diff --git a/include/iri_base_bt_client/iri_base_bt_client.h b/include/iri_base_bt_client/iri_base_bt_client.h
index 50746221de1179b3cf33120cc40496e08517e529..07e6c20b12805fdd1d25bff8b5ad1e68d15c5cc6 100644
--- a/include/iri_base_bt_client/iri_base_bt_client.h
+++ b/include/iri_base_bt_client/iri_base_bt_client.h
@@ -420,6 +420,8 @@ IriBaseBTClient<ConfigClass>::IriBaseBTClient(const ros::NodeHandle &nh) :
     ROS_ERROR("IriBaseBTClient: need to define tree_xml_file parameter");
   else
     ROS_DEBUG("IriBaseBTClient: tree_xml_file set to: %s", this->tree_xml_file.c_str());
+  // set the diagnostic period
+  this->private_node_handle_.setParam("diagnostic_period",0.1);
 }
 
 template <class ConfigClass>
diff --git a/src/iri_base_bt_client/submodule.py b/src/iri_base_bt_client/submodule.py
index 502daa77576f896aa621089b98954f052f8f192a..c46fc448aa33ae026a1c02ee0892da97f2be321f 100644
--- a/src/iri_base_bt_client/submodule.py
+++ b/src/iri_base_bt_client/submodule.py
@@ -9,4 +9,3 @@ def add_bt_client_params(gen):
   new_group.add("bt_client_enable_minitrace_logger",bool_t,0,"Enables duration saving in log file", False)
   new_group.add("bt_client_enable_file_logger",bool_t,0,"Enables status saving in log file", False)
   new_group.add("bt_client_enable_zmq_publisher",bool_t,0,"Enables live status sending to Groot", False)
-  new_group.add("diagnostic_period",double_t,0,"Period for the diagnostic publication", 1.0,0.1,10.0)