diff --git a/reader.go b/reader.go
index c7259f33..7dda65a5 100644
--- a/reader.go
+++ b/reader.go
@@ -80,8 +80,11 @@ type nsqConn struct {
 	readTimeout      time.Duration
 	writeTimeout     time.Duration
 	stopper          sync.Once
-	dying            chan struct{}
-	drainReady       chan struct{}
+	dying            chan int
+	drainReady       chan int
+	readyChan        chan int
+	exitChan         chan int
+	backoffCounter   int32
 }
 
 func newNSQConn(addr string, readTimeout time.Duration, writeTimeout time.Duration) (*nsqConn, error) {
@@ -97,8 +100,10 @@ func newNSQConn(addr string, readTimeout time.Duration, writeTimeout time.Durati
 		finishedMessages: make(chan *FinishedMessage),
 		readTimeout:      readTimeout,
 		writeTimeout:     writeTimeout,
-		dying:            make(chan struct{}, 1),
-		drainReady:       make(chan struct{}),
+		dying:            make(chan int, 1),
+		drainReady:       make(chan int),
+		readyChan:        make(chan int, 1),
+		exitChan:         make(chan int),
 	}
 
 	nc.SetWriteDeadline(time.Now().Add(nc.writeTimeout))
@@ -162,6 +167,8 @@ type Reader struct {
 	ExitChan            chan int      // read from this channel to block your main loop
 
 	// internal variables
+	maxBackoffDuration time.Duration
+	maxBackoffCount    int32
 	maxInFlight        int
 	incomingMessages   chan *incomingMessage
 	nsqConnections     map[string]*nsqConn
@@ -209,6 +216,7 @@ func NewReader(topic string, channel string) (*Reader, error) {
 		WriteTimeout:        time.Second,
 		maxInFlight:         1,
 	}
+	q.SetMaxBackoffDuration(120 * time.Second)
 	return q, nil
 }
 
@@ -255,10 +263,19 @@ func (q *Reader) SetMaxInFlight(maxInFlight int) {
 	q.maxInFlight = maxInFlight
 
 	for _, c := range q.nsqConnections {
-		q.updateReady(c)
+		select {
+		case c.readyChan <- 1:
+		default:
+		}
 	}
 }
 
+// SetMaxBackoffDuration sets the maximum duration a connection will backoff from message processing
+func (q *Reader) SetMaxBackoffDuration(duration time.Duration) {
+	q.maxBackoffDuration = duration
+	q.maxBackoffCount = int32(math.Max(1, math.Ceil(math.Log2(duration.Seconds()))))
+}
+
 // MaxInFlight returns the configured maximum number of messages to allow in-flight.
 func (q *Reader) MaxInFlight() int {
 	return q.maxInFlight
@@ -381,6 +398,7 @@ func (q *Reader) ConnectToNSQ(addr string) error {
 
 	go q.readLoop(connection)
 	go q.finishLoop(connection)
+	go q.rdyLoop(connection)
 
 	return nil
 }
@@ -396,7 +414,7 @@ func handleError(q *Reader, c *nsqConn, errMsg string) {
 
 func (q *Reader) readLoop(c *nsqConn) {
 	// prime our ready state
-	err := q.updateReady(c)
+	err := q.updateRDY(c)
 	if err != nil {
 		handleError(q, c, fmt.Sprintf("[%s] failed to send initial ready - %s", c, err.Error()))
 		q.stopFinishLoop(c)
@@ -412,7 +430,7 @@ func (q *Reader) readLoop(c *nsqConn) {
 				log.Printf("[%s] delaying close of FinishedMesages channel; %d outstanding messages", c, c.messagesInFlight)
 			}
 			log.Printf("[%s] stopped read loop ", c)
-			break
+			goto exit
 		}
 
 		resp, err := ReadResponse(c)
@@ -460,7 +478,7 @@ func (q *Reader) readLoop(c *nsqConn) {
 				err := c.sendCommand(&buf, Nop())
 				if err != nil {
 					handleError(q, c, fmt.Sprintf("[%s] error sending NOP - %s", c, err.Error()))
-					return
+					goto exit
 				}
 			}
 		case FrameTypeError:
@@ -469,49 +487,82 @@ func (q *Reader) readLoop(c *nsqConn) {
 			log.Printf("[%s] unknown message type %d", c, frameType)
 		}
 
