diff --git a/config/example-extras.cfg b/config/example-extras.cfg
index 53488f44..bf7a73f5 100644
--- a/config/example-extras.cfg
+++ b/config/example-extras.cfg
@@ -1086,6 +1086,10 @@
 #kick_start_time:
 #   See the "fan" section in example.cfg for a description of the
 #   above parameters.
+#fan_speed: 1.0
+#   The fan speed (expressed as a value from 0.0 to 1.0) that the fan
+#   will be set to when a heater or stepper driver is active.
+#   The default is 1.0
 #idle_timeout:
 #   The ammount of time (in seconds) after a stepper driver or heater
 #   was active and the fan should be kept running. The default
@@ -1093,8 +1097,7 @@
 #idle_speed:
 #   The fan speed (expressed as a value from 0.0 to 1.0) that the fan
 #   will be set to when a heater or stepper driver was active and before
-#   the idle_timeout is reached. This must be greater or equal
-#   max_power. The default is max_power
+#   the idle_timeout is reached. The default is fan_speed.
 #heater:
 #   Name of the config section defining the heater that this fan is
 #   associated with. If a comma separated list of heater names is
diff --git a/klippy/extras/controller_fan.py b/klippy/extras/controller_fan.py
index 89e365a9..1828a200 100644
--- a/klippy/extras/controller_fan.py
+++ b/klippy/extras/controller_fan.py
@@ -17,12 +17,10 @@ class ControllerFan:
         self.heaters = []
         self.fan = fan.PrinterFan(config)
         self.mcu = self.fan.mcu_fan.get_mcu()
-        self.max_power = config.getfloat(
-            'max_power', default=1.,
-            minval=0., maxval=1.)
+        self.fan_speed = config.getfloat(
+            'fan_speed', default=1., minval=0., maxval=1.)
         self.idle_speed = config.getfloat(
-            'idle_speed', default=self.max_power,
-            minval=0., maxval=self.max_power)
+            'idle_speed', default=self.fan_speed, minval=0., maxval=1.)
         self.idle_timeout = config.getint("idle_timeout", default=30, minval=0)
         self.heater_name = config.get("heater", "extruder")
         self.last_on = self.idle_timeout
@@ -45,7 +43,7 @@ class ControllerFan:
                 active = True
         if active:
             self.last_on = 0
-            power = self.max_power
+            power = self.fan_speed
         elif self.last_on < self.idle_timeout:
             power = self.idle_speed
             self.last_on += 1