diff --git a/conf/conf.go b/conf/conf.go
index 6142f89..6fc9c0f 100644
--- a/conf/conf.go
+++ b/conf/conf.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"sort"
+	"time"
 )
 
 // A Daemon is a persistent process that is kept running
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@ type Block struct {
 
 	Daemons []Daemon
 	Preps   []Prep
+	Silence *Silence
 }
 
 func (b *Block) addPrep(command string, options []string) error {
@@ -50,6 +52,38 @@ func (b *Block) addPrep(command string, options []string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (b *Block) addSilence(value string, options []string) error {
+	if b.Silence != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("silence can only be used once per block")
+	}
+
+	duration, err := time.ParseDuration(value)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("can't parse duration `%s`: %s", value, err)
+	}
+
+	// We already have the onchange prop in prep. Though, the semantics of 'onchange' for silence is not clear for me.
+	// TODO: may be rename this to onstart.
+	var onchange = false
+	for _, v := range options {
+		switch v {
+		case "+onchange":
+			onchange = true
+		default:
+			return fmt.Errorf("unknown option: %s", v)
+		}
+	}
+
+	last := time.Now()
+	if !onchange {
+		// pretend we've been triggered some time earlier
+		last = last.Add(-duration)
+	}
+
+	b.Silence = &Silence{last, duration}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // Config represents a complete configuration
 type Config struct {
 	Blocks    []Block
diff --git a/conf/lex.go b/conf/lex.go
index 22ce2a7..8329b5e 100644
--- a/conf/lex.go
+++ b/conf/lex.go
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ const (
 	itemQuotedString
 	itemPrep
 	itemRightParen
+	itemSilence
 	itemSpace
 	itemVarName
 	itemEquals
@@ -66,6 +67,8 @@ func (i itemType) String() string {
 		return "quotedstring"
 	case itemRightParen:
 		return "rparen"
+	case itemSilence:
+		return "silence"
 	case itemSpace:
 		return "space"
 	case itemVarName:
@@ -432,6 +435,9 @@ func lexInside(l *lexer) stateFn {
 			case "prep":
 				l.emit(itemPrep)
 				return lexOptions
+			case "silence":
+				l.emit(itemSilence)
+				return lexOptions
 			default:
 				l.errorf("unknown directive: %s", l.current())
 				return nil
diff --git a/conf/lex_test.go b/conf/lex_test.go
index 7f9bcfa..68d6f6d 100644
--- a/conf/lex_test.go
+++ b/conf/lex_test.go
@@ -263,6 +263,15 @@ var lexTests = []struct {
 			{itemBareString, "b"},
 		},
 	},
+	{
+		"{\nsilence: 1us\n}\n", []itm{
+			{itemLeftParen, "{"},
+			{itemSilence, "silence"},
+			{itemColon, ":"},
+			{itemBareString, "1us\n"},
+			{itemRightParen, "}"},
+		},
+	},
 }
 
 func TestLex(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/conf/parse.go b/conf/parse.go
index 214165c..31c5682 100644
--- a/conf/parse.go
+++ b/conf/parse.go
@@ -273,6 +273,16 @@ Loop:
 			if err != nil {
 				p.errorf("%s", err)
 			}
+		case itemSilence:
+			options := p.collectValues(itemBareString)
+			p.mustNext(itemColon)
+			err := block.addSilence(
+				prepValue(p.mustNext(itemBareString)),
+				options,
+			)
+			if err != nil {
+				p.errorf("%s", err)
+			}
 		case itemRightParen:
 			break Loop
 		default:
diff --git a/conf/silence.go b/conf/silence.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e098279
--- /dev/null
+++ b/conf/silence.go
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package conf
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// A Silence (a.k.a debounce) denotes how much time should pass after last change to start the block
+type Silence struct {
+	LastTime time.Time
+	Duration time.Duration // Silence interval duration from last change
+}
+
+func (s *Silence) String() string {
+	if s == nil {
+		return "<nil>"
+	}
+	return fmt.Sprintf("<silence for %v, last %v, %v remains>", s.Duration, s.LastTime, s.Duration - time.Since(s.LastTime))
+}
+
+// Ready checks if the Silence's timeout passed and aim it again if needed.
+func (s *Silence) Ready() bool {
+	if s == nil {
+		return true
+	}
+
+	if s.Duration == time.Duration(0) {
+		return true
+	}
+
+	if time.Since(s.LastTime) >= s.Duration {
+		s.LastTime = time.Now()
+		return true
+	}
+
+	return false
+}
diff --git a/daemon.go b/daemon.go
index 5f86c7f..fb9bb3c 100644
--- a/daemon.go
+++ b/daemon.go
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ func (d *daemon) Run() {
 
