diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9b334a6..30e710c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -20,6 +20,16 @@ $user = retry(5, () ==> User::find($id));
 $user = retry(INF, () ==> {
     throw new RuntimeException('never gonna give you up');
 });
+
+// set an optional retry delay to prevent floods
+$user = retry(
+    5,
+    function () use ($id) {
+        return User::find($id);
+    },
+    5   // retry delay (in seconds)
+);
+
 ?>
 ```
 
diff --git a/src/retry.php b/src/retry.php
index 17fc7dd..8ecbaf3 100644
--- a/src/retry.php
+++ b/src/retry.php
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 class FailingTooHardException extends \Exception {}
 
-function retry($retries, callable $fn)
+function retry($retries, callable $fn, $delay = 0)
 {
     beginning:
     try {
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ function retry($retries, callable $fn)
             throw new FailingTooHardException('', 0, $e);
         }
         $retries--;
+        sleep($delay);
         goto beginning;
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/RetryTest.php b/tests/RetryTest.php
index ba62c4a..072f159 100644
--- a/tests/RetryTest.php
+++ b/tests/RetryTest.php
@@ -66,4 +66,24 @@ function testRetryManyTimes()
         $this->assertSame('dogecoin', $e->getPrevious()->getMessage());
         $this->assertSame(1001, $i);
     }
+
+    function testRetryDelay()
+    {
+        $e = null;
+        $i = 0;
+        $t = microtime(true);
+        try {
+            retry(1, function () use (&$i, &$failed) {
+                $i++;
+                throw new \RuntimeException('dogecoin');
+            }, 1);
+        } catch (\Exception $e) {
+        }
+
+        $this->assertInstanceof('igorw\FailingTooHardException', $e);
+        $this->assertInstanceof('RuntimeException', $e->getPrevious());
+        $this->assertSame('dogecoin', $e->getPrevious()->getMessage());
+        $this->assertSame(2, $i);
+        $this->assertGreaterThan(1, microtime(true) - $t);
+    }
 }