diff --git a/Command/ConsumeCommand.php b/Command/ConsumeCommand.php
index 9bc5fc1b..21e9203c 100644
--- a/Command/ConsumeCommand.php
+++ b/Command/ConsumeCommand.php
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ class ConsumeCommand extends ContainerAwareCommand
 {
     const OPTION_MAX_MESSAGES = 'killAfter';
     const OPTION_MAX_MESSAGES_DEFAULT_VALUE = -1; // -1 = No limit
+    const OPTION_MAX_TIME = 'killAfterTime';
+    const OPTION_MAX_TIME_DEFAULT_VALUE = 0; // 0 = No limit
 
     /** @var EndpointInterface */
     protected $endpoint;
@@ -64,6 +66,13 @@ protected function configure()
             'How many messages should be processed before the worker is killed? -1 for never, default value is '.self::OPTION_MAX_MESSAGES_DEFAULT_VALUE.'.',
             self::OPTION_MAX_MESSAGES_DEFAULT_VALUE
         );
+        $this->addOption(
+            self::OPTION_MAX_TIME,
+            't',
+            InputOption::VALUE_REQUIRED,
+            'How long before the worker is killed? 0 for never, default value is '.self::OPTION_MAX_TIME_DEFAULT_VALUE.'.',
+            self::OPTION_MAX_TIME_DEFAULT_VALUE
+        );
 
     }
 
@@ -80,12 +89,15 @@ protected function execute(InputInterface $input, OutputInterface $output)
         if ($input->getOption(self::OPTION_MAX_MESSAGES) > 0) {
             $message .= ' limited to '.$input->getOption(self::OPTION_MAX_MESSAGES).' messages';
         }
+        if ($input->getOption(self::OPTION_MAX_TIME) > 0) {
+            $message .= ' limited to '.$input->getOption(self::OPTION_MAX_TIME).' seconds';
+        }
         $message .= '.</info>';
         $output->writeln($message);
 
         pcntl_signal(SIGINT, [$this, 'handleSignal']);
         pcntl_signal(SIGTERM, [$this, 'handleSignal']);
-        $this->endpoint->consume($input->getOption(self::OPTION_MAX_MESSAGES));
+        $this->endpoint->consume($input->getOption(self::OPTION_MAX_MESSAGES), $input->getOption(self::OPTION_MAX_TIME));
 
         $output->writeln('<info>Consumer was gracefully stopped for: '.$this->endpoint->getURI().'</info>');
     }
diff --git a/Core/Consumers/ConsumerInterface.php b/Core/Consumers/ConsumerInterface.php
index 0fbc0999..7e792a3b 100644
--- a/Core/Consumers/ConsumerInterface.php
+++ b/Core/Consumers/ConsumerInterface.php
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ public function stop();
      */
     public function setExpirationCount($count);
 
+    /**
+     * @param $time
+     */
+    public function setExpirationTime($time);
+
     /**
      * Consumes messages from the given $endpoint until either the expirationCount reaches 0 or ::stop() is called.
      *
diff --git a/Core/Consumers/IsStopableConsumer.php b/Core/Consumers/IsStopableConsumer.php
index 0aa91527..153531c9 100644
--- a/Core/Consumers/IsStopableConsumer.php
+++ b/Core/Consumers/IsStopableConsumer.php
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ trait IsStopableConsumer {
     /** @var int  */
     protected $expirationCount = -1;
 
+    /** @var int  */
+    protected $expirationTime = 100 * 365 * 24 * 60 * 60;
+
     /**
      * {@inheritDoc}
      */
@@ -26,6 +29,18 @@ public function setExpirationCount($count)
         $this->expirationCount = $count;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * {@inheritDoc}
+     */
+    public function setExpirationTime($time)
+    {
+        $this->expirationTime = 100 * 365 * 24 * 60 * 60; // 100 years after Unix Epoch
+        if ($time > 0) {
+            $this->expirationTime = time() + $time; // $time seconds after now
+        }
+
+    }
+
     /**
      * Checks if it should stop at the current iteration.
      *
@@ -34,6 +49,6 @@ public function setExpirationCount($count)
     protected function shouldStop()
     {
         pcntl_signal_dispatch();
-        return $this->stop || $this->expirationCount == 0;
+        return $this->stop || $this->expirationCount == 0 || time() > $this->expirationTime;
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Core/Endpoints/Endpoint.php b/Core/Endpoints/Endpoint.php
index badadbe4..aa1271ed 100644
--- a/Core/Endpoints/Endpoint.php
+++ b/Core/Endpoints/Endpoint.php
@@ -118,12 +118,16 @@ public function getProducer()
     /**
      * {@inheritdoc}
      */
-    public function consume($maxAmount = 0)
+    public function consume($maxAmount = 0, $maxTime = 0)
     {
         if ($maxAmount > 0) {
             $this->getConsumer()->setExpirationCount($maxAmount);
         }
 
+        if ($maxTime > 0) {
+            $this->getConsumer()->setExpirationTime($maxTime);
+        }
+
         $this->getConsumer()->consume($this);
     }
 
diff --git a/Core/Endpoints/EndpointInterface.php b/Core/Endpoints/EndpointInterface.php
index 4fd8fc5d..a0aba834 100644
--- a/Core/Endpoints/EndpointInterface.php
+++ b/Core/Endpoints/EndpointInterface.php
@@ -61,10 +61,12 @@ public function getProducer();
 
     /**
      * Consumes $maxAmount of messages, if $maxAmount is 0, then it consumes indefinitely in a loop.
+     * $maxTime before it is stopped, if $maxTime is 0, consumes indefinitely in a loop unless it is stopped before by $maxAmount.
      *
      * @param int $maxAmount
+     * @param int $maxTime
      */
-    public function consume($maxAmount = 0);
+    public function consume($maxAmount = 0, $maxTime = 0);
 
     /**
      * @return bool