diff --git a/esphome/components/mpr121/__init__.py b/esphome/components/mpr121/__init__.py
index 9e1bd3726d..04d35bee87 100644
--- a/esphome/components/mpr121/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/mpr121/__init__.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ import esphome.codegen as cg
 import esphome.config_validation as cv
 from esphome.components import i2c
 from esphome.const import CONF_ID
+from mpr121_const import CONF_RELEASE_DEBOUNCE, CONF_TOUCH_DEBOUNCE, \
+    CONF_TOUCH_THRESHOLD, CONF_RELEASE_THRESHOLD
 
 DEPENDENCIES = ['i2c']
 AUTO_LOAD = ['binary_sensor']
@@ -13,10 +15,22 @@ MPR121Component = mpr121_ns.class_('MPR121Component', cg.Component, i2c.I2CDevic
 MULTI_CONF = True
 CONFIG_SCHEMA = cv.Schema({
     cv.GenerateID(): cv.declare_id(MPR121Component),
+    cv.Optional(CONF_RELEASE_DEBOUNCE, default=0): cv.int_range(min=0, max=7),
+    cv.Optional(CONF_TOUCH_DEBOUNCE, default=0):  cv.All(cv.Coerce(int), cv.Range(min=0, max=7)),
+    cv.Optional(CONF_TOUCH_THRESHOLD, default=0x06): cv.All(cv.Coerce(int), cv.Range(min=0x05, max=0x30)),
+    cv.Optional(CONF_RELEASE_THRESHOLD, default=0x0b): cv.All(cv.Coerce(int), cv.Range(min=0x05, max=0x30)),
 }).extend(cv.COMPONENT_SCHEMA).extend(i2c.i2c_device_schema(0x5A))
 
 
 def to_code(config):
     var = cg.new_Pvariable(config[CONF_ID])
+    if CONF_TOUCH_DEBOUNCE in config:
+        cg.add(var.set_touch_debounce(config[CONF_TOUCH_DEBOUNCE]))
+    if CONF_RELEASE_DEBOUNCE in config:
+        cg.add(var.set_release_debounce(config[CONF_RELEASE_DEBOUNCE]))
+    if CONF_TOUCH_THRESHOLD in config:
+        cg.add(var.set_touch_threshold(config[CONF_TOUCH_THRESHOLD]))
+    if CONF_RELEASE_THRESHOLD in config:
+        cg.add(var.set_release_threshold(config[CONF_RELEASE_THRESHOLD]))
     yield cg.register_component(var, config)
     yield i2c.register_i2c_device(var, config)
diff --git a/esphome/components/mpr121/binary_sensor.py b/esphome/components/mpr121/binary_sensor.py
index 100dacd6dd..ad544d1f64 100644
--- a/esphome/components/mpr121/binary_sensor.py
+++ b/esphome/components/mpr121/binary_sensor.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import esphome.config_validation as cv
 from esphome.components import binary_sensor
 from esphome.const import CONF_CHANNEL, CONF_ID
 from . import mpr121_ns, MPR121Component, CONF_MPR121_ID
+from mpr121_const import CONF_TOUCH_THRESHOLD, CONF_RELEASE_THRESHOLD
 
 DEPENDENCIES = ['mpr121']
 MPR121Channel = mpr121_ns.class_('MPR121Channel', binary_sensor.BinarySensor)
@@ -11,14 +12,24 @@ CONFIG_SCHEMA = binary_sensor.BINARY_SENSOR_SCHEMA.extend({
     cv.GenerateID(): cv.declare_id(MPR121Channel),
     cv.GenerateID(CONF_MPR121_ID): cv.use_id(MPR121Component),
     cv.Required(CONF_CHANNEL): cv.int_range(min=0, max=11),
+    cv.Optional(CONF_TOUCH_THRESHOLD): cv.All(cv.Coerce(int), cv.Range(min=0x05, max=0x30)),
+    cv.Optional(CONF_RELEASE_THRESHOLD): cv.All(cv.Coerce(int), cv.Range(min=0x05, max=0x30)),
 })
 
 
 def to_code(config):
     var = cg.new_Pvariable(config[CONF_ID])
     yield binary_sensor.register_binary_sensor(var, config)
-
-    cg.add(var.set_channel(config[CONF_CHANNEL]))
+    hub = yield cg.get_variable(config[CONF_MPR121_ID])
 
     hub = yield cg.get_variable(config[CONF_MPR121_ID])
+    cg.add(var.set_channel(config[CONF_CHANNEL]))
+    if CONF_TOUCH_THRESHOLD in config:
+        cg.add(var.set_touch_threshold(config[CONF_TOUCH_THRESHOLD]))
+    else:
+        cg.add(var.set_touch_threshold(hub.get_touch_threshold()))
+    if CONF_RELEASE_THRESHOLD in config:
+        cg.add(var.set_release_threshold(config[CONF_RELEASE_THRESHOLD]))
+    else:
+        cg.add(var.set_release_threshold(hub.get_release_threshold()))
     cg.add(hub.register_channel(var))
diff --git a/esphome/components/mpr121/mpr121.cpp b/esphome/components/mpr121/mpr121.cpp
index c43a6319f4..7e47c51915 100644
--- a/esphome/components/mpr121/mpr121.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/mpr121/mpr121.cpp
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@ void MPR121Component::setup() {
   }
 
