diff --git a/http_message_signatures/signatures.py b/http_message_signatures/signatures.py
index 01b63c0..cee28a2 100644
--- a/http_message_signatures/signatures.py
+++ b/http_message_signatures/signatures.py
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ def sign(
 
 
 class HTTPMessageVerifier(HTTPSignatureHandler):
+    max_clock_skew: datetime.timedelta = datetime.timedelta(seconds=5)
     require_created: bool = True
 
     def _parse_dict_header(self, header_name, headers):
@@ -133,16 +134,18 @@ def _parse_integer_timestamp(self, ts, field_name):
 
     def validate_created_and_expires(self, sig_input, max_age=None):
         now = datetime.datetime.now()
+        min_time = now - self.max_clock_skew
+        max_time = now + self.max_clock_skew
         if "created" in sig_input.params:
-            if self._parse_integer_timestamp(sig_input.params["created"], field_name="created") > now:
+            if self._parse_integer_timestamp(sig_input.params["created"], field_name="created") > max_time:
                 raise InvalidSignature('Signature "created" parameter is set to a time in the future')
         elif self.require_created:
             raise InvalidSignature('Signature is missing a required "created" parameter')
         if "expires" in sig_input.params:
-            if self._parse_integer_timestamp(sig_input.params["expires"], field_name="expires") < now:
+            if self._parse_integer_timestamp(sig_input.params["expires"], field_name="expires") < min_time:
                 raise InvalidSignature('Signature "expires" parameter is set to a time in the past')
         if max_age is not None:
-            if self._parse_integer_timestamp(sig_input.params["created"], field_name="created") + max_age < now:
+            if self._parse_integer_timestamp(sig_input.params["created"], field_name="created") + max_age < min_time:
                 raise InvalidSignature(f"Signature age exceeds maximum allowable age {max_age}")
 
     def verify(self, message, *, max_age: datetime.timedelta = datetime.timedelta(days=1)) -> List[VerifyResult]:
diff --git a/test/test.py b/test/test.py
index 3cabd29..7d01557 100644
--- a/test/test.py
+++ b/test/test.py
@@ -295,6 +295,16 @@ def test_created_expires(self):
         with self.assertRaisesRegex(InvalidSignature, 'Signature "expires" parameter is set to a time in the past'):
             verifier.verify(self.test_request)
 
+    def test_tolerate_clock_skew(self):
+        signer = HTTPMessageSigner(signature_algorithm=HMAC_SHA256, key_resolver=self.key_resolver)
+        signer.sign(self.test_request, key_id="test-shared-secret", created=datetime.fromtimestamp(1))
+        verifier = HTTPMessageVerifier(signature_algorithm=HMAC_SHA256, key_resolver=self.key_resolver)
+        signer.sign(self.test_request, key_id="test-shared-secret", created=datetime.now() + timedelta(seconds=9))
+        verifier.max_clock_skew = timedelta(seconds=10)
+        verifier.verify(self.test_request)
+        verifier.max_clock_skew = timedelta(seconds=0)
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(InvalidSignature, 'Signature "created" parameter is set to a time in the future'):
+            verifier.verify(self.test_request)
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()