diff --git a/awx/main/consumers.py b/awx/main/consumers.py
index b6d8872ebdc1..85acb2cc5fa2 100644
--- a/awx/main/consumers.py
+++ b/awx/main/consumers.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import collections
 import json
 import logging
 import time
@@ -12,12 +13,53 @@
 from channels.generic.websocket import AsyncJsonWebsocketConsumer
 from channels.layers import get_channel_layer
 from channels.db import database_sync_to_async
+from channels_redis.core import RedisChannelLayer
 
 
 logger = logging.getLogger('awx.main.consumers')
 XRF_KEY = '_auth_user_xrf'
 
 
+class ExpiringCache(collections.defaultdict):
+    def __init__(self, default, ttl=60, *args, **kw):
+        collections.defaultdict.__init__(self, default)
+        self._expires = collections.OrderedDict()
+        self.ttl = ttl
+
+    def __setitem__(self, k, v):
+        collections.defaultdict.__setitem__(self, k, v)
+        self._expires[k] = time.time() + self.ttl
+
+    def __delitem__(self, k):
+        try:
+            collections.defaultdict.__delitem__(self, k)
+        except KeyError:
+            # RedisChannelLayer itself _does_ periodically clean up this
+            # dictionary (e.g., when exceptions like asyncio.CancelledError
+            # occur)
+            pass
+
+    def expire(self):
+        expired = []
+        for k in self._expires.keys():
+            if self._expires[k] < time.time():
+                expired.append(k)
+            else:
+                # as this is an OrderedDict, every key after this
+                # was inserted *later*, so if _this_ key is *not* expired,
+                # the ones after it aren't either (so we can stop iterating)
+                break
+        for k in expired:
+            del self._expires[k]
+            del self[k]
+
+
+class ExpiringRedisChannelLayer(RedisChannelLayer):
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kw):
+        super(ExpiringRedisChannelLayer, self).__init__(*args, **kw)
+        self.receive_buffer = ExpiringCache(asyncio.Queue, ttl=self.expiry)
+
+
 class WebsocketSecretAuthHelper:
     """
     Middlewareish for websockets to verify node websocket broadcast interconnect.
@@ -106,6 +148,7 @@ async def connect(self):
     async def disconnect(self, code):
         logger.info(f"client '{self.channel_name}' disconnected from the broadcast group.")
         await self.channel_layer.group_discard(settings.BROADCAST_WEBSOCKET_GROUP_NAME, self.channel_name)
+        self.channel_layer.receive_buffer.expire()
 
     async def internal_message(self, event):
         await self.send(event['text'])
@@ -137,6 +180,7 @@ async def disconnect(self, code):
                 group_name,
                 self.channel_name,
             )
+        self.channel_layer.receive_buffer.expire()
 
     @database_sync_to_async
     def user_can_see_object_id(self, user_access, oid):
diff --git a/awx/settings/defaults.py b/awx/settings/defaults.py
index fe7c8c0ba345..76cf46060a44 100644
--- a/awx/settings/defaults.py
+++ b/awx/settings/defaults.py
@@ -916,7 +916,7 @@ def IS_TESTING(argv=None):
 
 CHANNEL_LAYERS = {
     "default": {
-        "BACKEND": "channels_redis.core.RedisChannelLayer",
+        "BACKEND": "awx.main.consumers.ExpiringRedisChannelLayer",
         "CONFIG": {
             "hosts": [BROKER_URL],
             "capacity": 10000,