diff --git a/src/consumer.ts b/src/consumer.ts
index c70a5c9..b96a367 100644
--- a/src/consumer.ts
+++ b/src/consumer.ts
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ export class Consumer extends TypedEventEmitter {
   private alwaysAcknowledge: boolean;
   private batchSize: number;
   private visibilityTimeout: number;
-  private terminateVisibilityTimeout: boolean;
+  private terminateVisibilityTimeout: boolean | number;
   private waitTimeSeconds: number;
   private authenticationErrorTimeout: number;
   private pollingWaitTimeMs: number;
@@ -362,8 +362,12 @@ export class Consumer extends TypedEventEmitter {
     } catch (err) {
       this.emitError(err, message);
 
-      if (this.terminateVisibilityTimeout) {
-        await this.changeVisibilityTimeout(message, 0);
+      if (this.terminateVisibilityTimeout !== false) {
+        const timeout =
+          this.terminateVisibilityTimeout === true
+            ? 0
+            : this.terminateVisibilityTimeout;
+        await this.changeVisibilityTimeout(message, timeout);
       }
     } finally {
       if (this.heartbeatInterval) {
@@ -400,8 +404,12 @@ export class Consumer extends TypedEventEmitter {
     } catch (err) {
       this.emit("error", err, messages);
 
-      if (this.terminateVisibilityTimeout) {
-        await this.changeVisibilityTimeoutBatch(messages, 0);
+      if (this.terminateVisibilityTimeout !== false) {
+        const timeout =
+          this.terminateVisibilityTimeout === true
+            ? 0
+            : this.terminateVisibilityTimeout;
+        await this.changeVisibilityTimeoutBatch(messages, timeout);
       }
     } finally {
       clearInterval(heartbeatTimeoutId);
diff --git a/src/types.ts b/src/types.ts
index aeec5c8..a1ed7aa 100644
--- a/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/types.ts
@@ -66,10 +66,11 @@ export interface ConsumerOptions {
    */
   pollingCompleteWaitTimeMs?: number;
   /**
-   * If true, sets the message visibility timeout to 0 after a `processing_error`.
+   * If true, sets the message visibility timeout to 0 after a `processing_error`. You can
+   * also specify a different timeout using a number.
    * @defaultvalue `false`
    */
-  terminateVisibilityTimeout?: boolean;
+  terminateVisibilityTimeout?: boolean | number;
   /**
    * The interval (in seconds) between requests to extend the message visibility timeout.
    *
diff --git a/test/tests/consumer.test.ts b/test/tests/consumer.test.ts
index df81845..871bcfa 100644
--- a/test/tests/consumer.test.ts
+++ b/test/tests/consumer.test.ts
@@ -1031,6 +1031,29 @@ describe("Consumer", () => {
       );
     });
 
+    it("changes message visibility timeout on processing error", async () => {
+      handleMessage.rejects(new Error("Processing error"));
+
+      consumer.terminateVisibilityTimeout = 10;
+
+      consumer.start();
+      await pEvent(consumer, "processing_error");
+      consumer.stop();
+
+      sandbox.assert.calledWith(
+        sqs.send.secondCall,
+        mockChangeMessageVisibility,
+      );
+      sandbox.assert.match(
+        sqs.send.secondCall.args[0].input,
+        sinon.match({
+          QueueUrl: QUEUE_URL,
+          ReceiptHandle: "receipt-handle",
+          VisibilityTimeout: 10,
+        }),
+      );
+    });
+
     it("does not terminate visibility timeout when `terminateVisibilityTimeout` option is false", async () => {
       handleMessage.rejects(new Error("Processing error"));
       consumer.terminateVisibilityTimeout = false;