diff --git a/src/main/java/com/amazon/sqs/javamessaging/AmazonSQSExtendedClient.java b/src/main/java/com/amazon/sqs/javamessaging/AmazonSQSExtendedClient.java
index da7589d..452fa8a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/amazon/sqs/javamessaging/AmazonSQSExtendedClient.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/amazon/sqs/javamessaging/AmazonSQSExtendedClient.java
@@ -349,6 +349,7 @@ public ReceiveMessageResult receiveMessage(ReceiveMessageRequest receiveMessageR
         ReceiveMessageResult receiveMessageResult = super.receiveMessage(receiveMessageRequest);
 
         List<Message> messages = receiveMessageResult.getMessages();
+        List<Message> messagesToIgnore = new ArrayList<>();
         for (Message message : messages) {
 
             // for each received message check if they are stored in S3.
@@ -357,7 +358,22 @@ public ReceiveMessageResult receiveMessage(ReceiveMessageRequest receiveMessageR
                 String largeMessagePointer = message.getBody();
                 largeMessagePointer = largeMessagePointer.replace("com.amazon.sqs.javamessaging.MessageS3Pointer", "software.amazon.payloadoffloading.PayloadS3Pointer");
 
-                message.setBody(payloadStore.getOriginalPayload(largeMessagePointer));
+                final String originalBody;
+                try {
+                    originalBody = payloadStore.getOriginalPayload(largeMessagePointer);
+                } catch (AmazonServiceException e) {
+                    boolean isNoSuchKeyException = ((AmazonServiceException) e.getCause()).getErrorCode().equals("NoSuchKey");
+                    if (isNoSuchKeyException && clientConfiguration.ignoresPayloadNotFound()) {
+                        deleteMessage(receiveMessageRequest.getQueueUrl(), message.getReceiptHandle());
+                        LOG.warn("SQS message deleted as it could not be found in S3");
+                        messagesToIgnore.add(message);
+                        continue;
+                    }
+                    throw e;
+                }
+
+                // Replace the large message pointer with the original message body
+                message.setBody(originalBody);
 
                 // remove the additional attribute before returning the message
                 // to user.
@@ -371,6 +387,7 @@ public ReceiveMessageResult receiveMessage(ReceiveMessageRequest receiveMessageR
                 message.setReceiptHandle(modifiedReceiptHandle);
             }
         }
+        receiveMessageResult.getMessages().removeAll(messagesToIgnore);
         return receiveMessageResult;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/amazon/sqs/javamessaging/ExtendedClientConfiguration.java b/src/main/java/com/amazon/sqs/javamessaging/ExtendedClientConfiguration.java
index cde665b..a20f561 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/amazon/sqs/javamessaging/ExtendedClientConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/amazon/sqs/javamessaging/ExtendedClientConfiguration.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ public class ExtendedClientConfiguration extends PayloadStorageConfiguration {
 
     private boolean cleanupS3Payload = true;
     private boolean useLegacyReservedAttributeName = true;
+    private boolean ignorePayloadNotFound = false;
 
     public ExtendedClientConfiguration() {
         super();
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ public ExtendedClientConfiguration(ExtendedClientConfiguration other) {
         super(other);
         this.cleanupS3Payload = other.doesCleanupS3Payload();
         this.useLegacyReservedAttributeName = other.usesLegacyReservedAttributeName();
+        this.ignorePayloadNotFound = other.ignoresPayloadNotFound();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -100,6 +102,32 @@ public ExtendedClientConfiguration withLegacyReservedAttributeNameDisabled() {
         return this;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Sets whether or not messages should be removed from Amazon SQS
+     * when payloads are not found in Amazon S3.
+     *
+     * @param ignorePayloadNotFound
+     *            Whether or not messages should be removed from Amazon SQS
+     *            when payloads are not found in Amazon S3. Default: false
+     */
+    public void setIgnorePayloadNotFound(boolean ignorePayloadNotFound) {
+        this.ignorePayloadNotFound = ignorePayloadNotFound;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets whether or not messages should be removed from Amazon SQS
+     * when payloads are not found in Amazon S3.
+     *
+     * @param ignorePayloadNotFound
+     *            Whether or not messages should be removed from Amazon SQS
+     *            when payloads are not found in Amazon S3. Default: false
+     * @return the updated ExtendedClientConfiguration object.
+     */
+    public ExtendedClientConfiguration withIgnorePayloadNotFound(boolean ignorePayloadNotFound) {
+        setIgnorePayloadNotFound(ignorePayloadNotFound);
+        return this;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Checks whether or not clean up large objects in S3 is enabled.
      *
@@ -121,6 +149,17 @@ public boolean usesLegacyReservedAttributeName() {
         return useLegacyReservedAttributeName;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Checks whether or not messages should be removed from Amazon SQS
+     * when payloads are not found in Amazon S3.
+     *
+     * @return True if messages should be removed from Amazon SQS
+     *         when payloads are not found in Amazon S3. Default: false
+     */
+    public boolean ignoresPayloadNotFound() {
+        return ignorePayloadNotFound;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public ExtendedClientConfiguration withAlwaysThroughS3(boolean alwaysThroughS3) {
         setAlwaysThroughS3(alwaysThroughS3);
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/amazon/sqs/javamessaging/AmazonSQSExtendedClientTest.java b/src/test/java/com/amazon/sqs/javamessaging/AmazonSQSExtendedClientTest.java
index 2ecc086..0975183 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/amazon/sqs/javamessaging/AmazonSQSExtendedClientTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/amazon/sqs/javamessaging/AmazonSQSExtendedClientTest.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 import java.util.stream.IntStream;
 
