diff --git a/suprb/optimizer/rule/es/es.py b/suprb/optimizer/rule/es/es.py
index dfc82a41..91fbf86b 100644
--- a/suprb/optimizer/rule/es/es.py
+++ b/suprb/optimizer/rule/es/es.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+from copy import deepcopy
 import warnings
 from collections import deque
 from typing import Optional
@@ -86,17 +87,17 @@ def __init__(self,
             warnings.warn("',' operator and HalfnormIncrease mutation lead to collapsing populations")
 
     def _optimize(self, X: np.ndarray, y: np.ndarray, initial_rule: Rule, random_state: RandomState) -> Optional[Rule]:
-
         elitist = initial_rule
-
         elitists = deque(maxlen=self.delay)
+        # This is needed for AdaptiveMutation as the initial mutation type needs to be resetted each RuleDiscovery cycle
+        mutation = deepcopy(self.mutation)
 
         # Main iteration
         for iteration in range(self.n_iter):
             elitists.append(elitist)
 
             # Generate, fit and evaluate lambda children
-            children = [self.constraint(self.mutation(elitist, random_state=random_state))
+            children = [self.constraint(mutation(elitist, random_state=random_state))
                             .fit(X, y) for _ in range(self.lmbda)]
 
             # Filter children that do not match any data samples
@@ -121,4 +122,7 @@ def _optimize(self, X: np.ndarray, y: np.ndarray, initial_rule: Rule, random_sta
                     elitist = elitists[0]
                     break
 
+            if getattr(mutation, "adapt", None):
+                mutation.adapt(elitist.fitness_)
+
         return elitist
diff --git a/suprb/optimizer/rule/mutation.py b/suprb/optimizer/rule/mutation.py
index 306bc1ab..e6dcc74c 100644
--- a/suprb/optimizer/rule/mutation.py
+++ b/suprb/optimizer/rule/mutation.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 
 from typing import Union
+from sklearn import clone
 
 import numpy as np
 from scipy.stats import halfnorm
@@ -177,3 +178,54 @@ def min_percentage(self, rule: Rule, random_state: RandomState):
         bounds = rule.match.bounds
         bounds[:, 0] -= random_state.uniform(0, self.sigma[0], size=bounds.shape[0])
         bounds[:, 1] += random_state.uniform(0, self.sigma[1], size=bounds.shape[0])
+
+
+class AdaptiveMutation(RuleMutation):
+    """Start off by using a given operator until the fitness has not increased for
+       more than self.number_of_worse_iterations. Then change the mutation operator
+       to Normal
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, matching_type: MatchingFunction = None,
+                 operator: RuleMutation = HalfnormIncrease(),
+                 worse_iteration_tolerance: int = 5,
+                 sigma_normal: Union[float, np.ndarray] = 0.1):
+
+        super().__init__(matching_type=matching_type, sigma=operator.sigma)
+        self.best_elitist_fitness = 0
+        self.number_of_worse_iterations = 0
+        self.worse_iteration_tolerance = worse_iteration_tolerance
+        self.sigma_normal = sigma_normal
+
+        # This is necessary because of sklearn guidelines
+        self.operator = operator
+        self.operator_ = clone(self.operator)
+
+    def __call__(self, rule: Rule, random_state: RandomState) -> Rule:
+        return self.operator_(rule, random_state)
+
+    def adapt(self, elitist_fitness: float):
+        if not isinstance(self.operator_, Normal):
+            if elitist_fitness < self.best_elitist_fitness:
+                self.number_of_worse_iterations += 1
+
+                if self.number_of_worse_iterations > self.worse_iteration_tolerance:
+                    self.operator_ = Normal(matching_type=self.matching_type, sigma=self.sigma_normal)
+            else:
+                self.best_elitist_fitness = elitist_fitness
+
+    def unordered_bound(self, rule: Rule, random_state: RandomState):
+        raise NotImplementedError(
+            "AdaptiveMutation has no implementation for unordered_bound as it is only used as a wrapper for other mutation types")
+
+    def ordered_bound(self, rule: Rule, random_state: RandomState):
+        raise NotImplementedError(
+            "AdaptiveMutation has no implementation for ordered_bound as it is only used as a wrapper for other mutation types")
+
+    def center_spread(self, rule: Rule, random_state: RandomState):
+        raise NotImplementedError(
+            "AdaptiveMutation has no implementation for center_spread as it is only used as a wrapper for other mutation types")
+
+    def min_percentage(self, rule: Rule, random_state: RandomState):
+        raise NotImplementedError(
+            "AdaptiveMutation has no implementation for min_percentage as it is only used as a wrapper for other mutation types")
diff --git a/suprb/suprb.py b/suprb/suprb.py
index 23aabf91..76ad54cd 100644
--- a/suprb/suprb.py
+++ b/suprb/suprb.py
@@ -159,9 +159,9 @@ def fit(self, X: np.ndarray, y: np.ndarray, cleanup=False):
         # Initialise components
         self.pool_ = []
 
+        self._validate_matching_type(default=OrderedBound(np.array([])))
         self._validate_rule_generation(default=ES1xLambda())
         self._validate_solution_composition(default=GeneticAlgorithm())
-        self._validate_matching_type(default=OrderedBound(np.array([])))
 
         self._propagate_component_parameters()
         self._init_bounds(X)