diff --git a/channel.go b/channel.go
index 752925fe..69dcf315 100644
--- a/channel.go
+++ b/channel.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/uber/tchannel-go/timers"
 	"github.com/uber/tchannel-go/tnet"
 
 	"github.com/opentracing/opentracing-go"
@@ -69,6 +70,10 @@ type ChannelOptions struct {
 	// clamped to this value). Passing zero uses the default of 2m.
 	RelayMaxTimeout time.Duration
 
+	// RelayTimeoutTick is the granularity of the timer wheel used to manage
+	// timeouts.
+	RelayTimeoutTick time.Duration
+
 	// The reporter to use for reporting stats for this channel.
 	StatsReporter StatsReporter
 
@@ -119,6 +124,8 @@ type Channel struct {
 	peers             *PeerList
 	relayHost         RelayHost
 	relayMaxTimeout   time.Duration
+	relayTimeoutTick  time.Duration
+	relayTimeoutWheel *timers.Wheel
 
 	// mutable contains all the members of Channel which are mutable.
 	mutable struct {
@@ -200,6 +207,7 @@ func NewChannel(serviceName string, opts *ChannelOptions) (*Channel, error) {
 		connectionOptions: opts.DefaultConnectionOptions,
 		relayHost:         opts.RelayHost,
 		relayMaxTimeout:   validateRelayMaxTimeout(opts.RelayMaxTimeout, logger),
+		relayTimeoutTick:  validateRelayTimeoutTick(opts.RelayTimeoutTick, logger),
 	}
 	ch.peers = newRootPeerList(ch).newChild()
 
@@ -221,6 +229,7 @@ func NewChannel(serviceName string, opts *ChannelOptions) (*Channel, error) {
 
 	if opts.RelayHost != nil {
 		opts.RelayHost.SetChannel(ch)
+		ch.startWheel()
 	}
 	return ch, nil
 }
@@ -693,6 +702,11 @@ func (ch *Channel) Close() {
 	for _, c := range connections {
 		c.Close()
 	}
+
+	if ch.relayTimeoutWheel != nil {
+		ch.relayTimeoutWheel.Stop()
+	}
+
 	removeClosedChannel(ch)
 }
 
@@ -701,6 +715,10 @@ func (ch *Channel) RelayHost() RelayHost {
 	return ch.relayHost
 }
 
+func (ch *Channel) startWheel() {
+	ch.relayTimeoutWheel = timers.NewWheel(ch.relayTimeoutTick, ch.relayMaxTimeout)
+}
+
 func toStringSet(ss []string) map[string]struct{} {
 	set := make(map[string]struct{}, len(ss))
 	for _, s := range ss {
diff --git a/introspection.go b/introspection.go
index 68377df3..c953b9af 100644
--- a/introspection.go
+++ b/introspection.go
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ type RelayerRuntimeState struct {
 	InboundItems  RelayItemSetState `json:"inboundItems"`
 	OutboundItems RelayItemSetState `json:"outboundItems"`
 	MaxTimeout    time.Duration     `json:"maxTimeout"`
+	TimeoutTick   time.Duration     `json:"timeoutTick"`
 }
 
 // ExchangeSetRuntimeState is the runtime state for a message exchange set.
@@ -355,6 +356,7 @@ func (r *Relayer) IntrospectState(opts *IntrospectionOptions) RelayerRuntimeStat
 		InboundItems:  r.inbound.IntrospectState(opts, "inbound"),
 		OutboundItems: r.outbound.IntrospectState(opts, "outbound"),
 		MaxTimeout:    r.maxTimeout,
+		TimeoutTick:   r.timeoutTick,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/relay.go b/relay.go
index c366c2ea..8cb3eecd 100644
--- a/relay.go
+++ b/relay.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/uber/tchannel-go/relay"
+	"github.com/uber/tchannel-go/timers"
 
 	"github.com/uber-go/atomic"
 )
@@ -40,6 +41,9 @@ const (
 	_relayTombTTL = 3 * time.Second
 	// _defaultRelayMaxTimeout is the default max TTL for relayed calls.
 	_defaultRelayMaxTimeout = 2 * time.Minute
+	// _defaultRelayTimeoutTick is the default tick duration for processing
+	// relay timeouts.
+	_defaultRelayTimeoutTick = 5 * time.Millisecond
 )
 
 var (
@@ -53,7 +57,7 @@ var (
 type relayConn Connection
 
 type relayItem struct {
-	*time.Timer
+	*timers.Timer
 
 	remapID     uint32
 	tomb        bool
@@ -67,14 +71,16 @@ type relayItems struct {
 	sync.RWMutex
 
 	logger Logger
+	wheel  *timers.Wheel
 	tombs  uint64
 	items  map[uint32]relayItem
 }
 
