diff --git a/policy_manager/generic_variables.h b/policy_manager/generic_variables.h
index 7f76981..48764f1 100644
--- a/policy_manager/generic_variables.h
+++ b/policy_manager/generic_variables.h
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@
   // GetValue() method is called.
   CopyVariable(const std::string& name, VariableMode mode, const T& ref)
       : Variable<T>(name, mode), ref_(ref) {}
+  CopyVariable(const std::string& name, const base::TimeDelta& poll_interval,
+               const T& ref)
+      : Variable<T>(name, poll_interval), ref_(ref) {}
 
  protected:
   friend class PmCopyVariableTest;
diff --git a/policy_manager/variable.h b/policy_manager/variable.h
index d4fba0c..373af7f 100644
--- a/policy_manager/variable.h
+++ b/policy_manager/variable.h
@@ -49,16 +49,42 @@
     return mode_;
   }
 
+  // For VariableModePoll variables, it returns the polling interval of this
+  // variable. In other case, it returns 0.
+  base::TimeDelta GetPollInterval() const {
+    return poll_interval_;
+  }
+
  protected:
+  // Creates a BaseVariable using the default polling interval (5 minutes).
   BaseVariable(const std::string& name, VariableMode mode)
-      : name_(name), mode_(mode) {}
+      : BaseVariable(name, mode,
+                     base::TimeDelta::FromMinutes(kDefaultPollMinutes)) {}
+
+  // Creates a BaseVariable with mode kVariableModePoll and the provided
+  // polling interval.
+  BaseVariable(const std::string& name, base::TimeDelta poll_interval)
+      : BaseVariable(name, kVariableModePoll, poll_interval) {}
 
  private:
+  BaseVariable(const std::string& name, VariableMode mode,
+               base::TimeDelta poll_interval)
+    : name_(name), mode_(mode),
+      poll_interval_(mode == kVariableModePoll ?
+                     poll_interval : base::TimeDelta()) {}
+
+  // The default PollInterval in minutes.
+  static constexpr int kDefaultPollMinutes = 5;
+
   // The variable's name as a string.
   const std::string name_;
 
   // The variable's mode.
   const VariableMode mode_;
+
+  // The variable's polling interval for VariableModePoll variable and 0 for
+  // other modes.
+  const base::TimeDelta poll_interval_;
 };
 
 // Interface to a Policy Manager variable of a given type. Implementation
@@ -82,6 +108,9 @@
   Variable(const std::string& name, VariableMode mode)
       : BaseVariable(name, mode) {}
 
+  Variable(const std::string& name, const base::TimeDelta& poll_interval)
+      : BaseVariable(name, poll_interval) {}
+
   // Gets the current value of the variable. The current value is copied to a
   // new object and returned. The caller of this method owns the object and
   // should delete it.
diff --git a/policy_manager/variable_unittest.cc b/policy_manager/variable_unittest.cc
index e346c0d..5d3b8d9 100644
--- a/policy_manager/variable_unittest.cc
+++ b/policy_manager/variable_unittest.cc
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 #include "update_engine/policy_manager/variable.h"
 
+using base::TimeDelta;
 using std::string;
 
 namespace chromeos_policy_manager {
@@ -16,6 +17,8 @@
  public:
   DefaultVariable(const string& name, VariableMode mode)
       : Variable<T>(name, mode) {}
+  DefaultVariable(const string& name, const TimeDelta& poll_interval)
+      : Variable<T>(name, poll_interval) {}
   virtual ~DefaultVariable() {}
 
  protected:
@@ -40,4 +43,17 @@
   EXPECT_EQ(other_var.GetMode(), kVariableModePoll);
 }
 
+TEST(PmBaseVariableTest, DefaultPollIntervalTest) {
+  DefaultVariable<int> const_var("const_var", kVariableModeConst);
+  EXPECT_EQ(const_var.GetPollInterval(), TimeDelta());
+  DefaultVariable<int> poll_var("poll_var", kVariableModePoll);
+  EXPECT_EQ(poll_var.GetPollInterval(), TimeDelta::FromMinutes(5));
+}
+
+TEST(PmBaseVariableTest, GetPollIntervalTest) {
+  DefaultVariable<int> var("var", TimeDelta::FromMinutes(3));
+  EXPECT_EQ(var.GetMode(), kVariableModePoll);
+  EXPECT_EQ(var.GetPollInterval(), TimeDelta::FromMinutes(3));
+}
+
 }  // namespace chromeos_policy_manager