diff --git a/homeassistant/components/media_player/onkyo.py b/homeassistant/components/media_player/onkyo.py
index 587031653852dc..b11a40901774e7 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/media_player/onkyo.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/media_player/onkyo.py
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@
 
 from homeassistant.components.media_player import (
     SUPPORT_TURN_OFF, SUPPORT_TURN_ON, SUPPORT_VOLUME_MUTE, SUPPORT_VOLUME_SET,
-    SUPPORT_SELECT_SOURCE, SUPPORT_PLAY, MediaPlayerDevice, PLATFORM_SCHEMA)
+    SUPPORT_VOLUME_STEP, SUPPORT_SELECT_SOURCE, SUPPORT_PLAY,
+    MediaPlayerDevice, PLATFORM_SCHEMA)
 from homeassistant.const import (STATE_OFF, STATE_ON, CONF_HOST, CONF_NAME)
 import homeassistant.helpers.config_validation as cv
 
@@ -27,7 +28,8 @@
 DEFAULT_NAME = 'Onkyo Receiver'
 
 SUPPORT_ONKYO = SUPPORT_VOLUME_SET | SUPPORT_VOLUME_MUTE | \
-    SUPPORT_TURN_ON | SUPPORT_TURN_OFF | SUPPORT_SELECT_SOURCE | SUPPORT_PLAY
+    SUPPORT_VOLUME_STEP | SUPPORT_TURN_ON | SUPPORT_TURN_OFF | \
+    SUPPORT_SELECT_SOURCE | SUPPORT_PLAY
 
 KNOWN_HOSTS = []  # type: List[str]
 DEFAULT_SOURCES = {'tv': 'TV', 'bd': 'Bluray', 'game': 'Game', 'aux1': 'Aux1',
@@ -82,6 +84,8 @@ class OnkyoDevice(MediaPlayerDevice):
 
     def __init__(self, receiver, sources, name=None):
         """Initialize the Onkyo Receiver."""
+        from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor
+
         self._receiver = receiver
         self._muted = False
         self._volume = 0
@@ -93,7 +97,9 @@ def __init__(self, receiver, sources, name=None):
         self._source_mapping = sources
         self._reverse_mapping = {value: key for key, value in sources.items()}
 
-    def command(self, command):
+        self._executor = ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=1)
+
+    def execute_command(self, command):
         """Run an eiscp command and catch connection errors."""
         try:
             result = self._receiver.command(command)
@@ -107,6 +113,11 @@ def command(self, command):
             return False
         return result
 
+    def command(self, command):
+        """Add a command to the execution queue and wait for a result."""
+        future = self._executor.submit(self.execute_command, command)
+        return future.result()
+
     def update(self):
         """Get the latest state from the device."""
         status = self.command('system-power query')
@@ -186,6 +197,14 @@ def set_volume_level(self, volume):
         """Set volume level, input is range 0..1. Onkyo ranges from 1-80."""
         self.command('volume {}'.format(int(volume*80)))
 
+    def volume_up(self):
+        """Increase volume by 1 step."""
+        self.command('volume level-up')
+
+    def volume_down(self):
+        """Decrease volume by 1 step."""
+        self.command('volume level-down')
+
     def mute_volume(self, mute):
         """Mute (true) or unmute (false) media player."""
         if mute:
@@ -251,6 +270,14 @@ def set_volume_level(self, volume):
         """Set volume level, input is range 0..1. Onkyo ranges from 1-80."""
         self.command('zone2.volume={}'.format(int(volume*80)))
 
+    def volume_up(self):
+        """Increase volume by 1 step."""
+        self.command('zone2.volume=level-up')
+
+    def volume_down(self):
+        """Decrease volume by 1 step."""
+        self.command('zone2.volume=level-down')
+
     def mute_volume(self, mute):
         """Mute (true) or unmute (false) media player."""
         if mute: