diff --git a/protocols/gossipsub/src/handler.rs b/protocols/gossipsub/src/handler.rs
index 331aecf89874..9df6d666fc49 100644
--- a/protocols/gossipsub/src/handler.rs
+++ b/protocols/gossipsub/src/handler.rs
@@ -419,6 +419,33 @@ impl EnabledHandler {
             }
         }
 
+        // Drop the next message in queue if it's stale.
+        let mut peakable = self.send_queue.clone().peekable();
+        if let Poll::Ready(Some(mut message)) = peakable.poll_next_unpin(cx) {
+            match message {
+                RpcOut::Publish {
+                    message: _,
+                    ref mut timeout,
+                }
+                | RpcOut::Forward {
+                    message: _,
+                    ref mut timeout,
+                } => {
+                    if Pin::new(timeout).poll(cx).is_ready() {
+                        // Drop the message.
+                        // TODO: Should we also inform the network behaviour about the dropped message?
+                        let dropped = futures::ready!(self.send_queue.poll_next_unpin(cx))
+                            .expect("There should be a message");
+                        return Poll::Ready(ConnectionHandlerEvent::NotifyBehaviour(
+                            HandlerEvent::MessageDropped(dropped),
+                        ));
+                    }
+                }
+                // the next message in queue is not time bound.
+                _ => {}
+            }
+        }
+
         Poll::Pending
     }
 }