diff --git a/src/grasping/grasp_util.cpp b/src/grasping/grasp_util.cpp
index 77f3dff1cde73a72be2ad4f2d9b0349d72180643..da0d5cff9ac1616ebba480281e054870a5081683 100644
--- a/src/grasping/grasp_util.cpp
+++ b/src/grasping/grasp_util.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ void GraspUtil::setupClosedGripper(trajectory_msgs::JointTrajectory &posture, do
 
 geometry_msgs::Pose
 GraspUtil::getPickFromAbovePose(geometry_msgs::Pose &object_to_pick_pose, geometry_msgs::Vector3 dimensions,
-                                tf2::Quaternion orientation_gripper) {
+                                tf2::Quaternion orientation_gripper, double height) {
 
     geometry_msgs::Pose target_pose;
 
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ GraspUtil::getPickFromAbovePose(geometry_msgs::Pose &object_to_pick_pose, geomet
     target_pose.orientation = tf2::toMsg(orientation);
     target_pose.position.x = object_to_pick_pose.position.x;
     target_pose.position.y = object_to_pick_pose.position.y;
-    target_pose.position.z = object_to_pick_pose.position.z + 0.5 * dimensions.z + 0.1;
+    target_pose.position.z = object_to_pick_pose.position.z + 0.5 * dimensions.z + height;
 
     return target_pose;
 }
diff --git a/src/grasping/grasp_util.h b/src/grasping/grasp_util.h
index e2eff0019dc286257cea719b93e3c6557f4347cd..34a6fefb4dfc34c265faaeaec4758cd9fecb9b2e 100644
--- a/src/grasping/grasp_util.h
+++ b/src/grasping/grasp_util.h
@@ -42,11 +42,12 @@ public:
      * @param object_to_pick_pose pose of the object to pick (currently only vertically oriented objects are supported)
      * @param dimensions of the object
      * @param orientation_gripper current gripper orientation
+     * @param height specifies how much the pose is above the object
      * @return the "pre-pick"-pose
      */
     geometry_msgs::Pose
     getPickFromAbovePose(geometry_msgs::Pose &object_to_pick_pose, geometry_msgs::Vector3 dimensions,
-                         tf2::Quaternion orientation_gripper);
+                         tf2::Quaternion orientation_gripper, double height=0.1);
 
     /**
      * Util method to pick an object from above.