diff --git a/nsqd/http.go b/nsqd/http.go
index c67424187..e2a918b29 100644
--- a/nsqd/http.go
+++ b/nsqd/http.go
@@ -248,6 +248,7 @@ func (s *httpServer) doPUB(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request, ps httprout
 
 	msg := NewMessage(topic.GenerateID(), body)
 	msg.deferred = deferred
+	msg.deadline = time.Now().UnixNano() + int64(deferred)
 	err = topic.PutMessage(msg)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, http_api.Err{503, "EXITING"}
diff --git a/nsqd/message.go b/nsqd/message.go
index 460cc3722..eda2fcb53 100644
--- a/nsqd/message.go
+++ b/nsqd/message.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package nsqd
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
@@ -12,6 +13,8 @@ const (
 	minValidMsgLength = MsgIDLength + 8 + 2 // Timestamp + Attempts
 )
 
+var deferMsgMagicFlag = []byte("#DEFER_MSG#")
+
 type MessageID [MsgIDLength]byte
 
 type Message struct {
@@ -26,6 +29,7 @@ type Message struct {
 	pri        int64
 	index      int
 	deferred   time.Duration
+	deadline   int64
 }
 
 func NewMessage(id MessageID, body []byte) *Message {
@@ -61,16 +65,33 @@ func (m *Message) WriteTo(w io.Writer) (int64, error) {
 		return total, err
 	}
 
+	if m.deadline > time.Now().UnixNano() {
+		n, err = w.Write(deferMsgMagicFlag)
+		total += int64(n)
+		if err != nil {
+			return total, err
+		}
+
+		var deferBuf [8]byte
+		binary.BigEndian.PutUint64(deferBuf[:8], uint64(m.deadline))
+
+		n, err := w.Write(deferBuf[:])
+		total += int64(n)
+		if err != nil {
+			return total, err
+		}
+	}
+
 	return total, nil
 }
 
 // decodeMessage deserializes data (as []byte) and creates a new Message
 //
-//	[x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x]...
-//	|       (int64)        ||    ||      (hex string encoded in ASCII)           || (binary)
-//	|       8-byte         ||    ||                 16-byte                      || N-byte
-//	------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------...
-//	  nanosecond timestamp    ^^                   message ID                       message body
+//	[x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x]... [x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x]
+//	|       (int64)        ||    ||      (hex string encoded in ASCII)           || (binary)     ||       (int64)
+//	|       8-byte         ||    ||                 16-byte                      || N-byte       ||       8-byte
+//	------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------... ------------------------
+//	  nanosecond timestamp    ^^                   message ID                       message body     nanosecond deadline
 //	                       (uint16)
 //	                        2-byte
 //	                       attempts
@@ -84,7 +105,16 @@ func decodeMessage(b []byte) (*Message, error) {
 	msg.Timestamp = int64(binary.BigEndian.Uint64(b[:8]))
 	msg.Attempts = binary.BigEndian.Uint16(b[8:10])
 	copy(msg.ID[:], b[10:10+MsgIDLength])
-	msg.Body = b[10+MsgIDLength:]
+
+	if bytes.Equal(b[len(b)-8-len(deferMsgMagicFlag):len(b)-8], deferMsgMagicFlag) {
+		msg.deadline = int64(binary.BigEndian.Uint64(b[len(b)-8:]))
+		if deferred := msg.deadline - time.Now().UnixNano(); deferred > 0 {
+			msg.deferred = time.Duration(deferred)
+		}
+		msg.Body = b[10+MsgIDLength : len(b)-8-len(deferMsgMagicFlag)]
+	} else {
+		msg.Body = b[10+MsgIDLength:]
+	}
 
 	return &msg, nil
 }
diff --git a/nsqd/protocol_v2.go b/nsqd/protocol_v2.go
index 8ec422430..384bfdf46 100644
--- a/nsqd/protocol_v2.go
+++ b/nsqd/protocol_v2.go
@@ -310,6 +310,11 @@ func (p *protocolV2) messagePump(client *clientV2, startedChan chan bool) {
 				p.nsqd.logf(LOG_ERROR, "failed to decode message - %s", err)
 				continue
 			}
+			if msg.deferred != 0 {
+				subChannel.StartDeferredTimeout(msg, msg.deferred)
+				continue
+			}
+
 			msg.Attempts++
 
 			subChannel.StartInFlightTimeout(msg, client.ID, msgTimeout)
@@ -919,6 +924,7 @@ func (p *protocolV2) DPUB(client *clientV2, params [][]byte) ([]byte, error) {
 	topic := p.nsqd.GetTopic(topicName)
 	msg := NewMessage(topic.GenerateID(), messageBody)
 	msg.deferred = timeoutDuration
+	msg.deadline = time.Now().UnixNano() + int64(timeoutDuration)
 	err = topic.PutMessage(msg)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, protocol.NewFatalClientErr(err, "E_DPUB_FAILED", "DPUB failed "+err.Error())
diff --git a/nsqd/topic.go b/nsqd/topic.go
index 4834c0102..ec26bc2c0 100644
--- a/nsqd/topic.go
+++ b/nsqd/topic.go
@@ -315,6 +315,7 @@ func (t *Topic) messagePump() {
 			goto exit
 		}
 
+		deferred := time.Duration(msg.deadline - time.Now().UnixNano())
 		for i, channel := range chans {
 			chanMsg := msg
 			// copy the message because each channel
@@ -324,9 +325,10 @@ func (t *Topic) messagePump() {
 			if i > 0 {
 				chanMsg = NewMessage(msg.ID, msg.Body)
 				chanMsg.Timestamp = msg.Timestamp
-				chanMsg.deferred = msg.deferred
+				chanMsg.deadline = msg.deadline
 			}
-			if chanMsg.deferred != 0 {
+			if deferred > 0 {
+				chanMsg.deferred = deferred
 				channel.PutMessageDeferred(chanMsg, chanMsg.deferred)
 				continue
 			}