-func newRelayItems(logger Logger) *relayItems {
+func newRelayItems(wheel *timers.Wheel, logger Logger) *relayItems {
 	return &relayItems{
 		items:  make(map[uint32]relayItem),
 		logger: logger,
+		wheel:  wheel,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -152,7 +158,7 @@ func (r *relayItems) Entomb(id uint32, deleteAfter time.Duration) (relayItem, bo
 
 	// TODO: We should be clearing these out in batches, rather than creating
 	// individual timers for each item.
-	time.AfterFunc(deleteAfter, func() { r.Delete(id) })
+	r.wheel.AfterFunc(deleteAfter, func() { r.Delete(id) })
 	return item, true
 }
 
@@ -165,8 +171,10 @@ const (
 
 // A Relayer forwards frames.
 type Relayer struct {
-	relayHost  RelayHost
-	maxTimeout time.Duration
+	relayHost   RelayHost
+	maxTimeout  time.Duration
+	timeoutTick time.Duration
+	wheel       *timers.Wheel
 
 	// localHandlers is the set of service names that are handled by the local
 	// channel.
@@ -190,12 +198,15 @@ type Relayer struct {
 
 // NewRelayer constructs a Relayer.
 func NewRelayer(ch *Channel, conn *Connection) *Relayer {
+	wheel := ch.relayTimeoutWheel
 	return &Relayer{
 		relayHost:    ch.RelayHost(),
 		maxTimeout:   ch.relayMaxTimeout,
+		timeoutTick:  ch.relayTimeoutTick,
+		wheel:        wheel,
 		localHandler: ch.relayLocal,
-		outbound:     newRelayItems(ch.Logger().WithFields(LogField{"relay", "outbound"})),
-		inbound:      newRelayItems(ch.Logger().WithFields(LogField{"relay", "inbound"})),
+		outbound:     newRelayItems(wheel, ch.Logger().WithFields(LogField{"relay", "outbound"})),
+		inbound:      newRelayItems(wheel, ch.Logger().WithFields(LogField{"relay", "inbound"})),
 		peers:        ch.rootPeers(),
 		conn:         conn,
 		logger:       conn.log,
@@ -455,7 +466,7 @@ func (r *Relayer) addRelayItem(isOriginator bool, id, remapID uint32, destinatio
 	if isOriginator {
 		items = r.outbound
 	}
-	item.Timer = time.AfterFunc(ttl, func() { r.timeoutRelayItem(isOriginator, items, id) })
+	item.Timer = r.wheel.AfterFunc(ttl, func() { r.timeoutRelayItem(isOriginator, items, id) })
 	items.Add(id, item)
 	return item
 }
@@ -600,3 +611,17 @@ func validateRelayMaxTimeout(d time.Duration, logger Logger) time.Duration {
 	).Warn("Configured RelayMaxTimeout is invalid, using default instead.")
 	return _defaultRelayMaxTimeout
 }
+
+func validateRelayTimeoutTick(d time.Duration, logger Logger) time.Duration {
+	if d > 0 {
+		return d
+	}
+	if d == 0 {
+		return _defaultRelayTimeoutTick
+	}
+	logger.WithFields(
+		LogField{"configuredTimeoutTick", d},
+		LogField{"defaultTimeoutTick", _defaultRelayTimeoutTick},
+	).Warn("Configured RelayTimeoutTick is invalid, using default instead.")
+	return _defaultRelayTimeoutTick
+}
diff --git a/testutils/channel_opts.go b/testutils/channel_opts.go
index 9a2ab3cd..d5a2b356 100644
--- a/testutils/channel_opts.go
+++ b/testutils/channel_opts.go
@@ -199,6 +199,12 @@ func (o *ChannelOpts) SetRelayMaxTimeout(d time.Duration) *ChannelOpts {
 	return o
 }
 
+// SetRelayTimeoutTick sets the coarseness of relay timeouts.
+func (o *ChannelOpts) SetRelayTimeoutTick(d time.Duration) *ChannelOpts {
+	o.ChannelOptions.RelayTimeoutTick = d
+	return o
+}
+
 func defaultString(v string, defaultValue string) string {
 	if v == "" {
 		return defaultValue