diff --git a/jquery.timeago.js b/jquery.timeago.js
index 4d58026..018c474 100644
--- a/jquery.timeago.js
+++ b/jquery.timeago.js
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@
       refresh_el();
       var $s = $t.settings;
       if ($s.refreshMillis > 0) {
-        setInterval(refresh_el, $s.refreshMillis);
+        this._timeagoInterval = setInterval(refresh_el, $s.refreshMillis);
       }
     },
     update: function(time){
@@ -138,6 +138,12 @@
     updateFromDOM: function(){
       $(this).data('timeago', { datetime: $t.parse( $t.isTime(this) ? $(this).attr("datetime") : $(this).attr("title") ) });
       refresh.apply(this);
+    },
+    dispose: function () {
+      if (this._timeagoInterval) {
+        window.clearInterval(this._timeagoInterval);
+        this._timeagoInterval = null;
+      }
     }
   };
 
diff --git a/test/index.html b/test/index.html
index e0e105d..379833b 100644
--- a/test/index.html
+++ b/test/index.html
@@ -188,6 +188,10 @@
       <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>Disposal</h2>
+    <p><abbr class="disposal disposed"></abbr></p>
+    <p><abbr class="disposal notDisposed"></abbr></p>
   </div>
 
   <script src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.7.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
@@ -238,6 +242,8 @@
       $("abbr.tonumbers").each(toWords);
       unloadNumbers();
 
+      setupDisposal();
+
       loadYoungOldYears();
       $("abbr.toyoungold").each(toWords);
 
@@ -582,6 +588,28 @@
         ok($("#testNoSpaces1").html().match(/^2minutesago$/), "Settings correctly applied");
         ok($("#testNullSpaces1").html().match(/^2minutesago$/), "Settings correctly applied");
       });
+
+      module("Disposal");
+
+      asyncTest("disposal", function() {
+        $(".disposal.disposed").timeago('dispose');
+        var initialTime_disposedTimeago = $(".disposal.disposed").html();
+        var initialTime_activeTimeago = $(".disposal.notDisposed").html();
+        
+        expect(2);
+        setTimeout(function() {
+          var updatedTime_disposedTimeago = $(".disposal.disposed").html();
+          var updatedTime_activeTimeago = $(".disposal.notDisposed").html();
+          
+          ok(initialTime_disposedTimeago === updatedTime_disposedTimeago, "A disposed timeago didn't get updated");
+          ok(initialTime_activeTimeago !== updatedTime_activeTimeago, "A non-disposed timeago continued to be updated");
+
+          // Dispose still-active timeago
+          $(".disposal.notDisposed").timeago('dispose');
+          resetRefreshMillis();
+          start();
+        }, 50);
+      });
     })(jQuery);
     //]]>
   </script>
diff --git a/test/test_helpers.js b/test/test_helpers.js
index 7cf78cf..501de1b 100644
--- a/test/test_helpers.js
+++ b/test/test_helpers.js
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@ function unloadCutoffSetting() {
 	jQuery.timeago.settings.cutoff = 0;
 }
 
+function setupDisposal() {
+  jQuery.timeago.settings.refreshMillis = 50;
+  $('abbr.disposal').attr("title", iso8601(new Date())).timeago();
+}
+
 function loadPigLatin() {
   jQuery.timeago.settings.strings = {
     suffixAgo: "ago-hay",
@@ -84,6 +89,10 @@ function loadRussian() {
   })();
 }
 
+function resetRefreshMillis() {
+  jQuery.timeago.settings.refreshMillis = 60000;
+}
+
 function loadMillis() {
   var millisSubstitution = function(number, millis) { return millis + " milliseconds"; };
   jQuery.timeago.settings.strings = {