diff --git a/whisperv6/events.go b/whisperv6/events.go
index bfbce00..2faabe1 100644
--- a/whisperv6/events.go
+++ b/whisperv6/events.go
@@ -17,9 +17,13 @@ const (
 	EventBatchAcknowledged EventType = "batch.acknowleged"
 	// EventEnvelopeAvailable fires when envelop is available for filters
 	EventEnvelopeAvailable EventType = "envelope.available"
+	// EventMailServerRequestSent fires when such request is sent.
+	EventMailServerRequestSent EventType = "mailserver.request.sent"
 	// EventMailServerRequestCompleted fires after mailserver sends all the requested messages
 	EventMailServerRequestCompleted EventType = "mailserver.request.completed"
-	// EventMailServerRequestExpired fires after mailserver the request TTL ends
+	// EventMailServerRequestExpired fires after mailserver the request TTL ends.
+	// This event is independent and concurrent to EventMailServerRequestCompleted.
+	// Request should be considered as expired only if expiry event was received first.
 	EventMailServerRequestExpired EventType = "mailserver.request.expired"
 	// EventMailServerEnvelopeArchived fires after an envelope has been archived
 	EventMailServerEnvelopeArchived EventType = "mailserver.envelope.archived"
diff --git a/whisperv6/whisper.go b/whisperv6/whisper.go
index cbe44c4..c8bed75 100644
--- a/whisperv6/whisper.go
+++ b/whisperv6/whisper.go
@@ -407,12 +407,40 @@ func (whisper *Whisper) AllowP2PMessagesFromPeer(peerID []byte) error {
 // which are not supposed to be forwarded any further.
 // The whisper protocol is agnostic of the format and contents of envelope.
 func (whisper *Whisper) RequestHistoricMessages(peerID []byte, envelope *Envelope) error {
+	return whisper.RequestHistoricMessagesWithTimeout(peerID, envelope, 0)
+}
+
+func (whisper *Whisper) RequestHistoricMessagesWithTimeout(peerID []byte, envelope *Envelope, timeout time.Duration) error {
 	p, err := whisper.getPeer(peerID)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	whisper.envelopeFeed.Send(EnvelopeEvent{
+		Peer:  p.peer.ID(),
+		Hash:  envelope.Hash(),
+		Event: EventMailServerRequestSent,
+	})
 	p.trusted = true
-	return p2p.Send(p.ws, p2pRequestCode, envelope)
+	err = p2p.Send(p.ws, p2pRequestCode, envelope)
+	if timeout != 0 {
+		go whisper.expireRequestHistoricMessages(p.peer.ID(), envelope.Hash(), timeout)
+	}
+	return err
+}
+
+func (whisper *Whisper) expireRequestHistoricMessages(peer enode.ID, hash common.Hash, timeout time.Duration) {
+	timer := time.NewTimer(timeout)
+	defer timer.Stop()
+	select {
+	case <-whisper.quit:
+		return
+	case <-timer.C:
+		whisper.envelopeFeed.Send(EnvelopeEvent{
+			Peer:  peer,
+			Hash:  hash,
+			Event: EventMailServerRequestExpired,
+		})
+	}
 }
 
 func (whisper *Whisper) SendHistoricMessageResponse(peer *Peer, payload []byte) error {
diff --git a/whisperv6/whisper_test.go b/whisperv6/whisper_test.go
index 52c2ccb..fe3a5f0 100644
--- a/whisperv6/whisper_test.go
+++ b/whisperv6/whisper_test.go
@@ -1202,3 +1202,42 @@ func TestEventsWithoutConfirmation(t *testing.T) {
 		require.FailNow(t, "timed out waiting for an envelope.sent event")
 	}
 }
+
+func discardPipe() *p2p.MsgPipeRW {
+	rw1, rw2 := p2p.MsgPipe()
+	go func() {
+		for {
+			msg, err := rw1.ReadMsg()
+			if err != nil {
+				return
+			}
+			msg.Discard()
+		}
+	}()
+	return rw2
+}
+
+func TestRequestSentEventWithExpiry(t *testing.T) {
+	w := New(nil)
+	p := p2p.NewPeer(enode.ID{1}, "1", []p2p.Cap{{"shh", 6}})
+	rw := discardPipe()
+	defer rw.Close()
+	w.peers[newPeer(w, p, rw)] = struct{}{}
+	events := make(chan EnvelopeEvent, 1)
+	sub := w.SubscribeEnvelopeEvents(events)
+	defer sub.Unsubscribe()
+	e := &Envelope{Nonce: 1}
+	require.NoError(t, w.RequestHistoricMessagesWithTimeout(p.ID().Bytes(), e, time.Millisecond))
+	verifyEvent := func(etype EventType) {
+		select {
+		case <-time.After(time.Second):
+			require.FailNow(t, "error waiting for a event type %s", etype)
+		case ev := <-events:
+			require.Equal(t, etype, ev.Event)
+			require.Equal(t, p.ID(), ev.Peer)
+			require.Equal(t, e.Hash(), ev.Hash)
+		}
+	}
+	verifyEvent(EventMailServerRequestSent)
+	verifyEvent(EventMailServerRequestExpired)
+}