diff --git a/pulsar-broker/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/impl/PatternTopicsConsumerImplTest.java b/pulsar-broker/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/impl/PatternTopicsConsumerImplTest.java
index a5b20f3586929..ff51d74cef7b3 100644
--- a/pulsar-broker/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/impl/PatternTopicsConsumerImplTest.java
+++ b/pulsar-broker/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/impl/PatternTopicsConsumerImplTest.java
@@ -691,7 +691,7 @@ public void testAutoUnbubscribePatternConsumer() throws Exception {
 
         Consumer<byte[]> consumer = pulsarClient.newConsumer()
             .topicsPattern(pattern)
-            .patternAutoDiscoveryPeriod(2)
+            .patternAutoDiscoveryPeriod(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS)
             .subscriptionName(subscriptionName)
             .subscriptionType(SubscriptionType.Shared)
             .ackTimeout(ackTimeOutMillis, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)
diff --git a/pulsar-client-api/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/api/ConsumerBuilder.java b/pulsar-client-api/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/api/ConsumerBuilder.java
index f63e95fb0f0bf..50328ff04a392 100644
--- a/pulsar-client-api/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/api/ConsumerBuilder.java
+++ b/pulsar-client-api/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/api/ConsumerBuilder.java
@@ -374,6 +374,21 @@ public interface ConsumerBuilder<T> extends Cloneable {
      */
     ConsumerBuilder<T> patternAutoDiscoveryPeriod(int periodInMinutes);
 
+
+    /**
+     * Set topics auto discovery period when using a pattern for topics consumer.
+     *
+     * @param interval
+     *            the amount of delay between checks for
+     *            new topics matching pattern set with {@link #topicsPattern(String)}
+     * @param unit
+     *            the unit of the topics auto discovery period
+     *
+     * @return the consumer builder instance
+     */
+    ConsumerBuilder<T> patternAutoDiscoveryPeriod(int interval, TimeUnit unit);
+
+
     /**
      * <b>Shared subscription</b>
      * Sets priority level for the shared subscription consumers to which broker gives more priority while dispatching
diff --git a/pulsar-client/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/impl/ConsumerBuilderImpl.java b/pulsar-client/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/impl/ConsumerBuilderImpl.java
index f7848b6688cb9..872abb7b24f43 100644
--- a/pulsar-client/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/impl/ConsumerBuilderImpl.java
+++ b/pulsar-client/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/impl/ConsumerBuilderImpl.java
@@ -278,7 +278,15 @@ public ConsumerBuilder<T> readCompacted(boolean readCompacted) {
     @Override
     public ConsumerBuilder<T> patternAutoDiscoveryPeriod(int periodInMinutes) {
         checkArgument(periodInMinutes >= 0, "periodInMinutes needs to be >= 0");
-        conf.setPatternAutoDiscoveryPeriod(periodInMinutes);
+        patternAutoDiscoveryPeriod(periodInMinutes, TimeUnit.MINUTES);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public ConsumerBuilder<T> patternAutoDiscoveryPeriod(int interval, TimeUnit unit) {
+        checkArgument(interval >= 0, "interval needs to be >= 0");
+        int intervalSeconds = (int) unit.toSeconds(interval);
+        conf.setPatternAutoDiscoveryPeriod(intervalSeconds);
         return this;
     }
 
diff --git a/pulsar-client/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/impl/PatternMultiTopicsConsumerImpl.java b/pulsar-client/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/impl/PatternMultiTopicsConsumerImpl.java
index 0941a5804721c..347583088f097 100644
--- a/pulsar-client/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/impl/PatternMultiTopicsConsumerImpl.java
+++ b/pulsar-client/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/impl/PatternMultiTopicsConsumerImpl.java
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ public class PatternMultiTopicsConsumerImpl<T> extends MultiTopicsConsumerImpl<T
     private final Pattern topicsPattern;
     private final TopicsChangedListener topicsChangeListener;
     private final Mode subscriptionMode;
-    private volatile Timeout recheckPatternTimeout = null;
+    private volatile Timeout recheckPatternTimeout;
 