   // set touch sensitivity for all 12 channels
-  for (uint8_t i = 0; i < 12; i++) {
-    this->write_byte(MPR121_TOUCHTH_0 + 2 * i, 12);
-    this->write_byte(MPR121_RELEASETH_0 + 2 * i, 6);
+  for (auto *channel : this->channels_) {
+    this->write_byte(MPR121_TOUCHTH_0 + 2 * channel->get_channel(), channel->get_touch_threshold());
+    this->write_byte(MPR121_RELEASETH_0 + 2 * channel->get_channel(), channel->get_release_threshold());
   }
   this->write_byte(MPR121_MHDR, 0x01);
   this->write_byte(MPR121_NHDR, 0x01);
@@ -44,6 +44,21 @@ void MPR121Component::setup() {
   // start with first 5 bits of baseline tracking
   this->write_byte(MPR121_ECR, 0x8F);
 }
+
+void MPR121Component::set_touch_debounce(uint8_t debounce) {
+  uint8_t mask = debounce << 4;
+  this->debounce_ &= 0x0f;
+  this->debounce_ |= mask;
+  ESP_LOGD(TAG, "debounce:%02x", this->debounce_);
+}
+
+void MPR121Component::set_release_debounce(uint8_t debounce) {
+  uint8_t mask = debounce & 0x0f;
+  this->debounce_ &= 0xf0;
+  this->debounce_ |= mask;
+  ESP_LOGD(TAG, "debounce:%02x", this->debounce_);
+};
+
 void MPR121Component::dump_config() {
   ESP_LOGCONFIG(TAG, "MPR121:");
   LOG_I2C_DEVICE(this);
diff --git a/esphome/components/mpr121/mpr121.h b/esphome/components/mpr121/mpr121.h
index d5a2ec3243..5ddcc6e4bc 100644
--- a/esphome/components/mpr121/mpr121.h
+++ b/esphome/components/mpr121/mpr121.h
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
 namespace esphome {
 namespace mpr121 {
 
+#define DEFAULT_TOUCH_THRESHOLD 12
+#define DEFAULT_RELEASE_THRESHOLD 6
+
 enum {
   MPR121_TOUCHSTATUS_L = 0x00,
   MPR121_TOUCHSTATUS_H = 0x01,
@@ -49,14 +52,27 @@ class MPR121Channel : public binary_sensor::BinarySensor {
  public:
   void set_channel(uint8_t channel) { channel_ = channel; }
   void process(uint16_t data) { this->publish_state(static_cast<bool>(data & (1 << this->channel_))); }
+  int get_channel() { return this->channel_; };
+  void set_touch_threshold(uint8_t touch_threshold) { this->touch_threshold_ = touch_threshold; };
+  void set_release_threshold(uint8_t release_threshold) { this->release_threshold_ = release_threshold; };
+  uint8_t get_touch_threshold() { return this->touch_threshold_; };
+  uint8_t get_release_threshold() { return this->release_threshold_; };
 
  protected:
   uint8_t channel_{0};
+  uint8_t touch_threshold_{DEFAULT_TOUCH_THRESHOLD};
+  uint8_t release_threshold_{DEFAULT_RELEASE_THRESHOLD};
 };
 
 class MPR121Component : public Component, public i2c::I2CDevice {
  public:
   void register_channel(MPR121Channel *channel) { this->channels_.push_back(channel); }
+  void set_touch_debounce(uint8_t debounce);
+  void set_release_debounce(uint8_t debounce);
+  void set_touch_threshold(uint8_t touch_threshold) { this->touch_threshold_ = touch_threshold; };
+  void set_release_threshold(uint8_t release_threshold) { this->release_threshold_ = release_threshold; };
+  uint8_t get_touch_threshold() { return this->touch_threshold_; };
+  uint8_t get_release_threshold() { return this->release_threshold_; };
   void setup() override;
   void dump_config() override;
   float get_setup_priority() const override { return setup_priority::DATA; }
@@ -64,6 +80,9 @@ class MPR121Component : public Component, public i2c::I2CDevice {
 
  protected:
   std::vector<MPR121Channel *> channels_{};
+  uint8_t debounce_{0};
+  uint8_t touch_threshold_{DEFAULT_TOUCH_THRESHOLD};
+  uint8_t release_threshold_{DEFAULT_RELEASE_THRESHOLD};
   enum ErrorCode {
     NONE = 0,
     COMMUNICATION_FAILED,
diff --git a/esphome/components/mpr121/mpr121_const.py b/esphome/components/mpr121/mpr121_const.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0118950e5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/esphome/components/mpr121/mpr121_const.py
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+CONF_TOUCH_THRESHOLD = "touch_threshold"
+CONF_RELEASE_THRESHOLD = "release_threshold"
+CONF_TOUCH_DEBOUNCE = "touch_debounce"
+CONF_RELEASE_DEBOUNCE = "release_debounce"