diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 58a00e7bac..b070dd91da 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/).
 
 ### Fixed
 - Committing with empty X-Nakadi-StreamId causes 503
+- Massive topic deletion while switching timelines is now made with small interval between deletions
 
 ### Added
 - Create event type with SAFE rack-awareness
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/zalando/nakadi/service/job/TimelineCleanupJob.java b/src/main/java/org/zalando/nakadi/service/job/TimelineCleanupJob.java
index 4985a2b022..44444b0ea5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/zalando/nakadi/service/job/TimelineCleanupJob.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/zalando/nakadi/service/job/TimelineCleanupJob.java
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 import org.zalando.nakadi.repository.db.TimelineDbRepository;
 import org.zalando.nakadi.service.timeline.TimelineService;
 
+import java.util.List;
+
 @Service
 public class TimelineCleanupJob {
 
@@ -26,17 +28,20 @@ public class TimelineCleanupJob {
     private final TimelineDbRepository timelineDbRepository;
     private final TimelineService timelineService;
     private final ExclusiveJobWrapper jobWrapper;
+    private final long deletionDelayMs;
 
     @Autowired
     public TimelineCleanupJob(final EventTypeCache eventTypeCache,
                               final TimelineDbRepository timelineDbRepository,
                               final TimelineService timelineService,
                               final JobWrapperFactory jobWrapperFactory,
-                              @Value("${nakadi.jobs.timelineCleanup.runPeriodMs}") final int periodMs) {
+                              @Value("${nakadi.jobs.timelineCleanup.runPeriodMs}") final int periodMs,
+                              @Value("${nakadi.jobs.timelineCleanup.deletionDelayMs}") final long deletionDelayMs) {
         this.eventTypeCache = eventTypeCache;
         this.timelineDbRepository = timelineDbRepository;
         this.timelineService = timelineService;
         this.jobWrapper = jobWrapperFactory.createExclusiveJobWrapper(JOB_NAME, periodMs);
+        this.deletionDelayMs = deletionDelayMs;
     }
 
     @Scheduled(
@@ -44,17 +49,30 @@ public TimelineCleanupJob(final EventTypeCache eventTypeCache,
             initialDelayString = "${random.int(${nakadi.jobs.checkRunMs})}")
     public void cleanupTimelines() {
         try {
-            jobWrapper.runJobLocked(() ->
-                    timelineDbRepository.getExpiredTimelines().stream()
-                            .forEach(timeline -> {
-                                deleteTimelineTopic(timeline);
-                                markTimelineDeleted(timeline);
-                            }));
+            jobWrapper.runJobLocked(this::deleteTimelinesLocked);
         } catch (final RepositoryProblemException e) {
             LOG.error("DB error occurred when trying to get expired timelines", e);
         }
     }
 
+    private void deleteTimelinesLocked() {
+        final List<Timeline> expired = timelineDbRepository.getExpiredTimelines();
+        for (int i = 0; i < expired.size(); ++i) {
+            if (i != 0 && deletionDelayMs > 0) {
+                try {
+                    Thread.sleep(deletionDelayMs);
+                } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+                    LOG.warn("Timeline deletion thread was interrupted", e);
+                    Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
+                    return;
+                }
+            }
+            final Timeline timeline = expired.get(i);
+            deleteTimelineTopic(timeline);
+            markTimelineDeleted(timeline);
+        }
+    }
+
     private void deleteTimelineTopic(final Timeline timeline) {
         try {
             final TopicRepository topicRepository = timelineService.getTopicRepository(timeline);
diff --git a/src/main/resources/application.yml b/src/main/resources/application.yml
index 795a28b585..fd60d30ef5 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/application.yml
+++ b/src/main/resources/application.yml
@@ -88,7 +88,9 @@ nakadi:
     maxPartitions: 100
   jobs:
     checkRunMs: 600000 # 10 min
-    timelineCleanup.runPeriodMs: 3600000 # 1 hour
+    timelineCleanup:
+      runPeriodMs: 3600000 # 1 hour
+      deletionDelayMs: 2000 # 2 seconds, to be on the safe side
     consumerNodesCleanup.runPeriodMs: 21600000 # 6 hours
 
 twintip:
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/zalando/nakadi/service/job/TimelineCleaningJobTest.java b/src/test/java/org/zalando/nakadi/service/job/TimelineCleaningJobTest.java
index 9e880d8c69..e2b14bc402 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/zalando/nakadi/service/job/TimelineCleaningJobTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/zalando/nakadi/service/job/TimelineCleaningJobTest.java
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public TimelineCleaningJobTest() {
         when(jobWrapperFactory.createExclusiveJobWrapper(any(), anyLong())).thenReturn(jobWrapper);
 
         timelineCleanupJob = new TimelineCleanupJob(eventTypeCache, timelineDbRepository, timelineService,
-                jobWrapperFactory, 0);
+                jobWrapperFactory, 0, 0L);
     }
 
     @Test