-		q.updateReady(c)
+		select {
+		case c.readyChan <- 1:
+		default:
+		}
 	}
+
+exit:
+	log.Printf("[%s] readLoop exiting", c)
 }
 
 func (q *Reader) finishLoop(c *nsqConn) {
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	var backoffCounter int32
+	var backoffUpdated bool
+	var backoffDeadline time.Time
 
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-c.dying:
 			log.Printf("[%s] breaking out of finish loop ", c)
 			// Indicate drainReady because we will not pull any more off finishedMessages
-			c.drainReady <- struct{}{}
-			return
+			c.drainReady <- 1
+			goto exit
 		case msg := <-c.finishedMessages:
 			// Decrement this here so it is correct even if we can't respond to nsqd
 			atomic.AddInt64(&q.messagesInFlight, -1)
 			atomic.AddInt64(&c.messagesInFlight, -1)
+			now := time.Now()
 
 			if msg.Success {
 				if q.VerboseLogging {
 					log.Printf("[%s] finishing %s", c, msg.Id)
 				}
+
 				err := c.sendCommand(&buf, Finish(msg.Id))
 				if err != nil {
 					log.Printf("[%s] error finishing %s - %s", c, msg.Id, err.Error())
 					q.stopFinishLoop(c)
 					continue
 				}
+
 				atomic.AddUint64(&c.messagesFinished, 1)
 				atomic.AddUint64(&q.MessagesFinished, 1)
+
+				if backoffCounter > 0 && now.After(backoffDeadline) {
+					backoffCounter--
+					backoffUpdated = true
+				}
 			} else {
 				if q.VerboseLogging {
 					log.Printf("[%s] requeuing %s", c, msg.Id)
 				}
+
 				err := c.sendCommand(&buf, Requeue(msg.Id, msg.RequeueDelayMs))
 				if err != nil {
 					log.Printf("[%s] error requeueing %s - %s", c, msg.Id, err.Error())
 					q.stopFinishLoop(c)
 					continue
 				}
+
 				atomic.AddUint64(&c.messagesRequeued, 1)
 				atomic.AddUint64(&q.MessagesRequeued, 1)
+
+				if backoffCounter < q.maxBackoffCount && now.After(backoffDeadline) {
+					backoffCounter++
+					backoffUpdated = true
+				}
+			}
+
+			atomic.StoreInt32(&c.backoffCounter, backoffCounter)
+			// prevent many async failures/successes from immediately resulting in 
+			// max backoff/normal rate (by ensuring that we dont continually incr/decr 
+			// the counter during a backoff period)
+			if backoffCounter > 0 && backoffUpdated {
+				backoffDuration := q.backoffDuration(backoffCounter)
+				backoffDeadline = now.Add(backoffDuration)
 			}
 
 			if atomic.LoadInt64(&c.messagesInFlight) == 0 &&
@@ -521,13 +572,16 @@ func (q *Reader) finishLoop(c *nsqConn) {
 			}
 		}
 	}
+
+exit:
+	log.Printf("[%s] finishLoop exiting", c)
 }
 
 func (q *Reader) stopFinishLoop(c *nsqConn) {
 	c.stopper.Do(func() {
 		log.Printf("[%s] beginning stopFinishLoop logic", c)
 		// This doesn't block because dying has buffer of 1
-		c.dying <- struct{}{}
+		c.dying <- 1
 
 		// Drain the finishedMessages channel
 		go func() {
@@ -536,6 +590,7 @@ func (q *Reader) stopFinishLoop(c *nsqConn) {
 				<-c.finishedMessages
 			}
 		}()
+		close(c.exitChan)
 		c.Close()
 		delete(q.nsqConnections, c.String())
 