     public PatternMultiTopicsConsumerImpl(Pattern topicsPattern,
                                           PulsarClientImpl client,
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ public PatternMultiTopicsConsumerImpl(Pattern topicsPattern,
         checkArgument(getNameSpaceFromPattern(topicsPattern).toString().equals(this.namespaceName.toString()));
 
         this.topicsChangeListener = new PatternTopicsChangedListener();
-        recheckPatternTimeout = client.timer().newTimeout(this, Math.min(1, conf.getPatternAutoDiscoveryPeriod()), TimeUnit.MINUTES);
+        this.recheckPatternTimeout = client.timer().newTimeout(this, Math.max(1, conf.getPatternAutoDiscoveryPeriod()), TimeUnit.SECONDS);
     }
 
     public static NamespaceName getNameSpaceFromPattern(Pattern pattern) {
@@ -104,8 +104,8 @@ public void run(Timeout timeout) throws Exception {
         });
 
         // schedule the next re-check task
-        recheckPatternTimeout = client.timer().newTimeout(PatternMultiTopicsConsumerImpl.this,
-            Math.min(1, conf.getPatternAutoDiscoveryPeriod()), TimeUnit.MINUTES);
+        this.recheckPatternTimeout = client.timer().newTimeout(PatternMultiTopicsConsumerImpl.this,
+            Math.max(1, conf.getPatternAutoDiscoveryPeriod()), TimeUnit.SECONDS);
     }
 
     public Pattern getPattern() {
diff --git a/pulsar-client/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/impl/conf/ConsumerConfigurationData.java b/pulsar-client/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/impl/conf/ConsumerConfigurationData.java
index 823ca9e9e9384..6195b5f720844 100644
--- a/pulsar-client/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/impl/conf/ConsumerConfigurationData.java
+++ b/pulsar-client/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/impl/conf/ConsumerConfigurationData.java
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ public class ConsumerConfigurationData<T> implements Serializable, Cloneable {
 
     private SubscriptionInitialPosition subscriptionInitialPosition = SubscriptionInitialPosition.Latest;
 
-    private int patternAutoDiscoveryPeriod = 1;
+    private int patternAutoDiscoveryPeriod = 60;
 
     private RegexSubscriptionMode regexSubscriptionMode = RegexSubscriptionMode.PersistentOnly;
 
diff --git a/pulsar-client/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/impl/ConsumerBuilderImplTest.java b/pulsar-client/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/impl/ConsumerBuilderImplTest.java
index 3476c5a11ea2a..5620eb7f63a83 100644
--- a/pulsar-client/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/impl/ConsumerBuilderImplTest.java
+++ b/pulsar-client/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/client/impl/ConsumerBuilderImplTest.java
@@ -237,10 +237,15 @@ public void testConsumerBuilderImplWhenMaxTotalReceiverQueueSizeAcrossPartitions
     }
 
     @Test(expectedExceptions = IllegalArgumentException.class)
-    public void testConsumerBuilderImplWhenPatternAutoDiscoveryPeriodPropertyIsNegative() {
+    public void testConsumerBuilderImplWhenPatternAutoDiscoveryPeriodPeriodInMinutesIsNegative() {
         consumerBuilderImpl.patternAutoDiscoveryPeriod(-1);
     }
 
+    @Test(expectedExceptions = IllegalArgumentException.class)
+    public void testConsumerBuilderImplWhenPatternAutoDiscoveryPeriodPeriodIsNegative() {
+        consumerBuilderImpl.patternAutoDiscoveryPeriod(-1, TimeUnit.MINUTES);
+    }
+
     @Test(expectedExceptions = IllegalArgumentException.class)
     public void testConsumerBuilderImplWhenBatchReceivePolicyIsNull() {
         consumerBuilderImpl.batchReceivePolicy(null);
@@ -261,6 +266,7 @@ public void testConsumerBuilderImplWhenNumericPropertiesAreValid() {
         consumerBuilderImpl.priorityLevel(1);
         consumerBuilderImpl.maxTotalReceiverQueueSizeAcrossPartitions(1);
         consumerBuilderImpl.patternAutoDiscoveryPeriod(1);
+        consumerBuilderImpl.patternAutoDiscoveryPeriod(1, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
     }
 
 }