 		// If we exited cleanly, or the process ran for > MaxRestart, we reset
 		// the delay timer
-		if time.Now().Sub(lastStart) > MaxRestart {
+		if time.Since(lastStart) > MaxRestart {
 			delay = MinRestart
 		} else {
 			delay *= MulRestart
diff --git a/modd.go b/modd.go
index ebc3063..e75c35b 100644
--- a/modd.go
+++ b/modd.go
@@ -148,6 +148,10 @@ func (mr *ModRunner) runBlock(b conf.Block, mod *moddwatch.Mod, dpen *DaemonPen)
 
 func (mr *ModRunner) trigger(root string, mod *moddwatch.Mod, dworld *DaemonWorld) {
 	for i, b := range mr.Config.Blocks {
+		if !b.Silence.Ready() {
+			mr.Log.Notice("silence period effective: %s", b.Silence)
+			continue
+		}
 		lmod := mod
 		if lmod != nil {
 			var err error
diff --git a/modd_test.go b/modd_test.go
index 46e5453..3072764 100644
--- a/modd_test.go
+++ b/modd_test.go
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ func _testWatch(t *testing.T, modfunc func(), expected []string) {
 			if reflect.DeepEqual(ret, expected) {
 				break
 			}
-			if time.Now().Sub(start) > timeout {
+			if time.Since(start) > timeout {
 				t.Errorf("Expected\n%#v\nGot\n%#v", expected, ret)
 				break
 			}
@@ -225,3 +225,104 @@ func TestWatch(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	)
 }
+
+func TestSilence(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run(
+		"immediate",
+		func(t *testing.T) {
+			_testSilence(
+				t,
+				func() {
+					touch("immediate")
+					time.Sleep(2 * time.Millisecond)
+					touch("immediate")
+					time.Sleep(11 * time.Millisecond)
+					touch("immediate")
+				},
+				[]string{
+					":immediate: ./immediate",
+					":immediate: ./immediate",
+					":immediate: ./immediate",
+				},
+			)
+		},
+	)
+	t.Run(
+		"debounced",
+		func(t *testing.T) {
+			_testSilence(
+				t,
+				func() {
+					touch("debounced")
+					time.Sleep(2 * time.Millisecond)
+					touch("debounced")
+					time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
+					touch("debounced")
+					time.Sleep(11 * time.Millisecond)
+				},
+				[]string{
+					":debounced: ./debounced",
+					":debounced: ./debounced",
+				},
+			)
+		},
+	)
+}
+
+func _testSilence(t *testing.T, modfunc func(), expected []string) {
+	defer utils.WithTempDir(t)()
+
+	// There's some race condition in rjeczalik/notify. If we don't wait a bit
+	// here, we sometimes receive notifications for the change above even
+	// though we haven't started the watcher.
+	time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	confTxt := `
+		@shell = bash
+
+		immediate {
+            prep: echo ":immediate:" @mods
+        }
+		debounced {
+			silence: 10ms
+            prep: echo ":debounced:" @mods
+        }
+    `
+	cnf, err := conf.Parse("test", confTxt)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	lt := termlog.NewLogTest()
+	modchan := make(chan *moddwatch.Mod, 1024)
+	cback := func() {
+		start := time.Now()
+		modfunc()
+		for {
+			ret := events(lt.String())
+			if reflect.DeepEqual(ret, expected) {
+				break
+			}
+			if time.Since(start) > timeout {
+				t.Errorf("Expected\n%#v\nGot\n%#v", expected, ret)
+				break
+			}
+			time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond)
+		}
+		modchan <- nil
+	}
+
+	mr := ModRunner{
+		Log:    lt.Log,
+		Config: cnf,
+	}
+
+	err = mr.runOnChan(modchan, cback)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("runOnChan: %s", err)
+	}
+	ret := events(lt.String())
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(ret, expected) {
+		t.Errorf("Expected\n%#v\nGot\n%#v", expected, ret)
+	}
+}