diff --git a/extension.js b/extension.js
index 63ea243..e1003e5 100644
--- a/extension.js
+++ b/extension.js
@@ -82,7 +82,11 @@ var VitalsMenuButton = GObject.registerClass({
         this._addSettingChangedSignal('menu-centered', this._positionInPanelChanged.bind(this));
         this._addSettingChangedSignal('icon-style', this._iconStyleChanged.bind(this));
 
-        let settings = [ 'use-higher-precision', 'alphabetize', 'hide-zeros', 'fixed-widths', 'hide-icons', 'unit', 'memory-measurement', 'include-public-ip', 'network-speed-format', 'storage-measurement', 'include-static-info', 'include-static-gpu-info' ];
+        let settings = [ 'use-higher-precision', 'alphabetize', 'hide-zeros',
+                         'fixed-widths', 'hide-icons', 'unit',
+                         'memory-measurement', 'include-public-ip', 'network-public-ip-interval',
+                         'network-public-ip-show-flag', 'network-speed-format', 'storage-measurement',
+                         'include-static-info', 'include-static-gpu-info' ];
         for (let setting of Object.values(settings))
             this._addSettingChangedSignal(setting, this._redrawMenu.bind(this));
 
@@ -276,7 +280,10 @@ var VitalsMenuButton = GObject.registerClass({
         this._hotItems[key] = item;
         this._menuLayout.add_child(item);
 
-        if (!this._settings.get_boolean('hide-icons') || key == '_default_icon_') {
+        let isPublicIP = key.includes('public_ip');
+        let shouldHideIcon = isPublicIP && this._settings.get_boolean('network-public-ip-show-flag');
+
+        if ((!this._settings.get_boolean('hide-icons') || key == '_default_icon_') && !shouldHideIcon) {
             let icon = this._defaultIcon(key);
             if (gicon) icon.gicon = gicon;
             item.add_child(icon);
diff --git a/prefs.js b/prefs.js
index 07916bd..bdeb9a8 100644
--- a/prefs.js
+++ b/prefs.js
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@ const Settings = new GObject.Class({
                         'show-memory', 'show-processor', 'show-system',
                         'show-network', 'show-storage', 'use-higher-precision',
                         'alphabetize', 'hide-zeros', 'include-public-ip',
-                        'show-battery', 'fixed-widths', 'hide-icons', 
-                        'menu-centered', 'include-static-info', 
+                        'network-public-ip-show-flag', 'show-battery', 'fixed-widths',
+                        'hide-icons', 'menu-centered', 'include-static-info',
                         'show-gpu', 'include-static-gpu-info' ];
 
         for (let key in sensors) {
@@ -75,6 +75,9 @@ const Settings = new GObject.Class({
 
         this._settings.bind('update-time', this.builder.get_object('update-time'), 'value', Gio.SettingsBindFlags.DEFAULT);
 
+        this._settings.bind('network-public-ip-interval', this.builder.get_object('network-public-ip-interval'),
+            'value', Gio.SettingsBindFlags.DEFAULT);
+
         // process individual text entry sensor preferences
         sensors = [ 'storage-path', 'monitor-cmd' ];
         for (let key in sensors) {
diff --git a/prefs.ui b/prefs.ui
index 950c1b0..b3c8c4b 100644
--- a/prefs.ui
+++ b/prefs.ui
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
     <property name="page_increment">10</property>
   </object>
   <object class="GtkBox" id="network_prefs">
-    <property name="can_focus">0</property>
+    <property name="can_focus">1</property>
     <property name="margin_top">12</property>
     <property name="margin_bottom">12</property>
     <property name="margin_start">6</property>
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@
     <property name="orientation">vertical</property>
     <child>
       <object class="GtkFrame">
-        <property name="can_focus">0</property>
+        <property name="can_focus">1</property>
         <property name="child">
           <object class="GtkListBox">
-            <property name="can_focus">0</property>
+            <property name="can_focus">1</property>
             <property name="selection_mode">none</property>
             <child>
               <object class="GtkListBoxRow">
@@ -52,6 +52,68 @@
                 </property>
               </object>
             </child>
+            <child>
+              <object class="GtkListBoxRow">
+                <property name="selectable">1</property>
+                <property name="child">
+                  <object class="GtkBox">
+                    <property name="orientation">horizontal</property>
+                    <property name="spacing">12</property>
+                    <property name="margin_top">6</property>
+                    <child>
+                      <object class="GtkLabel">
+                        <property name="hexpand">1</property>
+                        <property name="halign">start</property>
+                        <property name="label" translatable="yes">Update in minutes</property>
+                      </object>
+                    </child>
+                    <child>
+                      <object class="GtkSpinButton" id="network-public-ip-interval">
+                        <!-- <property name="can_focus">True</property> -->
+                        <property name="editable">1</property>
+                        <property name="numeric">1</property>
+                        <property name="update_policy">if-valid</property>
+                        <property name="adjustment">
+                          <object class="GtkAdjustment">
+                            <property name="lower">1</property>
+                            <property name="upper">1440</property>
+                            <property name="step_increment">1</property>
+                          </object>
+                        </property>
+                      </object>
+                    </child>
+                  </object>
+                </property>
+              </object>
+            </child>
+            <child>
+              <object class="GtkListBoxRow">
+                <property name="visible">True</property>
+                <child>
+                  <object class="GtkBox">
+                    <property name="visible">True</property>
+                    <property name="margin-top">10</property>
+                    <property name="margin-bottom">10</property>
+                    <property name="margin-start">10</property>
+                    <property name="margin-end">10</property>
+                    <child>
+                      <object class="GtkLabel">
+                        <property name="visible">True</property>
+                        <property name="label" translatable="yes">Show country flag</property>
+                        <property name="xalign">0</property>
+                      </object>
+                    </child>
+                    <child>
+                      <object class="GtkSwitch" id="network-public-ip-show-flag">
+                        <property name="visible">True</property>
+                        <property name="halign">end</property>
+                        <property name="hexpand">True</property>
+                      </object>
+                    </child>
+                  </object>
+                </child>
+              </object>
+            </child>
             <child>
               <object class="GtkListBoxRow">
                 <property name="width_request">100</property>
diff --git a/schemas/org.gnome.shell.extensions.vitals.gschema.xml b/schemas/org.gnome.shell.extensions.vitals.gschema.xml
index 7a0decd..fef102d 100644
--- a/schemas/org.gnome.shell.extensions.vitals.gschema.xml
+++ b/schemas/org.gnome.shell.extensions.vitals.gschema.xml
@@ -81,6 +81,14 @@
       <summary>Include public IP address</summary>
       <description>Display public IP address of internet connection</description>
     </key>
+    <key type="i" name="network-public-ip-interval">
+      <default>60</default>
+      <summary>Public IP refresh interval in minutes</summary>
+    </key>
+    <key name="network-public-ip-show-flag" type="b">
+        <default>true</default>
+        <summary>Show country flag for public IP</summary>
+    </key>
     <key type="i" name="network-speed-format">
       <default>0</default>
       <summary>Network speed format</summary>
diff --git a/sensors.js b/sensors.js
index cb1669f..7491a45 100644
--- a/sensors.js
+++ b/sensors.js
@@ -31,6 +31,18 @@ import * as FileModule from './helpers/file.js';
 import { gettext as _ } from 'resource:///org/gnome/shell/extensions/extension.js';
 import NM from 'gi://NM';
 
