diff --git a/c_src/erlzmq_nif.c b/c_src/erlzmq_nif.c
index a894f9b..ea69b8d 100644
--- a/c_src/erlzmq_nif.c
+++ b/c_src/erlzmq_nif.c
@@ -28,6 +28,14 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
+#include <limits.h>
+
+#if (defined APPLE || defined __APPLE__)
+#include <mach/clock.h>
+#include <mach/mach.h>
+#else
+#include <time.h>
+#endif
 
 #define ERLZMQ_MAX_CONCURRENT_REQUESTS 16384
 
@@ -63,6 +71,7 @@ typedef struct erlzmq_socket {
 
 typedef struct {
   int type;
+  int64_t deadline;
   union {
     struct {
       erlzmq_socket_t * socket;
@@ -544,6 +553,52 @@ NIF(erlzmq_nif_getsockopt)
   }
 }
 
+// Can't use enif_monotonic_time(ERL_NIF_MSEC) for time calculation, as it only works in
+// scheduler threads. The zclock mono code is derived from the code in the czmq library.
+
+static int64_t zclock_mono()
+{
+#if (defined APPLE || defined __APPLE__)
+  clock_serv_t cclock;
+  mach_timespec_t mts;
+  host_get_clock_service (mach_host_self (), SYSTEM_CLOCK, &cclock);
+  clock_get_time (cclock, &mts);
+  mach_port_deallocate (mach_task_self (), cclock);
+  return (int64_t) ((int64_t) mts.tv_sec * 1000 + (int64_t) mts.tv_nsec / 1000000);
+
+#elif (defined WIN32 || defined _WIN32 || defined WINDOWS || defined _WINDOWS || defined __WINDOWS__)
+  //  System frequency does not change at run-time, cache it
+  static int64_t frequency = 0;
+  if (frequency == 0) {
+    LARGE_INTEGER freq;
+    QueryPerformanceFrequency (&freq);
+    // Windows documentation says that XP and later will always return non-zero
+    assert (freq.QuadPart != 0);
+    frequency = freq.QuadPart;
+  }
+  LARGE_INTEGER count;
+  QueryPerformanceCounter (&count);
+  return (int64_t) (count.QuadPart * 1000) / frequency;
+#else
+  struct timespec ts;
+  clock_gettime (CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &ts);
+  return (int64_t) ((int64_t) ts.tv_sec * 1000 + (int64_t) ts.tv_nsec / 1000000);
+#endif
+}
+
+static void set_socket_deadline(erlzmq_thread_request_t* req, int option_name)
+{
+  int timeout_ms = 0;
+  size_t option_len = sizeof(int);
+  assert(req->data.recv.socket->socket_zmq);
+  int rc = zmq_getsockopt(req->data.recv.socket->socket_zmq, option_name, &timeout_ms, &option_len);
+  if (rc != 0) {
+    fprintf(stderr, "failed to get socket timeout option: %s\n", zmq_strerror(zmq_errno()));
+  }
+  int64_t now = zclock_mono();
+  req->deadline = timeout_ms > 0 ? now + timeout_ms : 0;
+}
+
 NIF(erlzmq_nif_send)
 {
   erlzmq_thread_request_t req;
@@ -605,6 +660,7 @@ NIF(erlzmq_nif_send)
     req.data.send.ref = enif_make_ref(req.data.send.env);
     enif_self(env, &req.data.send.pid);
     req.data.send.socket = socket;
+    set_socket_deadline(&req, ZMQ_SNDTIMEO);
 
     zmq_msg_t msg;
     if (zmq_msg_init_size(&msg, sizeof(erlzmq_thread_request_t))) {
@@ -700,6 +756,7 @@ NIF(erlzmq_nif_recv)
     req.data.recv.ref = enif_make_ref(req.data.recv.env);
     enif_self(env, &req.data.recv.pid);
     req.data.recv.socket = socket;
+    set_socket_deadline(&req, ZMQ_RCVTIMEO);
 
