diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/EssentialsPlayerListener.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/EssentialsPlayerListener.java
index a135086b1..2b9a21900 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/EssentialsPlayerListener.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/EssentialsPlayerListener.java
@@ -202,22 +202,6 @@ public class EssentialsPlayerListener implements Listener {
         dUser.updateActivity(false);
         dUser.stopTransaction();
 
-        IText tempInput = null;
-
-        if (!ess.getSettings().isCommandDisabled("motd")) {
-            try {
-                tempInput = new TextInput(dUser.getSource(), "motd", true, ess);
-            } catch (IOException ex) {
-                if (ess.getSettings().isDebug()) {
-                    LOGGER.log(Level.WARNING, ex.getMessage(), ex);
-                } else {
-                    LOGGER.log(Level.WARNING, ex.getMessage());
-                }
-            }
-        }
-
-        final IText input = tempInput;
-
         class DelayJoinTask implements Runnable {
             @Override
             public void run() {
@@ -262,10 +246,12 @@ public class EssentialsPlayerListener implements Listener {
                     ess.getServer().broadcastMessage(message);
                 }
 
-                if (input != null && user.isAuthorized("essentials.motd")) {
-                    final IText output = new KeywordReplacer(input, user.getSource(), ess);
-                    final TextPager pager = new TextPager(output, true);
-                    pager.showPage("1", null, "motd", user.getSource());
+                int motdDelay = ess.getSettings().getMotdDelay() / 50;
+                DelayMotdTask motdTask = new DelayMotdTask(user);
+                if (motdDelay > 0) {
+                    ess.scheduleSyncDelayedTask(motdTask, motdDelay);
+                } else {
+                    motdTask.run();
                 }
 
                 if (!ess.getSettings().isCommandDisabled("mail") && user.isAuthorized("essentials.mail")) {
@@ -302,6 +288,39 @@ public class EssentialsPlayerListener implements Listener {
 
                 user.stopTransaction();
             }
+
+            class DelayMotdTask implements Runnable {
+                private User user;
+
+                public DelayMotdTask(User user) {
+                    this.user = user;
+                }
+
+                @Override
+                public void run() {
+                    IText tempInput = null;
+
+                    if (!ess.getSettings().isCommandDisabled("motd")) {
+                        try {
+                            tempInput = new TextInput(user.getSource(), "motd", true, ess);
+                        } catch (IOException ex) {
+                            if (ess.getSettings().isDebug()) {
+                                LOGGER.log(Level.WARNING, ex.getMessage(), ex);
+                            } else {
+                                LOGGER.log(Level.WARNING, ex.getMessage());
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
+
+                    final IText input = tempInput;
+
+                    if (input != null && user.isAuthorized("essentials.motd")) {
+                        final IText output = new KeywordReplacer(input, user.getSource(), ess);
+                        final TextPager pager = new TextPager(output, true);
+                        pager.showPage("1", null, "motd", user.getSource());
+                    }
+                }
+            }
         }
 
         ess.scheduleSyncDelayedTask(new DelayJoinTask());
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/ISettings.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/ISettings.java
index 57f45ea02..4e3376370 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/ISettings.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/ISettings.java
@@ -279,4 +279,6 @@ public interface ISettings extends IConf {
     boolean isAddingSuffixInPlayerlist();
 
     int getNotifyPlayerOfMailCooldown();
+
+    int getMotdDelay();
 }
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/Settings.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/Settings.java
index bfe4c7bd0..39b41403f 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/Settings.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/Settings.java
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ import java.text.DecimalFormat;
 import java.text.DecimalFormatSymbols;
 import java.text.NumberFormat;
 import java.util.*;
-import java.util.Locale.Category;
 import java.util.Map.Entry;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
@@ -33,8 +32,6 @@ import static com.earth2me.essentials.I18n.tl;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 import java.util.regex.PatternSyntaxException;
 
-import com.google.common.base.Preconditions;
-
 
 public class Settings implements net.ess3.api.ISettings {
     private final transient EssentialsConf config;
@@ -1414,4 +1411,9 @@ public class Settings implements net.ess3.api.ISettings {
     public int getNotifyPlayerOfMailCooldown() {
         return config.getInt("notify-player-of-mail-cooldown", 0);
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public int getMotdDelay() {
+        return config.getInt("delay-motd", 0);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/Essentials/src/config.yml b/Essentials/src/config.yml
index 8d51688ab..3834950c5 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/config.yml
+++ b/Essentials/src/config.yml
@@ -542,6 +542,10 @@ pastebin-createkit: true
 # This is useful when a sign sells or buys one item at a time and the player wants to sell a bunch at once.
 allow-bulk-buy-sell: true
 
+# Delay for the MOTD display for players on join, in milliseconds.
+# This has no effect if the MOTD command or permission are disabled.
+delay-motd: 0
+
 ############################################################
 # +------------------------------------------------------+ #
 # |                   EssentialsHome                     | #