diff --git a/lib/tqueue.js b/lib/tqueue.js
index 32e753b..020edce 100644
--- a/lib/tqueue.js
+++ b/lib/tqueue.js
@@ -24,22 +24,26 @@ util.inherits(TQueue, EventEmitter);
 TQueue.prototype.push = function(item) {
   var self = this;
 
+  if (self.empty()) {
+    setTimeout(self.curry(self), this.delay);
+    this.emit('start');
+  }
+ 
   this._items.push(item);
   this.emit('push', item);
 
-  if(this._intervalId == 0) {
-  	this._intervalId = setInterval(function(){self.pop()}, this.delay);
-  	this.emit('start');
-  }
 };
 
-TQueue.prototype.pop = function() {
-  if(!this.empty()) {
-  	this.emit('pop', (this.fifo ? this._items.shift() : this._items.pop()));	
+TQueue.prototype.curry = function(obj) {
+    return function() { obj.pop(obj) }
+};
+
+TQueue.prototype.pop = function(self) {
+  if(!self.empty()) {
+  	self.emit('pop', (self.fifo ? self._items.shift() : self._items.pop()));
+    setTimeout(self.curry(self), self.delay);	
   } else {
-    clearInterval(this._intervalId);
-    this._intervalId = 0;
-    this.emit('empty');
+    self.emit('empty');
   }
 };
 
@@ -51,4 +55,8 @@ TQueue.prototype.empty = function() {
   return (this.length() == 0);
 };
 
+TQueue.prototype.setDelay = function(delay) {
+  this.delay = delay;
+}
+
 module.exports = TQueue;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/tqueue.js b/test/tqueue.js
index 6ad038f..f1b4d45 100644
--- a/test/tqueue.js
+++ b/test/tqueue.js
@@ -71,4 +71,52 @@ describe('tqueue', function() {
 			}
 		});
 	});
+
+    describe('#variable delay', function() {
+		it('should return variable delay in increments of ~1000', function(done) {
+			this.timeout(10000);
+
+			var q = new TQueue();
+			var i = 0;
+			var d = 0;
+
+			q.push(1);
+			q.push(2);
+			q.push(3);
+			q.push(4);
+
+			q.on('pop', function() {
+				switch(i) {
+					case 0:
+				    	d = Date.now();
+						q.delay.should.equal(1000);
+						break;
+					case 1:
+						e = Date.now() - d;
+						d = Date.now();
+						e.should.be.within(995, 1005);
+						q.delay.should.equal(1000);
+						q.setDelay(2000);
+						break;
+					case 2:
+						e = Date.now() - d;
+						d = Date.now();
+						e.should.be.within(1995, 2005);
+						q.delay.should.equal(2000);
+						q.setDelay(3000);
+						break;
+					case 3:
+						e = Date.now() - d;
+						e.should.be.within(2995, 3005);
+						q.delay.should.equal(3000);
+						done();
+						break;
+				}
+				i++;
+			});
+		});
+	});
+
+
+
 });
\ No newline at end of file