diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 478f660..ecf9185 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -136,6 +136,8 @@ Client.prototype.pollQueue = function pollQueue (opts = {}, handler) {
  */
 
 Client.prototype.handleMessage = function handleMessage (message, handler) {
+  const { preventVisibilityTimeoutRemoval, visibilityTimeoutOnError } = this.options;
+
   const messagePromise = Promise.resolve().then(function () {
     const body = JSON.parse(message.Body);
 
@@ -145,10 +147,14 @@ Client.prototype.handleMessage = function handleMessage (message, handler) {
   return messagePromise.then(() => {
     return this.deleteMessage(message.ReceiptHandle);
   }).catch(() => {
-    if (this.options.preventVisibilityTimeoutRemoval === true) {
+    if (preventVisibilityTimeoutRemoval === true) {
       return Promise.resolve();
     }
 
+    if (visibilityTimeoutOnError) {
+      return this.changeVisibilityTimeout(message, visibilityTimeoutOnError);
+    }
+
     return this.removeVisibilityTimeout(message);
   });
 };
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 774d5f0..40d24f1 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
     "babel-eslint": "^6.1.2",
     "codecov": "^3.7.1",
     "eslint": "^3.1.1",
+    "lodash.get": "^4.4.2",
     "nyc": "^7.0.0",
     "sinon": "^1.17.4"
   },
diff --git a/tests/poll-queue.js b/tests/poll-queue.js
index e1b7e99..1a9f027 100644
--- a/tests/poll-queue.js
+++ b/tests/poll-queue.js
@@ -129,6 +129,23 @@ test.cb('should call removeVisibilityTimeout after handler throws', (t) => {
   });
 });
 
+test.cb('should call removeVisibilityTimeout after handler throws', (t) => {
+  t.plan(1);
+
+  t.context.data = {
+    Messages: [{ Body: '{ "foobar": "bazqux" }' }]
+  };
+
+  t.context.client.pollQueue({}, function () {
+    setImmediate(function () {
+      t.is(t.context.client.removeVisibilityTimeout.callCount, 1);
+      t.end();
+    });
+
+    throw new Error('bar');
+  });
+});
+
 test.cb('should call poll queue multiple times', (t) => {
   t.plan(1);
 
diff --git a/tests/visibility-timeout-on-error.js b/tests/visibility-timeout-on-error.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cef0970
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/visibility-timeout-on-error.js
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+import test from 'ava';
+import _get from 'lodash.get';
+import sinon from 'sinon';
+
+import sqs from '../index';
+
+test.beforeEach((t) => {
+  t.context.client = sqs({ accessKeyId: 'foo', secretAccessKey: 'bar', queue: 'baz', visibilityTimeoutOnError: 1234 });
+
+  sinon.stub(t.context.client.sqs, 'receiveMessage', function (params, callback) {
+    setImmediate(function () {
+      callback(null, t.context.data);
+    });
+  });
+
+  sinon.stub(t.context.client, 'deleteMessage', function () {
+    return Promise.resolve();
+  });
+
+  sinon.stub(t.context.client, 'changeVisibilityTimeout', function () {
+    return Promise.resolve();
+  });
+
+  sinon.stub(t.context.client, 'removeVisibilityTimeout', function () {
+    return Promise.resolve();
+  });
+});
+
+test.afterEach((t) => {
+  t.context.client.sqs.receiveMessage.restore();
+  t.context.client.deleteMessage.restore();
+  t.context.client.changeVisibilityTimeout.restore();
+  t.context.client.removeVisibilityTimeout.restore();
+});
+
+test.cb('should use `visibilityTimeoutOnError` option', (t) => {
+  t.plan(2);
+
+  t.context.data = {
+    Messages: [{ Body: '{ "foobar": "bazqux" }' }]
+  };
+
+  t.context.client.pollQueue({}, function () {
+    const promise = Promise.resolve();
+
+    setImmediate(function () {
+      promise.then(function () {
+        t.is(_get(t.context.client.changeVisibilityTimeout, 'firstCall.args[1]'), 1234);
+        t.is(t.context.client.changeVisibilityTimeout.callCount, 1);
+        t.end();
+      });
+    });
+
+    return promise.then(function () {
+      throw new Error('bar');
+    });
+  });
+});
+
+test.cb('should call removeVisibilityTimeout after handler throws', (t) => {
+  t.plan(2);
+
+  t.context.data = {
+    Messages: [{ Body: '{ "foobar": "bazqux" }' }]
+  };
+
+  t.context.client.pollQueue({}, function () {
+    setImmediate(function () {
+      t.is(_get(t.context.client.changeVisibilityTimeout, 'firstCall.args[1]'), 1234);
+      t.is(t.context.client.changeVisibilityTimeout.callCount, 1);
+      t.end();
+    });
+
+    throw new Error('bar');
+  });
+});