diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/messager/message_manager.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/messager/message_manager.go
index f418d8557e9..c3bb38f65b1 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/messager/message_manager.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/messager/message_manager.go
@@ -165,6 +165,8 @@ type messageManager struct {
 	fieldResult  *sqltypes.Result
 	ackWaitTime  time.Duration
 	purgeAfter   time.Duration
+	minBackoff   time.Duration
+	maxBackoff   time.Duration
 	batchSize    int
 	pollerTicks  *timer.Timer
 	purgeTicks   *timer.Timer
@@ -223,6 +225,8 @@ func newMessageManager(tsv TabletService, vs VStreamer, table *schema.Table, pos
 		},
 		ackWaitTime:     table.MessageInfo.AckWaitDuration,
 		purgeAfter:      table.MessageInfo.PurgeAfterDuration,
+		minBackoff:      table.MessageInfo.MinBackoff,
+		maxBackoff:      table.MessageInfo.MaxBackoff,
 		batchSize:       table.MessageInfo.BatchSize,
 		cache:           newCache(table.MessageInfo.CacheSize),
 		pollerTicks:     timer.NewTimer(table.MessageInfo.PollInterval),
@@ -246,11 +250,19 @@ func newMessageManager(tsv TabletService, vs VStreamer, table *schema.Table, pos
 	mm.ackQuery = sqlparser.BuildParsedQuery(
 		"update %v set time_acked = %a, time_next = null where id in %a and time_acked is null",
 		mm.name, ":time_acked", "::ids")
-	mm.postponeQuery = sqlparser.BuildParsedQuery(
-		"update %v set time_next = %a+(%a<<ifnull(epoch, 0)), epoch = ifnull(epoch, 0)+1 where id in %a and time_acked is null",
-		mm.name, ":time_now", ":wait_time", "::ids")
 	mm.purgeQuery = sqlparser.BuildParsedQuery(
 		"delete from %v where time_acked < %a limit 500", mm.name, ":time_acked")
+
+	// if a maxBackoff is set, incorporate it into the update statement
+	if mm.maxBackoff > 0 {
+		mm.postponeQuery = sqlparser.BuildParsedQuery(
+			"update %v set time_next = %a+if(%a<<ifnull(epoch, 0) > %a, %a, %a<<ifnull(epoch, 0)), epoch = ifnull(epoch, 0)+1 where id in %a and time_acked is null",
+			mm.name, ":time_now", ":min_backoff", ":max_backoff", ":max_backoff", ":min_backoff", "::ids")
+	} else {
+		mm.postponeQuery = sqlparser.BuildParsedQuery(
+			"update %v set time_next = %a+(%a<<ifnull(epoch, 0)), epoch = ifnull(epoch, 0)+1 where id in %a and time_acked is null",
+			mm.name, ":time_now", ":min_backoff", "::ids")
+	}
 	return mm
 }
 
@@ -792,11 +804,18 @@ func (mm *messageManager) GeneratePostponeQuery(ids []string) (string, map[strin
 			Value: []byte(id),
 		})
 	}
-	return mm.postponeQuery.Query, map[string]*querypb.BindVariable{
-		"time_now":  sqltypes.Int64BindVariable(time.Now().UnixNano()),
-		"wait_time": sqltypes.Int64BindVariable(int64(mm.ackWaitTime)),
-		"ids":       idbvs,
+
+	bvs := map[string]*querypb.BindVariable{
+		"time_now":    sqltypes.Int64BindVariable(time.Now().UnixNano()),
+		"min_backoff": sqltypes.Int64BindVariable(int64(mm.minBackoff)),
+		"ids":         idbvs,
+	}
+
+	if mm.maxBackoff > 0 {
+		bvs["max_backoff"] = sqltypes.Int64BindVariable(int64(mm.maxBackoff))
 	}
+
+	return mm.postponeQuery.Query, bvs
 }
 
