diff --git a/sqs/mock.go b/sqs/mock.go
index 62ba386..3e29ef3 100644
--- a/sqs/mock.go
+++ b/sqs/mock.go
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ func newMockServer(concurrency int, mockSQS *mockSQSAPI) *Server {
 		serverCancelFunc:      serverCancelFunc,
 		QueueURL:              "https://myqueue.com",
 		Svc:                   mockSQS,
+		retryTimeout:          100,
 	}
 
 	return srv
diff --git a/sqs/server.go b/sqs/server.go
index e579ee5..5fa0c52 100644
--- a/sqs/server.go
+++ b/sqs/server.go
@@ -3,9 +3,12 @@ package sqs
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
+	crand "crypto/rand"
+	"encoding/binary"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
+	"math/rand"
 	"os"
 	"time"
 
@@ -21,6 +24,15 @@ import (
 	msg "github.com/zerofox-oss/go-msg"
 )
 
+func init() {
+	var b [8]byte
+	_, err := crand.Read(b[:])
+	if err != nil {
+		panic("cannot seed math/rand package with cryptographically secure random number generator")
+	}
+	rand.Seed(int64(binary.LittleEndian.Uint64(b[:])))
+}
+
 // Server represents a msg.Server for receiving messages
 // from an AWS SQS Queue
 type Server struct {
@@ -31,6 +43,7 @@ type Server struct {
 
 	maxConcurrentReceives chan struct{} // The maximum number of message processing routines allowed
 	retryTimeout          int64         // Visbility Timeout for a message when a receiver fails
+	retryJitter           int64
 
 	receiverCtx        context.Context    // context used to control the life of receivers
 	receiverCancelFunc context.CancelFunc // CancelFunc for all receiver routines
@@ -102,7 +115,7 @@ func (s *Server) Serve(r msg.Receiver) error {
 						params := &sqs.ChangeMessageVisibilityInput{
 							QueueUrl:          aws.String(s.QueueURL),
 							ReceiptHandle:     sqsMsg.ReceiptHandle,
-							VisibilityTimeout: aws.Int64(s.retryTimeout),
+							VisibilityTimeout: aws.Int64(getVisiblityTimeout(s.retryTimeout, s.retryJitter)),
 						}
 						if _, err := s.Svc.ChangeMessageVisibility(params); err != nil {
 							log.Printf("[ERROR] cannot change message visibility %s", err)
@@ -125,6 +138,14 @@ func (s *Server) Serve(r msg.Receiver) error {
 	}
 }
 
+func getVisiblityTimeout(retryTimeout int64, retryJitter int64) int64 {
+	if retryJitter > retryTimeout {
+		panic("jitter must be less than or equal to retryTimeout")
+	}
+	minRetry, maxRetry := retryTimeout-retryJitter, retryTimeout+retryJitter
+	return int64(rand.Intn(int(maxRetry-minRetry)+1) + int(minRetry))
+}
+
 const shutdownPollInterval = 500 * time.Millisecond
 
 // Shutdown stops the receipt of new messages and waits for routines
@@ -260,3 +281,21 @@ func WithRetries(delay time.Duration, max int) Option {
 		return nil
 	}
 }
+
+// WithRetryJitter sets a value for Jitter on the VisibilityTimeout.
+// With jitter applied every message that needs to be retried will
+// have a visibility timeout in the interval:
+// [(visibilityTimeout - jitter), visibilityTimeout + jitter)]
+func WithRetryJitter(retryJitter int64) Option {
+	return func(s *Server) error {
+		if retryJitter > s.retryTimeout {
+			return fmt.Errorf(
+				"invalid jitter: %d. Jitter must be less or equal to the retryTimeout (%d)",
+				retryJitter,
+				s.retryTimeout,
+			)
+		}
+		s.retryJitter = retryJitter
+		return nil
+	}
+}
diff --git a/sqs/server_test.go b/sqs/server_test.go
index f89b3e1..18cf427 100644
--- a/sqs/server_test.go
+++ b/sqs/server_test.go
@@ -249,3 +249,63 @@ func TestServer_ShutdownHard(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected context.DeadlineExceeded, got %v", err)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestWithRetryJitter_SetsValidJitter(t *testing.T) {
+	jitter := 10
+	msgs := newSQSMessages(0)
+	srv := newMockServer(1, newMockSQSAPI(msgs, t))
+	optionFunc := WithRetryJitter(int64(jitter))
+	err := optionFunc(srv)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected error %s", err)
+	}
+	if srv.retryJitter != int64(jitter) {
+		t.Errorf("Expected retryJitter to be %d", jitter)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestWithRetryJitter_ErrorOnInvalidJitter(t *testing.T) {
+	jitter := 1000
+	msgs := newSQSMessages(0)
+	srv := newMockServer(1, newMockSQSAPI(msgs, t))
+	optionFunc := WithRetryJitter(int64(jitter))
+	err := optionFunc(srv)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("Expected error, received nil")
+	}
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(err.Error(), "invalid jitter:") {
+		t.Errorf("expected error to start with 'invalid jitter:', error is '%s'", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestGetVisiblityTimeout_NoJitter(t *testing.T) {
+	var retryTimeout int64 = 100
+	var jitter int64 = 0
+	val := getVisiblityTimeout(retryTimeout, jitter)
+	if val < (retryTimeout-jitter) || val > (retryTimeout+jitter) {
+		t.Errorf("val should be in the interval %d±%d", retryTimeout, jitter)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestGetVisiblityTimeout_ValidJitter(t *testing.T) {
+	var retryTimeout int64 = 100
+	var jitter int64 = 10
+	val := getVisiblityTimeout(retryTimeout, jitter)
+	if val < (retryTimeout-jitter) || val > (retryTimeout+jitter) {
+		t.Errorf("val should be in the interval %d±%d", retryTimeout, jitter)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestGetVisiblityTimeout_InvalidJitter(t *testing.T) {
+	var retryTimeout int64 = 100
+	var jitter int64 = 1000
+	defer func() {
+		if r := recover(); r == nil {
+			t.Errorf("Expected panic")
+		}
+	}()
+	val := getVisiblityTimeout(retryTimeout, jitter)
+	if val < (retryTimeout-jitter) || val > (retryTimeout+jitter) {
+		t.Errorf("val should be in the interval %d±%d", retryTimeout, jitter)
+	}
+}