diff --git a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/transactions/TransactionsMessageHandler.java b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/transactions/TransactionsMessageHandler.java
index e802ad5864..99a7df59ef 100644
--- a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/transactions/TransactionsMessageHandler.java
+++ b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/transactions/TransactionsMessageHandler.java
@@ -12,13 +12,19 @@
  */
 package tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.eth.transactions;
 
+import static java.time.Instant.now;
+
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.eth.manager.EthMessage;
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.eth.manager.EthMessages.MessageCallback;
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.eth.manager.EthScheduler;
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.eth.messages.TransactionsMessage;
 
+import java.time.Duration;
+import java.time.Instant;
+
 class TransactionsMessageHandler implements MessageCallback {
 
+  private static final Duration TX_KEEP_ALIVE = Duration.ofMinutes(1);
   private final TransactionsMessageProcessor transactionsMessageProcessor;
   private final EthScheduler scheduler;
 
@@ -32,9 +38,10 @@ class TransactionsMessageHandler implements MessageCallback {
   @Override
   public void exec(final EthMessage message) {
     final TransactionsMessage transactionsMessage = TransactionsMessage.readFrom(message.getData());
+    final Instant startedAt = now();
     scheduler.scheduleTxWorkerTask(
         () ->
             transactionsMessageProcessor.processTransactionsMessage(
-                message.getPeer(), transactionsMessage));
+                message.getPeer(), transactionsMessage, startedAt, TX_KEEP_ALIVE));
   }
 }
diff --git a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/transactions/TransactionsMessageProcessor.java b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/transactions/TransactionsMessageProcessor.java
index 7829804676..5a50edcaa3 100644
--- a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/transactions/TransactionsMessageProcessor.java
+++ b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/transactions/TransactionsMessageProcessor.java
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
  */
 package tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.eth.transactions;
 
+import static java.time.Instant.now;
 import static org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager.getLogger;
 
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.core.Transaction;
@@ -20,6 +21,8 @@ import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.eth.messages.TransactionsMessage;
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.p2p.rlpx.wire.messages.DisconnectMessage.DisconnectReason;
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.rlp.RLPException;
 
+import java.time.Duration;
+import java.time.Instant;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.Set;
 
@@ -39,6 +42,17 @@ class TransactionsMessageProcessor {
   }
 
   void processTransactionsMessage(
+      final EthPeer peer,
+      final TransactionsMessage transactionsMessage,
+      final Instant startedAt,
+      final Duration keepAlive) {
+    // Check if message not expired.
+    if (startedAt.plus(keepAlive).isAfter(now())) {
+      this.processTransactionsMessage(peer, transactionsMessage);
+    }
+  }
+
+  private void processTransactionsMessage(
       final EthPeer peer, final TransactionsMessage transactionsMessage) {
     try {
       LOG.trace("Received transactions message from {}", peer);
diff --git a/ethereum/eth/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/transactions/TransactionsMessageProcessorTest.java b/ethereum/eth/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/transactions/TransactionsMessageProcessorTest.java
index 9c29bfffeb..2fcc38c4d9 100644
--- a/ethereum/eth/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/transactions/TransactionsMessageProcessorTest.java
+++ b/ethereum/eth/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/eth/transactions/TransactionsMessageProcessorTest.java
@@ -12,9 +12,13 @@
  */
 package tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.eth.transactions;
 
+import static java.time.Duration.ofMillis;
+import static java.time.Duration.ofMinutes;
+import static java.time.Instant.now;
 import static java.util.Arrays.asList;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.verifyZeroInteractions;
 
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.core.BlockDataGenerator;
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.core.Transaction;
@@ -41,7 +45,10 @@ public class TransactionsMessageProcessorTest {
   @Test
   public void shouldMarkAllReceivedTransactionsAsSeen() {
     messageHandler.processTransactionsMessage(
-        peer1, TransactionsMessage.create(asList(transaction1, transaction2, transaction3)));
+        peer1,
+        TransactionsMessage.create(asList(transaction1, transaction2, transaction3)),
+        now(),
+        ofMinutes(1));
 
     verify(transactionTracker)
         .markTransactionsAsSeen(peer1, ImmutableSet.of(transaction1, transaction2, transaction3));
@@ -50,9 +57,31 @@ public class TransactionsMessageProcessorTest {
   @Test
   public void shouldAddReceivedTransactionsToTransactionPool() {
     messageHandler.processTransactionsMessage(
-        peer1, TransactionsMessage.create(asList(transaction1, transaction2, transaction3)));
-
+        peer1,
+        TransactionsMessage.create(asList(transaction1, transaction2, transaction3)),
+        now(),
+        ofMinutes(1));
     verify(transactionPool)
         .addRemoteTransactions(ImmutableSet.of(transaction1, transaction2, transaction3));
   }
+
+  @Test
+  public void shouldNotMarkReceivedExpiredTransactionsAsSeen() {
+    messageHandler.processTransactionsMessage(
+        peer1,
+        TransactionsMessage.create(asList(transaction1, transaction2, transaction3)),
+        now().minus(ofMinutes(1)),
+        ofMillis(1));
+    verifyZeroInteractions(transactionTracker);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void shouldNotAddReceivedTransactionsToTransactionPoolIfExpired() {
+    messageHandler.processTransactionsMessage(
+        peer1,
+        TransactionsMessage.create(asList(transaction1, transaction2, transaction3)),
+        now().minus(ofMinutes(1)),
+        ofMillis(1));
+    verifyZeroInteractions(transactionPool);
+  }
 }