diff --git a/remotecv/unique_queue.py b/remotecv/unique_queue.py
index 6a539fa..b494683 100644
--- a/remotecv/unique_queue.py
+++ b/remotecv/unique_queue.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 from pyres.worker import Worker
 
 from remotecv.timing import get_time, get_interval
-from remotecv.utils import context, logger
+from remotecv.utils import config, context, logger
 
 
 class UniqueQueue(ResQ):
@@ -84,3 +84,10 @@ def reserve(self, timeout=10):
             get_interval(start_time, get_time()),
         )
         return job
+
+    def register_worker(self):
+        super().register_worker()
+        if config.worker_ttl:
+            self.resq.redis.expire(
+                f"resque:worker:{str(self)}:started", config.worker_ttl
+            )
diff --git a/remotecv/worker.py b/remotecv/worker.py
index 9f72b54..ad9f812 100644
--- a/remotecv/worker.py
+++ b/remotecv/worker.py
@@ -267,6 +267,14 @@ def import_modules():
     type=click.INT,
     help="Timeout in seconds for image detection",
 )
+@optgroup.option(
+    "--worker-ttl",
+    envvar="WORKER_TTL",
+    show_envvar=True,
+    default=None,
+    type=click.INT,
+    help="TTL in seconds for worker",
+)
 @optgroup.option(
     "--sentry-url",
     envvar="SENTRY_URL",
@@ -314,6 +322,7 @@ def main(**params):
     config.polling_interval = params["polling_interval"]
 
     config.timeout = params["timeout"]
+    config.worker_ttl = params["worker_ttl"]
     config.server_port = params["server_port"]
     config.log_level = params["level"].upper()
     config.loader = import_module(params["loader"])
diff --git a/tests/test_unique_queue.py b/tests/test_unique_queue.py
index 1ccb8f7..5bcc544 100644
--- a/tests/test_unique_queue.py
+++ b/tests/test_unique_queue.py
@@ -95,10 +95,10 @@ def test_should_send_metrics(self):
 
 class UniqueWorkerTestCase(TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
-        redis = redis_client()
+        self.redis = redis_client()
         self.unique_queue = UniqueWorker(
             queues=["Detect"],
-            server=redis,
+            server=self.redis,
             timeout=None,
         )
 
@@ -109,3 +109,19 @@ def test_should_send_queue_metrics(self):
         context.metrics.timing.assert_called_once_with(
             "worker.read_queue.time", mock.ANY
         )
+
+    def test_should_create_unique_worker_without_ttl(self):
+        config.worker_ttl = None
+        worker = UniqueWorker(server=self.redis, queues=["Detect"])
+        worker.register_worker()
+        expect(
+            self.redis.ttl(f"resque:worker:{str(worker)}:started")
+        ).to_equal(-1)
+
+    def test_should_create_unique_worker_with_ttl(self):
+        config.worker_ttl = 60
+        worker = UniqueWorker(server=self.redis, queues=["Detect"])
+        worker.register_worker()
+        expect(
+            self.redis.ttl(f"resque:worker:{str(worker)}:started")
+        ).Not.to_equal(-1)