+import com.amazonaws.AmazonServiceException;
 import com.amazonaws.services.s3.AmazonS3;
 import com.amazonaws.services.s3.model.*;
 import com.amazonaws.services.sqs.AmazonSQS;
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@
 import software.amazon.payloadoffloading.PayloadS3Pointer;
 
 import static org.mockito.Matchers.eq;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.doThrow;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.isA;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
@@ -407,6 +409,55 @@ public void testWhenLargeMessageIsSentThenAttributeWithPayloadSizeIsAdded() {
         Assert.assertEquals(messageLength, (int) Integer.valueOf(attributes.get(AmazonSQSExtendedClient.LEGACY_RESERVED_ATTRIBUTE_NAME).getStringValue()));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testWhenIgnorePayloadNotFoundIsSentThenNotFoundKeysInS3AreDeletedInSQS() {
+        ExtendedClientConfiguration extendedClientConfiguration = new ExtendedClientConfiguration()
+            .withPayloadSupportEnabled(mockS3, S3_BUCKET_NAME).withIgnorePayloadNotFound(true);
+
+        AmazonServiceException mockException = mock(AmazonServiceException.class);
+        when(mockException.getErrorCode()).thenReturn("NoSuchKey");
+
+        Message message = new Message().addMessageAttributesEntry(SQSExtendedClientConstants.RESERVED_ATTRIBUTE_NAME, mock(MessageAttributeValue.class));
+        String pointer = new PayloadS3Pointer(S3_BUCKET_NAME, "S3Key").toJson();
+        message.setBody(pointer);
+        message.setReceiptHandle("receipt-handle");
+
+        when(mockSqsBackend.receiveMessage(isA(ReceiveMessageRequest.class))).thenReturn(new ReceiveMessageResult().withMessages(message));
+        doThrow(mockException).when(mockS3).getObject(any(GetObjectRequest.class));
+
+        AmazonSQS sqsExtended = spy(new AmazonSQSExtendedClient(mockSqsBackend, extendedClientConfiguration));
+        ReceiveMessageRequest messageRequest = new ReceiveMessageRequest().withQueueUrl(SQS_QUEUE_URL);
+        ReceiveMessageResult actualReceiveMessageResult = sqsExtended.receiveMessage(messageRequest);
+        Assert.assertTrue(actualReceiveMessageResult.getMessages().isEmpty());
+
+        ArgumentCaptor<DeleteMessageRequest> deleteMessageRequestArgumentCaptor = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(DeleteMessageRequest.class);
+        verify(mockSqsBackend).deleteMessage(deleteMessageRequestArgumentCaptor.capture());
+        Assert.assertEquals(SQS_QUEUE_URL, deleteMessageRequestArgumentCaptor.getValue().getQueueUrl());
+        Assert.assertEquals("receipt-handle", deleteMessageRequestArgumentCaptor.getValue().getReceiptHandle());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testWhenIgnorePayloadNotFoundIsNotSentThenNotFoundKeysInS3AreNotDeletedInSQS() {
+        AmazonServiceException mockException = mock(AmazonServiceException.class);
+        when(mockException.getErrorCode()).thenReturn("NoSuchKey");
+
+        Message message = new Message().addMessageAttributesEntry(SQSExtendedClientConstants.RESERVED_ATTRIBUTE_NAME, mock(MessageAttributeValue.class));
+        String pointer = new PayloadS3Pointer(S3_BUCKET_NAME, "S3Key").toJson();
+        message.setBody(pointer);
+
+        when(mockSqsBackend.receiveMessage(isA(ReceiveMessageRequest.class))).thenReturn(new ReceiveMessageResult().withMessages(message));
+
+        doThrow(mockException).when(mockS3).getObject(any(GetObjectRequest.class));
+        ReceiveMessageRequest messageRequest = new ReceiveMessageRequest();
+
+        try {
+            extendedSqsWithDefaultConfig.receiveMessage(messageRequest);
+            Assert.fail("exception should have been thrown");
+        } catch (AmazonServiceException e) {
+            verify(mockSqsBackend, never()).deleteMessage(any(DeleteMessageRequest.class));
+        }
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testDefaultExtendedClientDeletesSmallMessage() {
         // given