diff --git a/jquery.timeago.js b/jquery.timeago.js
index 2e8d29f5..83510bd9 100644
--- a/jquery.timeago.js
+++ b/jquery.timeago.js
@@ -26,7 +26,17 @@
     }
   };
   var $t = $.timeago;
-
+  
+  // destroyed event handler comes from:
+  //  http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2200494/jquery-trigger-event-when-an-element-is-removed-from-the-dom/10172676#10172676
+  jQuery.event.special.timeagodestroyed = {
+    remove: function(o) {
+      if (o.handler) {
+        o.handler($(this))
+      }
+    }
+  };
+  
   $.extend($.timeago, {
     settings: {
       refreshMillis: 60000,
@@ -107,16 +117,32 @@
     }
   });
 
+
   $.fn.timeago = function() {
     var self = this;
     self.each(refresh);
 
     var $s = $t.settings;
     if ($s.refreshMillis > 0) {
-      setInterval(function() { self.each(refresh); }, $s.refreshMillis);
+      var data = self.data('timeago')
+      data.intervalId = setInterval(function() { self.each(refresh); }, $s.refreshMillis);
+      self.data('timeago', data);
+      self.bind('timeagodestroyed', function(element){
+        element.untimeago();
+      });
     }
     return self;
   };
+  
+
+  $.fn.untimeago = function() {
+    var self = this;
+    var timeagoData = self.data('timeago');
+    if((typeof(timeagoData)!='undefined')&&(typeof(timeagoData.intervalId)!='undefined')){
+      clearInterval(timeagoData.intervalId);
+      self.removeData('timeago');
+    }
+  };
 
   function refresh() {
     var data = prepareData(this);
diff --git a/test/index.html b/test/index.html
index bd0fcae8..79b360d2 100644
--- a/test/index.html
+++ b/test/index.html
@@ -194,6 +194,14 @@ <h2>Settings</h2>
       <li><abbr id="testMillisSettings8" class="tomillis" title="90"></abbr> [90 sec]</li>
       <li><abbr id="testMillisSettings9" class="tomillis" title="120"></abbr> [120 sec]</li>
     </ul>
+    
+    <h2>untimeago</h2>
+    <ul>
+      <li><abbr id="testUntimeago1" class="loaded timeago testShortTerm">(you shouldn't see this)</abbr></li>
+      <li><abbr id="testUntimeago2" class="loaded timeago testShortTerm">(you shouldn't see this)</abbr></li>
+      <li><abbr id="testUntimeago3" >This Is Not A Timeago Element</abbr></li>
+      <li><abbr id="testUntimeago4" >This Is Not A Timeago Element</abbr></li>
+    </ul>
   </div>
 
   <script src="test_helpers.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
@@ -225,6 +233,18 @@ <h2>Settings</h2>
       $("time.timeago").timeago();
 
       var tooltip = $("#testTooltip").data("timeago");
+      var untimeago1_initial = $("#testUntimeago1").data("timeago")
+      $("#testUntimeago1").untimeago();
+      var untimeago1_final = $("#testUntimeago1").data("timeago")
+      var untimeago2_initial = $("#testUntimeago2").data("timeago")
+      $("#testUntimeago2").remove();
+      var untimeago2_final = $("#testUntimeago2").data("timeago")
+      var untimeago3_initial = $("#testUntimeago3").data("timeago");
+      $("#testUntimeago3").remove();
+      var untimeago3_final = $("#testUntimeago3").data("timeago");
+      var untimeago4_initial = $("#testUntimeago4").data("timeago");
+      $("#testUntimeago4").untimeago();
+      var untimeago4_final = $("#testUntimeago4").data("timeago");
 
       $("abbr.todate").each(function () {
         var date = $.timeago.parse(this.title);
@@ -563,6 +583,30 @@ <h2>Settings</h2>
       test("wordSeparator", function () {
         ok($("#testNoSpaces1").html().match(/^2minutesago$/), "Settings correctly applied");
       });
+      
+      module("Untimeago");
+
+      test("manualRemove", function () {
+        ok(typeof(untimeago1_initial.intervalId)!='undefined', "Timeago interval handler defined");
+        ok(untimeago1_initial.intervalId > -1, "Timeago interval handler valid");
+        ok(typeof(untimeago1_final)=='undefined', "Timeago interval handler removed after untimeago");
+      });
+      
+      test("Remove", function () {
+        ok(typeof(untimeago2_initial.intervalId)!='undefined', "Timeago interval handler defined");
+        ok(untimeago2_initial.intervalId > -1, "Timeago interval handler valid");
+        ok(typeof(untimeago2_final)=='undefined', "Timeago interval handler removed after untimeago");
+      });
+
+      test("RemoveOnNonTimeago", function () {
+        ok(typeof(untimeago3_initial)=='undefined', "testUntimeago3 is not a timeago element");
+        ok(typeof(untimeago3_final)=='undefined', "calling remove() on non-timeago element doesn't cause crash");
+      });
+
+      test("UntimeagoOnNonTimeago", function () {
+        ok(typeof(untimeago4_initial)=='undefined', "testUntimeago4 is not a timeago element");
+        ok(typeof(untimeago4_final)=='undefined', "calling untimeago() on non-timeago element doesn't cause crash");
+      });
     })(jQuery);
     //]]>
   </script>