@@ -564,9 +619,54 @@ func (q *Reader) stopFinishLoop(c *nsqConn) {
 	})
 }
 
-func (q *Reader) updateReady(c *nsqConn) error {
-	var buf bytes.Buffer
+func (q *Reader) backoffDuration(count int32) time.Duration {
+	backoffDuration := time.Second * time.Duration(math.Pow(2, float64(count)))
+	if backoffDuration > q.maxBackoffDuration {
+		backoffDuration = q.maxBackoffDuration
+	}
+	return backoffDuration
+}
+
+func (q *Reader) rdyLoop(c *nsqConn) {
+	readyChan := c.readyChan
+	var backoffTimer *time.Timer
+	var backoffTimerChan <-chan time.Time
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-backoffTimerChan:
+			log.Printf("[%s] backoff time expired, continuing with RDY 1...", c)
+			// while in backoff only ever let 1 message at a time through
+			q.sendRDY(c, 1)
+			readyChan = c.readyChan
+		case <-readyChan:
+			backoffCounter := atomic.LoadInt32(&c.backoffCounter)
+
+			// send ready immediately
+			if backoffCounter == 0 {
+				q.updateRDY(c)
+				continue
+			}
+
+			backoffDuration := q.backoffDuration(backoffCounter)
+			backoffTimer = time.NewTimer(backoffDuration)
+			backoffTimerChan = backoffTimer.C
+			readyChan = nil
+
+			log.Printf("[%s] backing off for %.02f seconds", c, backoffDuration.Seconds())
+		case <-c.exitChan:
+			if backoffTimer != nil {
+				backoffTimer.Stop()
+			}
+			goto exit
+		}
+	}
 
+exit:
+	log.Printf("[%s] rdyLoop exiting", c)
+}
+
+func (q *Reader) updateRDY(c *nsqConn) error {
 	if atomic.LoadInt32(&c.stopFlag) != 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -578,12 +678,7 @@ func (q *Reader) updateReady(c *nsqConn) error {
 		if q.VerboseLogging {
 			log.Printf("[%s] sending RDY %d (%d remain)", c, mif, remain)
 		}
-		atomic.StoreInt64(&c.rdyCount, int64(mif))
-		err := c.sendCommand(&buf, Ready(mif))
-		if err != nil {
-			handleError(q, c, fmt.Sprintf("[%s] error sending RDY %d - %s", c, mif, err.Error()))
-			return err
-		}
+		q.sendRDY(c, mif)
 	} else {
 		if q.VerboseLogging {
 			log.Printf("[%s] skip sending RDY (%d remain out of %d)", c, remain, mif)
@@ -593,6 +688,17 @@ func (q *Reader) updateReady(c *nsqConn) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (q *Reader) sendRDY(c *nsqConn, count int) error {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	atomic.StoreInt64(&c.rdyCount, int64(count))
+	err := c.sendCommand(&buf, Ready(count))
+	if err != nil {
+		handleError(q, c, fmt.Sprintf("[%s] error sending RDY %d - %s", c, count, err.Error()))
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // Stop will gracefully stop the Reader
 func (q *Reader) Stop() {
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
diff --git a/reader_test.go b/reader_test.go
index 620ab346..20ee0b60 100644
--- a/reader_test.go
+++ b/reader_test.go
@@ -66,7 +66,10 @@ func TestQueuereader(t *testing.T) {
 	topicName := "reader_test" + strconv.Itoa(int(time.Now().Unix()))
 	q, _ := NewReader(topicName, "ch")
 	q.VerboseLogging = true
-	q.DefaultRequeueDelay = 0 // so that the test can simulate reaching max requeues and a call to LogFailedMessage
+	// so that the test can simulate reaching max requeues and a call to LogFailedMessage
+	q.DefaultRequeueDelay = 0
+	// so that the test wont timeout from backing off
+	q.SetMaxBackoffDuration(time.Millisecond * 50)
 
 	h := &MyTestHandler{
 		t: t,