     if (zmq_msg_init_size(&msg, sizeof(erlzmq_thread_request_t)) == -1) {
       enif_free_env(req.data.recv.env);
@@ -766,6 +823,7 @@ NIF(erlzmq_nif_close)
   req.data.close.ref = enif_make_ref(req.data.close.env);
   enif_self(env, &req.data.close.pid);
   req.data.close.socket = socket;
+  req.deadline = 0;
 
   zmq_msg_t msg;
   if (zmq_msg_init_size(&msg, sizeof(erlzmq_thread_request_t))) {
@@ -830,6 +888,7 @@ NIF(erlzmq_nif_term)
 
   erlzmq_thread_request_t req;
   req.type = ERLZMQ_THREAD_REQUEST_TERM;
+  req.deadline = 0;
   req.data.term.env = enif_alloc_env();
   req.data.term.ref = enif_make_ref(req.data.term.env);
   enif_self(env, &req.data.term.pid);
@@ -880,6 +939,53 @@ NIF(erlzmq_nif_version)
                           enif_make_int(env, patch));
 }
 
+static int64_t remove_expired_items_and_determine_timeout(vector_t *items_zmq, vector_t *requests) {
+  int64_t deadline = LLONG_MAX;
+  int64_t now = zclock_mono();
+  for (int i = 1; i < vector_count(items_zmq); ++i) {
+    zmq_pollitem_t * item = vector_get(zmq_pollitem_t, items_zmq, i);
+    erlzmq_thread_request_t * r = vector_get(erlzmq_thread_request_t, requests, i);
+    int64_t now = zclock_mono();
+    if (r->deadline && r->deadline <= now) {
+      int remove_item = 0;
+      if (r->type == ERLZMQ_THREAD_REQUEST_RECV) {
+        enif_send(NULL, &r->data.recv.pid, r->data.recv.env,
+                  enif_make_tuple2(r->data.recv.env,
+                      enif_make_copy(r->data.recv.env, r->data.recv.ref),
+                      return_zmq_errno(r->data.recv.env, EAGAIN)));
+            enif_free_env(r->data.recv.env);
+            enif_release_resource(r->data.recv.socket);
+            remove_item = 1;
+      } else if (r->type == ERLZMQ_THREAD_REQUEST_SEND) {
+        enif_send(NULL, &r->data.send.pid, r->data.send.env,
+                  enif_make_tuple2(r->data.send.env,
+                      enif_make_copy(r->data.send.env, r->data.send.ref),
+                      return_zmq_errno(r->data.send.env, EAGAIN)));
+        enif_free_env(r->data.send.env);
+        enif_release_resource(r->data.send.socket);
+        remove_item = 1;
+      }
+      if (remove_item) {
+        int status = vector_remove(items_zmq, i);
+        assert(status == 0);
+        status = vector_remove(requests, i);
+        assert(status == 0);
+        --i;
+      }
+    } else if (r->deadline && r->deadline < deadline) {
+        deadline = r->deadline;
+    }
+  }
+  int64_t timeout;
+  if (deadline == LLONG_MAX)
+      timeout = -1;
+  else {
+    timeout = deadline - now;
+    assert(timeout > 0);
+  }
+  return timeout;
+}
+
 static void * polling_thread(void * handle)
 {
   erlzmq_context_t * context = (erlzmq_context_t *) handle;
@@ -909,8 +1015,9 @@ static void * polling_thread(void * handle)
 
   int i;
   for (;;) {
+    int64_t timeout = remove_expired_items_and_determine_timeout(&items_zmq, &requests);
     int count = zmq_poll(vector_p(zmq_pollitem_t, &items_zmq),
-                         vector_count(&items_zmq), -1);
+                         vector_count(&items_zmq), timeout);
     assert(count != -1);
     if (vector_get(zmq_pollitem_t, &items_zmq, 0)->revents & ZMQ_POLLIN) {
       --count;
@@ -1240,6 +1347,7 @@ static ERL_NIF_TERM add_active_req(ErlNifEnv* env, erlzmq_socket_t * socket)
   req.data.recv.flags = 0;
   enif_self(env, &req.data.recv.pid);
   req.data.recv.socket = socket;
+  set_socket_deadline(&req, ZMQ_RCVTIMEO);
 
