diff --git a/R/PlotEquiMap.R b/R/PlotEquiMap.R
index b8b7bd60fc89d6bd8d341f2162f35f280c6729f1..5ab051726c4dcf032be19ac8135b4bb0e31aa7fb 100644
--- a/R/PlotEquiMap.R
+++ b/R/PlotEquiMap.R
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@ PlotEquiMap <- function(var, lon, lat, varu = NULL, varv = NULL,
                         arr_subsamp = floor(length(lon) / 30), arr_scale = 1, 
                         arr_ref_len = 15, arr_units = "m/s", 
                         arr_scale_shaft = 1, arr_scale_shaft_angle = 1,
-                        axelab = TRUE, labW = FALSE, 
+                        axelab = TRUE, labW = FALSE,
+                        lab_dist_x = NULL, lab_dist_y= NULL,
                         intylat = 20, intxlon = 20, 
                         axes_tick_scale = 1, axes_label_scale = 1,
                         drawleg = TRUE, subsampleg = NULL, 
@@ -476,11 +477,14 @@ PlotEquiMap <- function(var, lon, lat, varu = NULL, varv = NULL,
       mgp = c(0, spaceticklab, 0), las = 0)
   plot.window(xlim = range(lonb$x, finite = TRUE), ylim = range(latb$x, finite = TRUE),
               xaxs = 'i', yaxs = 'i')
-  if (axelab) {
+  if (axelab) {  
+    lab_distance_y <- ifelse(is.null(lab_dist_y), spaceticklab + 0.2, lab_dist_y)
+    lab_distance_x <- ifelse(is.null(lab_dist_x), spaceticklab + cex_axes_labels / 2 - 0.3, lab_dist_x)
     axis(2, at = ypos, labels = ylabs, cex.axis = cex_axes_labels, tcl = cex_axes_ticks,
-         mgp = c(0, spaceticklab + 0.2, 0))
+         mgp = c(0, lab_distance_y, 0))
     axis(1, at = xpos, labels = xlabs, cex.axis = cex_axes_labels, tcl = cex_axes_ticks,
-         mgp = c(0, spaceticklab + cex_axes_labels / 2 - 0.3, 0))
+         mgp = c(0, lab_distance_x, 0))
+    
   }
   title(toptitle, cex.main = cex_title)
   rect(par("usr")[1], par("usr")[3], par("usr")[2], par("usr")[4], col = colNA)
diff --git a/man/PlotEquiMap.Rd b/man/PlotEquiMap.Rd
index 85d92746fc1a62920c6245d6e956146eb55206a4..b7d9596108f177fc41670b25e5fd7f132b063e62 100644
--- a/man/PlotEquiMap.Rd
+++ b/man/PlotEquiMap.Rd
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ PlotEquiMap(var, lon, lat, varu = NULL, varv = NULL,
             arr_ref_len = 15, arr_units = "m/s",
             arr_scale_shaft = 1, arr_scale_shaft_angle = 1,
             axelab = TRUE, labW = FALSE,
+            lab_dist_x = NULL, lab_dist_y = NULL,
             intylat = 20, intxlon = 20,
             axes_tick_scale = 1, axes_label_scale = 1,
             drawleg = TRUE, subsampleg = NULL,
@@ -135,6 +136,12 @@ Whether to draw longitude and latitude axes or not. TRUE by default.
   \item{labW}{
 Whether to label the longitude axis with a 'W' instead of minus for negative values. Defaults to FALSE.
   }
+   item{lab_dist_x}{
+Increase/decrease the distance between the box and the longitude labels. Defaults to NULL (optimal distance).
+}
+   item{lab_dist_y}{
+Increase/decrease the distance between the box and the latitude labels. Defaults to NULL (optimal distance). 
+}
   \item{intylat}{
 Interval between latitude ticks on y-axis, in degrees. Defaults to 20.
   }