diff --git a/mopidy/core/__init__.py b/mopidy/core/__init__.py
index 720f9c38..1593d4ba 100644
--- a/mopidy/core/__init__.py
+++ b/mopidy/core/__init__.py
@@ -9,3 +9,4 @@ from .mixer import MixerController
 from .playback import PlaybackController, PlaybackState
 from .playlists import PlaylistsController
 from .tracklist import TracklistController
+from .sleeptimer import SleepTimerController
diff --git a/mopidy/core/actor.py b/mopidy/core/actor.py
index ad9acba9..7d3bc245 100644
--- a/mopidy/core/actor.py
+++ b/mopidy/core/actor.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ from mopidy.core.mixer import MixerController
 from mopidy.core.playback import PlaybackController
 from mopidy.core.playlists import PlaylistsController
 from mopidy.core.tracklist import TracklistController
+from mopidy.core.sleeptimer import SleepTimerController
 from mopidy.internal import path, storage, validation, versioning
 from mopidy.internal.deprecation import deprecated_property
 from mopidy.internal.models import CoreState
@@ -44,6 +45,9 @@ class Core(
     playlists = None
     """An instance of :class:`~mopidy.core.PlaylistsController`"""
 
+    sleeptimer = None
+    """An instance of :class: ~mopidy.core.SleepTimerController`."""
+
     tracklist = None
     """An instance of :class:`~mopidy.core.TracklistController`"""
 
@@ -61,6 +65,7 @@ class Core(
             audio=audio, backends=self.backends, core=self)
         self.playlists = PlaylistsController(backends=self.backends, core=self)
         self.tracklist = TracklistController(core=self)
+        self.sleeptimer = SleepTimerController(playback=self.playback, core=self)
 
