with depth first submission