diff --git a/extras/config.ini b/extras/config.ini
index 56d2527693..549bda723e 100644
--- a/extras/config.ini
+++ b/extras/config.ini
@@ -22,5 +22,5 @@ tcp_proxy_protocol = false
 tls_port = 5671
 unix_path = /tmp/lavinmq.sock
 unix_proxy_protocol = true
-min_followers = 0
-max_lag = 0
+min_followers = 1
+max_lag = 100000
diff --git a/src/lavinmq/config.cr b/src/lavinmq/config.cr
index fabc517d0c..7dd335eb64 100644
--- a/src/lavinmq/config.cr
+++ b/src/lavinmq/config.cr
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ module LavinMQ
     DEFAULT_LOG_LEVEL = Log::Severity::Info
 
     property data_dir : String = ENV.fetch("STATE_DIRECTORY", "/var/lib/lavinmq")
-    property config_file = File.exists?(File.join(ENV.fetch("CONFIGURATION_DIRECTORY", "/etc/lavinmq"), "lavinmq.ini")) ? File.join(ENV.fetch("CONFIGURATION_DIRECTORY", "/etc/lavinmq"), "lavinmq.ini") : ""
+    property config_file = File.exists?(File.join(ENV.fetch("CONFIGURATION_DIRECTORY", "/etc/lavinmq"), "lavinmq.ini")) ? File.join(ENV.fetch("CONFIGURATION_DIRECTORY", "/etc/lavinmq"), "lavinmq.ini") : "/Users/christinadahlen/84codes/lavinmq/extras/config.ini"
     property log_file : String? = nil
     property log_level : Log::Severity = DEFAULT_LOG_LEVEL
     property amqp_bind = "127.0.0.1"
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ module LavinMQ
     property replication_bind : String? = nil
     property replication_port = 5679
     property min_followers : Int64 = 0
-    property max_lag : Int64 = 0
+    property max_lag : Int64? = nil
     @@instance : Config = self.new
 
     def self.instance : LavinMQ::Config
diff --git a/src/lavinmq/replication/server.cr b/src/lavinmq/replication/server.cr
index b546dcef80..dcd37b9541 100644
--- a/src/lavinmq/replication/server.cr
+++ b/src/lavinmq/replication/server.cr
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ module LavinMQ
       @password : String
       @files = Hash(String, MFile?).new
       @min_followers : Int64
-      @max_lag : Int64
+      @max_lag : Int64? = nil
+      @resume_publishing : Channel(Nil)
+      @msg_action : Channel(Nil)
 
       def initialize
         @password = password
@@ -34,6 +36,9 @@ module LavinMQ
         @tcp.reuse_address = true
         @min_followers = Config.instance.min_followers
         @max_lag = Config.instance.max_lag
+        @resume_publishing = Channel(Nil).new
+        @msg_action = Channel(Nil).new
+        spawn check_max_lag_loop, name: "Replication#check_max_lag_loop"
       end
 
       def clear
@@ -108,14 +113,33 @@ module LavinMQ
 
       getter min_followers
 
-      def has_max_lag?
+      def max_lag?
+        return false if @followers.empty?
+        return false unless has_min_followers?
+        return false unless max_lag = @max_lag
         @followers.all? do |f|
-          f.lag <= @max_lag
+          f.lag > max_lag
         end
       end
 
+      getter resume_publishing
+      getter msg_action
       getter max_lag
 
+      def check_max_lag_loop
+        loop do
+          select
+            when @msg_action.receive
+            when timeout(5.seconds)
+          end
+          has_max_lag = max_lag?
+          if !has_max_lag
+            @resume_publishing.try_send nil
+          end
+          Fiber.yield
+        end
+      end
+
       private def password : String
         path = File.join(Config.instance.data_dir, ".replication_secret")
         begin
@@ -231,6 +255,7 @@ module LavinMQ
             len = socket.read_bytes(Int64, IO::ByteFormat::LittleEndian)
             @acked_bytes += len
             @ack.try_send nil
+            @server.msg_action.try_send nil
           end
         rescue IO::Error
         end
diff --git a/src/lavinmq/vhost.cr b/src/lavinmq/vhost.cr
index 9961b8fc4b..c4b7619673 100644
--- a/src/lavinmq/vhost.cr
+++ b/src/lavinmq/vhost.cr
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ module LavinMQ
                 "redeliver", "reject", "consumer_added", "consumer_removed"})
 
     getter name, exchanges, queues, data_dir, operator_policies, policies, parameters, shovels,
-      direct_reply_consumers, connections, dir, users
+      direct_reply_consumers, connections, dir, users, replicator
     property? flow = true
     getter? closed = false
     property max_connections : Int32?
@@ -111,7 +111,13 @@ module LavinMQ
       headers = msg.properties.headers
       find_all_queues(ex, msg.routing_key, headers, visited, found_queues)
       headers.delete("BCC") if headers
-      return false unless @replicator.has_min_followers? || @replicator.has_max_lag?
+
+      if  @replicator.max_lag?
+        pp "blocking publish"
+        @replicator.resume_publishing.receive
+        pp "publish resumed"
+      end
+
       if found_queues.empty?
         ex.unroutable_count += 1
         return false
diff --git a/static/js/nodes.js b/static/js/nodes.js
index 0fae7ec6c8..ee9accff6a 100644
--- a/static/js/nodes.js
+++ b/static/js/nodes.js
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ const updateDetails = (nodeStats) => {
 }
 
 const updateFollowerSettings = (nodeStats) => {
-  document.getElementById('tr-max-lag').textContent = nodeStats.max_lag
+  document.getElementById('tr-max-lag').textContent = nodeStats.max_lag || 'No max_lag value specified'
   document.getElementById('tr-min-followers').textContent = nodeStats.min_followers
 }