 // GeneratePurgeQuery returns the query and bind vars for purging messages.
diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/messager/message_manager_test.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/messager/message_manager_test.go
index 1cee1b698f5..c7b41a3e632 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/messager/message_manager_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/messager/message_manager_test.go
@@ -65,6 +65,24 @@ func newMMTable() *schema.Table {
 			Fields:             testFields,
 			AckWaitDuration:    1 * time.Second,
 			PurgeAfterDuration: 3 * time.Second,
+			MinBackoff:         1 * time.Second,
+			BatchSize:          1,
+			CacheSize:          10,
+			PollInterval:       1 * time.Second,
+		},
+	}
+}
+
+func newMMTableWithBackoff() *schema.Table {
+	return &schema.Table{
+		Name: sqlparser.NewTableIdent("foo"),
+		Type: schema.Message,
+		MessageInfo: &schema.MessageInfo{
+			Fields:             testFields,
+			AckWaitDuration:    10 * time.Second,
+			PurgeAfterDuration: 3 * time.Second,
+			MinBackoff:         1 * time.Second,
+			MaxBackoff:         4 * time.Second,
 			BatchSize:          1,
 			CacheSize:          10,
 			PollInterval:       1 * time.Second,
@@ -732,7 +750,7 @@ func TestMMGenerate(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	query, bv = mm.GeneratePostponeQuery([]string{"1", "2"})
-	wantQuery = "update foo set time_next = :time_now+(:wait_time<<ifnull(epoch, 0)), epoch = ifnull(epoch, 0)+1 where id in ::ids and time_acked is null"
+	wantQuery = "update foo set time_next = :time_now+(:min_backoff<<ifnull(epoch, 0)), epoch = ifnull(epoch, 0)+1 where id in ::ids and time_acked is null"
 	if query != wantQuery {
 		t.Errorf("GeneratePostponeQuery query: %s, want %s", query, wantQuery)
 	}
@@ -743,8 +761,8 @@ func TestMMGenerate(t *testing.T) {
 		delete(bv, "time_now")
 	}
 	wantbv := map[string]*querypb.BindVariable{
-		"wait_time": sqltypes.Int64BindVariable(1e9),
-		"ids":       wantids,
+		"min_backoff": sqltypes.Int64BindVariable(1e9),
+		"ids":         wantids,
 	}
 	if !reflect.DeepEqual(bv, wantbv) {
 		t.Errorf("gotid: %v, want %v", bv, wantbv)
@@ -763,6 +781,34 @@ func TestMMGenerate(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestMMGenerateWithBackoff(t *testing.T) {
+	mm := newMessageManager(newFakeTabletServer(), newFakeVStreamer(), newMMTableWithBackoff(), sync2.NewSemaphore(1, 0))
+	mm.Open()
+	defer mm.Close()
+
+	wantids := sqltypes.TestBindVariable([]interface{}{"1", "2"})
+
+	query, bv := mm.GeneratePostponeQuery([]string{"1", "2"})
+	wantQuery := "update foo set time_next = :time_now+if(:min_backoff<<ifnull(epoch, 0) > :max_backoff, :max_backoff, :min_backoff<<ifnull(epoch, 0)), epoch = ifnull(epoch, 0)+1 where id in ::ids and time_acked is null"
+	if query != wantQuery {
+		t.Errorf("GeneratePostponeQuery query: %s, want %s", query, wantQuery)
+	}
+	if _, ok := bv["time_now"]; !ok {
+		t.Errorf("time_now is absent in %v", bv)
+	} else {
+		// time_now cannot be compared.
+		delete(bv, "time_now")
+	}
+	wantbv := map[string]*querypb.BindVariable{
+		"min_backoff": sqltypes.Int64BindVariable(1e9),
+		"max_backoff": sqltypes.Int64BindVariable(4e9),
+		"ids":         wantids,
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(bv, wantbv) {
+		t.Errorf("gotid: %v, want %v", bv, wantbv)
+	}
+}
+
 type fakeTabletServer struct {
 	postponeCount sync2.AtomicInt64
 	purgeCount    sync2.AtomicInt64
diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/schema/engine_test.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/schema/engine_test.go
index 2af7a9dc2a3..62269d76891 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/schema/engine_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/schema/engine_test.go
@@ -402,6 +402,7 @@ func initialSchema() map[string]*Table {
 				}},
 				AckWaitDuration:    30 * time.Second,
 				PurgeAfterDuration: 120 * time.Second,
+				MinBackoff:         30 * time.Second,
 				BatchSize:          1,
 				CacheSize:          10,
 				PollInterval:       30 * time.Second,
diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/schema/load_table.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/schema/load_table.go
index e46868e115c..ce3b2f3f881 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/schema/load_table.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/schema/load_table.go
@@ -100,6 +100,16 @@ func loadMessageInfo(ta *Table, comment string) error {
 	if ta.MessageInfo.PollInterval, err = getDuration(keyvals, "vt_poller_interval"); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+
+	// errors are ignored because these fields are optional and 0 is the default value
+	ta.MessageInfo.MinBackoff, _ = getDuration(keyvals, "vt_min_backoff")
+	// the original default minimum backoff was based on ack wait timeout, so this preserves that
+	if ta.MessageInfo.MinBackoff == 0 {
+		ta.MessageInfo.MinBackoff = ta.MessageInfo.AckWaitDuration
+	}
+
+	ta.MessageInfo.MaxBackoff, _ = getDuration(keyvals, "vt_max_backoff")
+
 	for _, col := range requiredCols {
 		num := ta.FindColumn(sqlparser.NewColIdent(col))
 		if num == -1 {
diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/schema/load_table_test.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/schema/load_table_test.go
index 02c9af95e18..0624479e29c 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/schema/load_table_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/schema/load_table_test.go
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ func TestLoadTableMessage(t *testing.T) {
 			}},
 			AckWaitDuration:    30 * time.Second,
 			PurgeAfterDuration: 120 * time.Second,
+			MinBackoff:         30 * time.Second,
 			BatchSize:          1,
 			CacheSize:          10,
 			PollInterval:       30 * time.Second,
@@ -130,6 +131,12 @@ func TestLoadTableMessage(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	assert.Equal(t, want, table)
 
+	// Test loading min/max backoff
+	table, err = newTestLoadTable("USER_TABLE", "vitess_message,vt_ack_wait=30,vt_purge_after=120,vt_batch_size=1,vt_cache_size=10,vt_poller_interval=30,vt_min_backoff=10,vt_max_backoff=100", db)
+	want.MessageInfo.MinBackoff = 10 * time.Second
+	want.MessageInfo.MaxBackoff = 100 * time.Second
+	assert.Equal(t, want, table)
+
 	// Missing property
 	_, err = newTestLoadTable("USER_TABLE", "vitess_message,vt_ack_wait=30", db)
 	wanterr := "not specified for message table"
diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/schema/schema.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/schema/schema.go
index c99a279dd30..ebf622bddb6 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/schema/schema.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/schema/schema.go
@@ -92,6 +92,14 @@ type MessageInfo struct {
 	// PollInterval specifies the polling frequency to
 	// look for messages to be sent.
 	PollInterval time.Duration
+
+	// MinBackoff specifies the shortest duration message manager
+	// should wait before rescheduling a message
+	MinBackoff time.Duration
+
+	// MaxBackoff specifies the longest duration message manager
+	// should wait before rescheduling a message
+	MaxBackoff time.Duration
 }
 
 // NewTable creates a new Table.