diff --git a/irc/client.go b/irc/client.go
index b56a1768..c199739d 100644
--- a/irc/client.go
+++ b/irc/client.go
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ type Client struct {
 // NewClient returns a client with all the appropriate info setup.
 func NewClient(server *Server, conn net.Conn, isTLS bool) *Client {
 	now := time.Now()
-	socket := NewSocket(conn)
+	socket := NewSocket(conn, server.MaxSendQBytes)
 	go socket.RunSocketWriter()
 	client := &Client{
 		atime:          now,
diff --git a/irc/config.go b/irc/config.go
index 395c8d54..ac66cb7f 100644
--- a/irc/config.go
+++ b/irc/config.go
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
+	"code.cloudfoundry.org/bytefmt"
+
 	"github.com/DanielOaks/oragono/irc/custime"
 	"github.com/DanielOaks/oragono/irc/logger"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
@@ -171,6 +173,8 @@ type Config struct {
 		RestAPI            RestAPIConfig `yaml:"rest-api"`
 		CheckIdent         bool          `yaml:"check-ident"`
 		MOTD               string
+		MaxSendQString     string `yaml:"max-sendq"`
+		MaxSendQBytes      uint64
 		ConnectionLimits   ConnectionLimitsConfig   `yaml:"connection-limits"`
 		ConnectionThrottle ConnectionThrottleConfig `yaml:"connection-throttling"`
 	}
@@ -433,5 +437,10 @@ func LoadConfig(filename string) (config *Config, err error) {
 	}
 	config.Logging = newLogConfigs
 
+	config.Server.MaxSendQBytes, err = bytefmt.ToBytes(config.Server.MaxSendQString)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Could not parse maximum SendQ size (make sure it only contains whole numbers): %s", err.Error())
+	}
+
 	return config, nil
 }
diff --git a/irc/server.go b/irc/server.go
index 8d4466ba..2c8238fe 100644
--- a/irc/server.go
+++ b/irc/server.go
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ type Server struct {
 	listeners                    map[string]ListenerInterface
 	listenerUpdateMutex          sync.Mutex
 	logger                       *logger.Manager
+	MaxSendQBytes                uint64
 	monitoring                   map[string][]Client
 	motdLines                    []string
 	name                         string
@@ -211,6 +212,7 @@ func NewServer(configFilename string, config *Config, logger *logger.Manager) (*
 		},
 		listeners:      make(map[string]ListenerInterface),
 		logger:         logger,
+		MaxSendQBytes:  config.Server.MaxSendQBytes,
 		monitoring:     make(map[string][]Client),
 		name:           config.Server.Name,
 		nameCasefolded: casefoldedName,
@@ -1413,6 +1415,18 @@ func (server *Server) rehash() error {
 	accountReg := NewAccountRegistration(config.Accounts.Registration)
 	server.accountRegistration = &accountReg
 
+	// set new sendqueue size
+	if config.Server.MaxSendQBytes != server.MaxSendQBytes {
+		server.MaxSendQBytes = config.Server.MaxSendQBytes
+
+		// update on all clients
+		server.clients.ByNickMutex.RLock()
+		for _, sClient := range server.clients.ByNick {
+			sClient.socket.MaxSendQBytes = config.Server.MaxSendQBytes
+		}
+		server.clients.ByNickMutex.RUnlock()
+	}
+
 	// set RPL_ISUPPORT
 	oldISupportList := server.isupport
 	server.setISupport()
diff --git a/irc/socket.go b/irc/socket.go
index 3c76649e..37c7cd0f 100644
--- a/irc/socket.go
+++ b/irc/socket.go
@@ -30,16 +30,19 @@ type Socket struct {
 	conn   net.Conn
 	reader *bufio.Reader
 
+	MaxSendQBytes uint64
+
 	lineToSendExists chan bool
 	linesToSend      []string
 	linesToSendMutex sync.Mutex
 }
 
 // NewSocket returns a new Socket.
-func NewSocket(conn net.Conn) Socket {
+func NewSocket(conn net.Conn, maxSendQBytes uint64) Socket {
 	return Socket{
 		conn:             conn,
 		reader:           bufio.NewReader(conn),
+		MaxSendQBytes:    maxSendQBytes,
 		lineToSendExists: make(chan bool),
 	}
 }
@@ -130,6 +133,19 @@ func (socket *Socket) RunSocketWriter() {
 		case <-socket.lineToSendExists:
 			socket.linesToSendMutex.Lock()
 
+			// check sendq
+			var sendQBytes uint64
+			for _, line := range socket.linesToSend {
+				sendQBytes += uint64(len(line))
+				if socket.MaxSendQBytes < sendQBytes {
+					break
+				}
+			}
+			if socket.MaxSendQBytes < sendQBytes {
+				socket.conn.Write([]byte("\r\nERROR :SendQ Exceeded\r\n"))
+				break
+			}
+
 			// get data
 			data := socket.linesToSend[0]
 			if len(socket.linesToSend) > 1 {
diff --git a/oragono.yaml b/oragono.yaml
index d9eec794..5d8cbf7f 100644
--- a/oragono.yaml
+++ b/oragono.yaml
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ server:
     # if you change the motd, you should move it to ircd.motd
     motd: oragono.motd
 
+    # maximum length of clients' sendQ in bytes
+    max-sendq: 16k
+
     # maximum number of connections per subnet
     connection-limits:
         # whether to throttle limits or not