diff --git a/addons/cookoff/XEH_postInit.sqf b/addons/cookoff/XEH_postInit.sqf
index 36cebc1d17..750fb87c14 100644
--- a/addons/cookoff/XEH_postInit.sqf
+++ b/addons/cookoff/XEH_postInit.sqf
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@
     ) then {
         if (GVAR(ammoCookoffDuration) == 0) exitWith {};
         ([_vehicle] call FUNC(getVehicleAmmo)) params ["_mags", "_total"];
-        [_vehicle, _mags, _total] call FUNC(detonateAmmunition);
+
+        private _delay = (random MAX_AMMO_DETONATION_START_DELAY) max MIN_AMMO_DETONATION_START_DELAY;
+        [FUNC(detonateAmmunition), [_vehicle, _mags, _total], _delay] call CBA_fnc_waitAndExecute;
     };
 }, nil, ["Man","StaticWeapon"]] call CBA_fnc_addClassEventHandler;
diff --git a/addons/cookoff/script_component.hpp b/addons/cookoff/script_component.hpp
index ef4a6085dd..03b3e5c5f5 100644
--- a/addons/cookoff/script_component.hpp
+++ b/addons/cookoff/script_component.hpp
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@
 #define MAX_TIME_BETWEEN_AMMO_DET 25
 #define MAX_COOKOFF_INTENSITY 10
 
+#define MIN_AMMO_DETONATION_START_DELAY 1 // Min time to wait before a vehicle's ammo starts to cookoff
+#define MAX_AMMO_DETONATION_START_DELAY 6 // Max time to wait before a vehicle's ammo starts to cookoff
+
 // Delay between flame effect for players in a cooking off vehicle
 #define FLAME_EFFECT_DELAY 0.4