diff --git a/skimage/feature/match.py b/skimage/feature/match.py
index ccd8c035..5cb1a5ed 100644
--- a/skimage/feature/match.py
+++ b/skimage/feature/match.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ from scipy.spatial.distance import cdist
 
 
 def match_descriptors(descriptors1, descriptors2, metric=None, p=2,
-                      threshold=0, cross_check=True):
+                      max_distance=np.inf, cross_check=True):
     """Brute-force matching of descriptors.
 
     For each descriptor in the first set this matcher finds the closest
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def match_descriptors(descriptors1, descriptors2, metric=None, p=2,
         distance is used for binary descriptors automatically.
     p : int
         The p-norm to apply for ``metric='minkowski'``.
-    threshold : float
+    max_distance : float
         Maximum allowed distance between descriptors of two keypoints
         in separate images to be regarded as a match.
     cross_check : bool
@@ -62,4 +62,9 @@ def match_descriptors(descriptors1, descriptors2, metric=None, p=2,
         indices1 = indices1[mask]
         indices2 = indices2[mask]
 
-    return np.column_stack((indices1, indices2))
+    matches = np.column_stack((indices1, indices2))
+
+    if max_distance < np.inf:
+        matches = matches[distances[indices1, indices2] < max_distance]
+
+    return matches
diff --git a/skimage/feature/tests/test_match.py b/skimage/feature/tests/test_match.py
index f9496c0c..1b0a622f 100644
--- a/skimage/feature/tests/test_match.py
+++ b/skimage/feature/tests/test_match.py
@@ -44,8 +44,7 @@ def test_binary_descriptors_lena_rotation_crosscheck_false():
     extractor.extract(rotated_img, keypoints2)
     descriptors2 = extractor.descriptors
 
-    matches = match_descriptors(descriptors1, descriptors2, threshold=0.13,
-                               cross_check=False)
+    matches = match_descriptors(descriptors1, descriptors2, cross_check=False)
 
     exp_matches1 = np.array([ 0,  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9, 10, 11,
                              12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23,
@@ -78,8 +77,7 @@ def test_binary_descriptors_lena_rotation_crosscheck_true():
     extractor.extract(rotated_img, keypoints2)
     descriptors2 = extractor.descriptors
 
-    matches = match_descriptors(descriptors1, descriptors2, threshold=0.13,
-                               cross_check=True)
+    matches = match_descriptors(descriptors1, descriptors2, cross_check=True)
 
     exp_matches1 = np.array([ 0,  1,  2,  4,  6,  7,  9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15,
                                16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 35,
@@ -91,6 +89,32 @@ def test_binary_descriptors_lena_rotation_crosscheck_true():
     assert_equal(matches[:, 1], exp_matches2)
 
 
+def test_max_distance():
+    descs1 = np.zeros((10, 128))
+    descs2 = np.zeros((15, 128))
+
+    descs1[0, :] = 1
+
+    matches =  match_descriptors(descs1, descs2, metric='euclidean',
+                                 max_distance=0.1, cross_check=False)
+    assert len(matches) == 9
+
+    matches =  match_descriptors(descs1, descs2, metric='euclidean',
+                                 max_distance=np.sqrt(128.1),
+                                 cross_check=False)
+    assert len(matches) == 10
+
+    matches =  match_descriptors(descs1, descs2, metric='euclidean',
+                                 max_distance=0.1,
+                                 cross_check=True)
+    assert_equal(matches, [[1, 0]])
+
+    matches =  match_descriptors(descs1, descs2, metric='euclidean',
+                                 max_distance=np.sqrt(128.1),
+                                 cross_check=True)
+    assert_equal(matches, [[1, 0]])
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     from numpy import testing
     testing.run_module_suite()