diff --git a/dist/consumer.d.ts b/dist/consumer.d.ts
index 90e1aa09..4493e4b2 100644
--- a/dist/consumer.d.ts
+++ b/dist/consumer.d.ts
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ export declare class Consumer extends EventEmitter {
     stop(): void;
     setBatchSize(newBatchSize: number): void;
     setConcurrencyLimit(newConcurrencyLimit: number): void;
+    setPollingWaitTimeMs(newPollingWaitTimeMs: number): void;
     reportMessageFromBatchFinished(message: SQSMessage, error: Error): Promise<void>;
     private reportNumberOfMessagesReceived;
     private handleSqsResponse;
diff --git a/dist/consumer.js b/dist/consumer.js
index 2f4ff975..b7dfe4eb 100644
--- a/dist/consumer.js
+++ b/dist/consumer.js
@@ -126,6 +126,9 @@ class Consumer extends events_1.EventEmitter {
         this.concurrencyLimit = newConcurrencyLimit;
         this.freeConcurrentSlots = newFreeConcurrentSlots;
     }
+    setPollingWaitTimeMs(newPollingWaitTimeMs) {
+        this.pollingWaitTimeMs = newPollingWaitTimeMs;
+    }
     async reportMessageFromBatchFinished(message, error) {
         debug('Message from batch has finished');
         this.freeConcurrentSlots++;
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 20b9e5ec..639fbc60 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "sqs-consumer",
-  "version": "5.8.0",
+  "version": "6.2.0",
   "lockfileVersion": 1,
   "requires": true,
   "dependencies": {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e4bcabdf..3b983e1e 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "sqs-consumer",
-  "version": "6.1.0",
+  "version": "6.2.0",
   "description": "Build SQS-based Node applications without the boilerplate",
   "main": "dist/index.js",
   "types": "dist/index.d.ts",
diff --git a/src/consumer.ts b/src/consumer.ts
index ed7705d4..df7d7ca3 100644
--- a/src/consumer.ts
+++ b/src/consumer.ts
@@ -207,6 +207,10 @@ export class Consumer extends EventEmitter {
     this.freeConcurrentSlots = newFreeConcurrentSlots;
   }
 
+  public setPollingWaitTimeMs(newPollingWaitTimeMs: number): void {
+    this.pollingWaitTimeMs = newPollingWaitTimeMs;
+  }
+
   public async reportMessageFromBatchFinished(message: SQSMessage, error: Error): Promise<void> {
     debug('Message from batch has finished');