   zmq_msg_t msg;
   if (zmq_msg_init_size(&msg, sizeof(erlzmq_thread_request_t))) {
diff --git a/src/erlzmq.erl b/src/erlzmq.erl
index dd479ff..8cb8f23 100644
--- a/src/erlzmq.erl
+++ b/src/erlzmq.erl
@@ -186,13 +186,6 @@ send({I, Socket}, Binary, Flags)
                     ok;
                 {Ref, {error, _} = Error} ->
                     Error
-            after case  erlzmq_nif:getsockopt(Socket,?'ZMQ_SNDTIMEO') of
-                       {ok, -1} ->
-                           infinity;
-                       {ok, Else} ->
-                           Else
-                   end ->
-                    {error, eagain}
             end;
         Result ->
             Result
@@ -251,13 +244,6 @@ recv({I, Socket}, Flags)
                     Error;
                 {Ref, Result} ->
                     {ok, Result}
-            after case erlzmq_nif:getsockopt(Socket,?'ZMQ_RCVTIMEO') of
-                      {ok, -1} ->
-                          infinity;
-                      {ok, Else} ->
-                          Else
-                  end ->
-                    {error, eagain}
             end;
         Result ->
             Result
diff --git a/test/erlzmq_test.erl b/test/erlzmq_test.erl
index 2f9e404..561959c 100644
--- a/test/erlzmq_test.erl
+++ b/test/erlzmq_test.erl
@@ -492,3 +492,50 @@ basic_tests(Transport, Type1, Type2, Mode) ->
     ok = erlzmq:close(S2),
     ok = erlzmq:term(C).
 
+recv_timeout_breaks_message_guarantees_test() ->
+    ?PRINT_START,
+    {ok, C} = erlzmq:context(1),
+    {ok, S1} = erlzmq:socket(C, [push, {active, false}]),
+    {ok, S2} = erlzmq:socket(C, [pull, {active, false}]),
+
+    ok = erlzmq:setsockopt(S2, sndtimeo, 500),
+    ok = erlzmq:setsockopt(S2, rcvtimeo, 500),
+
+    ok = erlzmq:connect(S1, "tcp://127.0.0.1:5559"),
+    ok = erlzmq:bind(S2, "tcp://*:5559"),
+
+    ok = erlzmq:send(S1, <<"ABC">>, [sndmore]),
+    ok = erlzmq:send(S1, <<"DEF">>),
+
+    %% send and receive a multipart message. should be fine.
+    {ok, Msg1} = erlzmq:recv(S2),
+    ?assertEqual(<<"ABC">> , Msg1),
+    {ok, RcvMore1} = erlzmq:getsockopt(S2, rcvmore),
+    ?assert(RcvMore1 > 0),
+    {ok, Msg2} = erlzmq:recv(S2),
+    {ok, RcvMore2} = erlzmq:getsockopt(S2, rcvmore),
+    ?assertEqual(0, RcvMore2),
+    ?assertEqual(<<"DEF">>, Msg2),
+
+    %% try to read when no message is there. this should time out.
+
+    ?assertMatch({error, eagain}, erlzmq:recv(S2)),
+
+    %% %% send the next multipart message.
+    ok = erlzmq:send(S1, <<"GHI">>, [sndmore]),
+    ok = erlzmq:send(S1, <<"JKL">>),
+
+    %% now receive all parts.
+    {ok, Msg3} = erlzmq:recv(S2),
+    ?assertEqual(<<"GHI">> , Msg3),
+    {ok, RcvMore3} = erlzmq:getsockopt(S2, rcvmore),
+    ?assert(RcvMore3 > 0),
+    {ok, Msg4} = erlzmq:recv(S2),
+    {ok, RcvMore4} = erlzmq:getsockopt(S2, rcvmore),
+    ?assertEqual(0, RcvMore4),
+    ?assertEqual(<<"JKL">>, Msg4),
+
+    ok = erlzmq:close(S1),
+    ok = erlzmq:close(S2),
+    ok = erlzmq:term(C),
+    ?PRINT_END.