diff --git a/lib/sidekiq/middleware/server/retry_jobs.rb b/lib/sidekiq/middleware/server/retry_jobs.rb
index 55352046..1bc82167 100644
--- a/lib/sidekiq/middleware/server/retry_jobs.rb
+++ b/lib/sidekiq/middleware/server/retry_jobs.rb
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ module Sidekiq
       # 3. after a few days, a developer deploys a fix.  the message is
       #    reprocessed successfully.
       # 4. if 3 never happens, sidekiq will eventually give up and throw the
-      #    message away.
+      #    message away. If the worker defines a method called 'exhausted', this
+      #    will be called before throwing the message away.
       #
       # A message looks like:
       #
@@ -82,8 +83,10 @@ module Sidekiq
             end
           else
             # Goodbye dear message, you (re)tried your best I'm sure.
+            worker.exhausted(*msg['args']) if worker.respond_to?(:exhausted)
             logger.debug { "Dropping message after hitting the retry maximum: #{msg}" }
           end
+
           raise e
         end
 
diff --git a/test/test_retry.rb b/test/test_retry.rb
index 1331a285..4546544b 100644
--- a/test/test_retry.rb
+++ b/test/test_retry.rb
@@ -167,6 +167,18 @@ class TestRetry < MiniTest::Unit::TestCase
       # MiniTest can't assert that a method call did NOT happen!?
       assert_raises(MockExpectationError) { @redis.verify }
     end
+
+    it 'calls exhausted method on worker after too many retries if available' do
+      msg = {"class"=>"Bob", "args"=>[1, 2, "foo"], "queue"=>"default", "error_message"=>"kerblammo!", "error_class"=>"RuntimeError", "failed_at"=>Time.now.utc, "retry"=>3, "retry_count"=>3}
+      worker = MiniTest::Mock.new
+      worker.expect :exhausted, true, [1, 2, "foo"]
+      handler = Sidekiq::Middleware::Server::RetryJobs.new
+      assert_raises RuntimeError do
+        handler.call(worker, msg, 'default') do
+          raise "kerblammo!"
+        end
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   describe 'poller' do