+
+function getFlagEmoji(countryCode) {
+    if (!countryCode || countryCode.length !== 2) return '🌐';
+    try {
+        return countryCode
+            .toUpperCase()
+            .replace(/./g, char => String.fromCodePoint(char.charCodeAt(0) + 127397));
+    } catch (e) {
+        return '🌐';
+    }
+}
+
 let GTop, hasGTop = true;
 try {
     ({default: GTop} = await import('gi://GTop'));
@@ -53,6 +65,7 @@ export const Sensors = GObject.registerClass({
         this._settingChangedSignals = [];
         this._addSettingChangedSignal('show-gpu', this._reconfigureNvidiaSmiProcess.bind(this));
         this._addSettingChangedSignal('update-time', this._reconfigureNvidiaSmiProcess.bind(this));
+        this._addSettingChangedSignal('network-public-ip-interval', () => {this._lastPublicIPCheck = 0;});
         //this._addSettingChangedSignal('include-static-gpu-info', this._reconfigureNvidiaSmiProcess.bind(this));
 
         this._gpu_drm_vendors = null;
@@ -82,14 +95,22 @@ export const Sensors = GObject.registerClass({
     }
 
     _refreshIPAddress(callback) {
-        // check IP address
         new FileModule.File('https://ipv4.corecoding.com').read().then(contents => {
-            let obj = JSON.parse(contents);
-            let cc = (obj && typeof obj['countryCode'] === 'string') ? obj['countryCode'].trim().toLowerCase() : '';
-            let ip = (obj && typeof obj['IPv4'] === 'string') ? obj['IPv4'].trim() : '';
-            let typeOut = (/^[a-z]{2}$/.test(cc)) ? ('network-' + cc) : 'network';
-            this._returnValue(callback, 'Public IP', ip, typeOut, 'string');
-        }).catch(err => { });
+            try {
+                let obj = JSON.parse(contents);
+                if (!obj.IPv4) throw new Error("No IP");
+
+                let flag = getFlagEmoji(obj.countryCode);
+                let display = this._settings.get_boolean('network-public-ip-show-flag')
+                    ? `${flag} ${obj.IPv4}`
+                    : obj.IPv4;
+                this._returnValue(callback, 'Public IP', display, 'network', 'string');
+            } catch (e) {
+                this._returnValue(callback, 'Public IP', '🏳️ Parse Error', 'network', 'string');
+            }
+        }).catch(err => {
+            this._returnValue(callback, 'Public IP', '📡 Offline', 'network', 'string');
+        });
     }
 
     _findStorageDevice() {
@@ -312,7 +333,8 @@ export const Sensors = GObject.registerClass({
         if (this._settings.get_boolean('include-public-ip')) {
             // check the public ip every hour or when waking from sleep
             if (this._next_public_ip_check <= 0) {
-                this._next_public_ip_check = 3600;
+                let intervalMinutes = this._settings.get_int('network-public-ip-interval');
+                this._next_public_ip_check = intervalMinutes * 60;
 
                 this._refreshIPAddress(callback);
             }