         self.audio = audio
 
diff --git a/mopidy/core/listener.py b/mopidy/core/listener.py
index b8ef734d..041ff926 100644
--- a/mopidy/core/listener.py
+++ b/mopidy/core/listener.py
@@ -187,3 +187,40 @@ class CoreListener(listener.Listener):
         :type title: string
         """
         pass
+
+    def sleeptimer_started(self, was_running, duration, seconds_left):
+        """
+        Called whenever the sleeptimer is started
+         *MAY* be implemented by actor.
+         :param was_running: indicates if the timer has been restarted while it was already running i.e. the end time has changed
+        :type was_running: boolean
+        :param duration: the length of time in seconds until the sleep timer will expire and stop playback
+        :type duration: int
+        :param seconds_left: the number of seconds left until the the sleep timer expire. may be slightly different to duration because of datetime calc rounding etc
+        :type seconds_left: float
+        """
+        pass
+
+    def sleeptimer_tick(self, seconds_left):
+        """
+        Called roughly every 0.5 seconds when the sleeptimer is active
+         *MAY* be implemented by actor.
+         :param seconds_left: the number of seconds left until the the sleep timer expire
+        :type seconds_left: float
+        """
+        pass
+
+    def sleeptimer_expired(self):
+        """
+        Called whenever the sleeptimer has reached the end time nd stopped playback
+         *MAY* be implemented by actor.
+        """
+        pass
+
+    def sleeptimer_cancelled(self):
+        """
+        Called whenever the sleeptimer is running and is cancelled
+         *MAY* be implemented by actor.
+        """
+        pass
+
diff --git a/mopidy/core/sleeptimer.py b/mopidy/core/sleeptimer.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2fb65ace
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mopidy/core/sleeptimer.py
@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
+from __future__ import absolute_import, unicode_literals
+
+import logging
+import threading
+import datetime
+#import gobject
+import time
+
+from mopidy.audio import PlaybackState
+from mopidy.core import playback, listener
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+class SleepTimerController(object):
+    pykka_traversable = True
+
+    def __init__(self, playback, core):
+        logger.debug('Core.SleepTimer __init__')
+        self.playback = playback
+        self.core = core
+
+        self._cancelevent = threading.Event()
+        self._timer = None
+        self._state = SleeptimerState()
+        self._state.__init__()
+        self._timer_id = None
+
+    def get_state(self):
+        return {"running": self._state.running,
+                "duration": self._state.duration,
+                "seconds_left": self._get_seconds_left()}
+
+    def _get_seconds_left(self):
+            now = datetime.datetime.now()
+            time_left = self._state.timerEndTime - now
+            seconds_left = time_left.total_seconds()
+
+            if seconds_left < 0:
+                seconds_left = 0
+
+            return seconds_left
+
+    def cancel(self, notify=True):
+        logger.debug('Cancel')
+
+        self._cancelevent.set()
+
+        if notify:
+            listener.CoreListener.send(
+                'sleeptimer_cancelled')
+
+        return True
+
+    def start(self, duration):
+        old_state = self._state.running
+        logger.debug('Start - state = %s, duration = %d', old_state, duration)
+
+        if self._state.running:
+            self.cancel(False)
+
+        self._state.start(duration)
+
+        if self._timer:
+             self._timer.cancel()
+
+        #gobject.timeout_add(500, self._tick_handler)
+        self._timer=threading.Timer(1, self._tick_handler)
+        self._timer.start()
+
+        self._cancelevent.clear()
+
+        listener.CoreListener.send(
+            'sleeptimer_started',
+            was_running=old_state, duration=self._state.duration, seconds_left=self._get_seconds_left())
+
+        return True
+
+    def _tick_handler(self):
+        logger.debug('tick_handler, time left = %s', self._get_seconds_left())
+
+        if self._cancelevent.is_set():
+            return False
+
+        if datetime.datetime.now() > self._state.timerEndTime:
+            self._cancelevent.set()
+
+            if self.playback.get_state() != PlaybackState.STOPPED:
+                #self.playback.stop()
+                self.playback.pause()
+
+            listener.CoreListener.send(
+                'sleeptimer_expired')
+
+            self._state.clear()
+
+            return False
+        else:
+            self._timer=threading.Timer(1, self._tick_handler)
+            self._timer.start()
+            listener.CoreListener.send(
+                'sleeptimer_tick',
+                seconds_left=self._get_seconds_left())
+
+            return True
+
+
+class SleeptimerState(object):
+    pykka_traversable = True
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        #self.running = False
+        #self.duration = 0
+        self.clear()
+
+    def clear(self):
+        self.running = False
+        self.timerStartTime = datetime.datetime.now() 
+        self.timerEndTime = self.timerStartTime
+        self.duration = 0
+
+    def start(self, duration):
+        self.running = True
+        self.timerStartTime = datetime.datetime.now()
+        self.timerEndTime = self.timerStartTime + datetime.timedelta(seconds=duration)
+        self.duration = duration
+
+        logger.debug('SleepTimerState.start: running = %s, end time = %s', self.running, self.timerEndTime)
diff --git a/mopidy/http/handlers.py b/mopidy/http/handlers.py
index 654fad05..259453a9 100644
--- a/mopidy/http/handlers.py
+++ b/mopidy/http/handlers.py
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ def make_jsonrpc_wrapper(core_actor):
             'core.playback': core.PlaybackController,
             'core.playlists': core.PlaylistsController,
             'core.tracklist': core.TracklistController,
+            'core.sleeptimer': core.SleepTimerController,
         })
     return jsonrpc.JsonRpcWrapper(
         objects={
@@ -71,6 +72,7 @@ def make_jsonrpc_wrapper(core_actor):
             'core.playback': core_actor.playback,
             'core.playlists': core_actor.playlists,
             'core.tracklist': core_actor.tracklist,
+            'core.sleeptimer': core_actor.sleeptimer,
         },
         decoders=[models.model_json_decoder],
         encoders=[models.ModelJSONEncoder]
diff --git a/mopidy/mpd/actor.py b/mopidy/mpd/actor.py
index 00041bf3..9e7bceaa 100644
--- a/mopidy/mpd/actor.py
+++ b/mopidy/mpd/actor.py
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ _CORE_EVENTS_TO_IDLE_SUBSYSTEMS = {
     'mute_changed': 'output',
     'seeked': 'player',
     'stream_title_changed': 'playlist',
+    'sleeptimer_started': None,
+    'sleeptimer_expired': None,
+    'sleeptimer_tick': None,
+    'sleeptimer_cancelled': None,
 }