diff --git a/bridge_test.go b/bridge_test.go
index c986c48..bc92e48 100644
--- a/bridge_test.go
+++ b/bridge_test.go
@@ -543,6 +543,7 @@ func TestHandlePacket(t *testing.T) {
 		Logger:          log.NewNopLogger(),
 		LineParser:      parser,
 		UDPPackets:      udpPackets,
+		UDPPacketDrops:  udpPacketDrops,
 		LinesReceived:   linesReceived,
 		EventsFlushed:   eventsFlushed,
 		SampleErrors:    *sampleErrors,
diff --git a/exporter_benchmark_test.go b/exporter_benchmark_test.go
index 9a26760..2e13627 100644
--- a/exporter_benchmark_test.go
+++ b/exporter_benchmark_test.go
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ func benchmarkUDPListener(times int, b *testing.B) {
 
 		// there are more events than input lines, need bigger buffer
 		events := make(chan event.Events, len(bytesInput)*times*2)
+		udpChan := make(chan []byte, len(bytesInput)*times*2)
 
 		l := listener.StatsDUDPListener{
 			EventHandler:    &event.UnbufferedEventHandler{C: events},
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@ func benchmarkUDPListener(times int, b *testing.B) {
 			LinesReceived:   linesReceived,
 			SamplesReceived: samplesReceived,
 			TagsReceived:    tagsReceived,
+			UdpPacketQueue:  udpChan,
 		}
 
 		// resume benchmark timer
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index dd8092c..4a33c65 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -71,6 +71,12 @@ var (
 			Help: "The total number of StatsD packets received over UDP.",
 		},
 	)
+	udpPacketDrops = promauto.NewCounter(
+		prometheus.CounterOpts{
+			Name: "statsd_exporter_udp_packet_drops_total",
+			Help: "The total number of dropped StatsD packets which received over UDP.",
+		},
+	)
 	tcpConnections = promauto.NewCounter(
 		prometheus.CounterOpts{
 			Name: "statsd_exporter_tcp_connections_total",
@@ -261,6 +267,7 @@ func main() {
 		signalFXTagsEnabled  = kingpin.Flag("statsd.parse-signalfx-tags", "Parse SignalFX style tags. Enabled by default.").Default("true").Bool()
 		relayAddr            = kingpin.Flag("statsd.relay.address", "The UDP relay target address (host:port)").String()
 		relayPacketLen       = kingpin.Flag("statsd.relay.packet-length", "Maximum relay output packet length to avoid fragmentation").Default("1400").Uint()
+		udpPacketQueueSize   = kingpin.Flag("statsd.udp-packet-queue-size", "Size of internal queue for processing UDP packets.").Default("10000").Int()
 	)
 
 	promlogConfig := &promlog.Config{}
@@ -368,12 +375,15 @@ func main() {
 			}
 		}
 
+		udpPacketQueue := make(chan []byte, *udpPacketQueueSize)
+
 		ul := &listener.StatsDUDPListener{
 			Conn:            uconn,
 			EventHandler:    eventQueue,
 			Logger:          logger,
 			LineParser:      parser,
 			UDPPackets:      udpPackets,
+			UDPPacketDrops:  udpPacketDrops,
 			LinesReceived:   linesReceived,
 			EventsFlushed:   eventsFlushed,
 			Relay:           relayTarget,
@@ -381,6 +391,7 @@ func main() {
 			SamplesReceived: samplesReceived,
 			TagErrors:       tagErrors,
 			TagsReceived:    tagsReceived,
+			UdpPacketQueue:  udpPacketQueue,
 		}
 
 		go ul.Listen()
diff --git a/pkg/exporter/exporter_test.go b/pkg/exporter/exporter_test.go
index a0bdce4..a2bb948 100644
--- a/pkg/exporter/exporter_test.go
+++ b/pkg/exporter/exporter_test.go
@@ -56,6 +56,12 @@ var (
 			Help: "The total number of StatsD packets received over UDP.",
 		},
 	)
+	udpPacketDrops = prometheus.NewCounter(
+		prometheus.CounterOpts{
+			Name: "statsd_exporter_udp_packet_drops_total",
+			Help: "The total number of dropped StatsD packets which received over UDP.",
+		},
+	)
 	tcpConnections = prometheus.NewCounter(
 		prometheus.CounterOpts{
 			Name: "statsd_exporter_tcp_connections_total",
@@ -683,6 +689,7 @@ func TestInvalidUtf8InDatadogTagValue(t *testing.T) {
 			Logger:          log.NewNopLogger(),
 			LineParser:      parser,
 			UDPPackets:      udpPackets,
+			UDPPacketDrops:  udpPacketDrops,
 			LinesReceived:   linesReceived,
 			EventsFlushed:   eventsFlushed,
 			SampleErrors:    *sampleErrors,
diff --git a/pkg/listener/listener.go b/pkg/listener/listener.go
index c8acc0a..99e5792 100644
--- a/pkg/listener/listener.go
+++ b/pkg/listener/listener.go
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ type StatsDUDPListener struct {
 	Logger          log.Logger
 	LineParser      Parser
 	UDPPackets      prometheus.Counter
+	UDPPacketDrops  prometheus.Counter
 	LinesReceived   prometheus.Counter
 	EventsFlushed   prometheus.Counter
 	Relay           *relay.Relay
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ type StatsDUDPListener struct {
 	SamplesReceived prometheus.Counter
 	TagErrors       prometheus.Counter
 	TagsReceived    prometheus.Counter
+	UdpPacketQueue  chan []byte
 }
 
 func (l *StatsDUDPListener) SetEventHandler(eh event.EventHandler) {
@@ -53,6 +55,7 @@ func (l *StatsDUDPListener) SetEventHandler(eh event.EventHandler) {
 
 func (l *StatsDUDPListener) Listen() {
 	buf := make([]byte, 65535)
+	go l.ProcessUdpPacketQueue()
 	for {
 		n, _, err := l.Conn.ReadFromUDP(buf)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -64,12 +67,31 @@ func (l *StatsDUDPListener) Listen() {
 			level.Error(l.Logger).Log("error", err)
 			return
 		}
-		l.HandlePacket(buf[0:n])
+
+		l.EnqueueUdpPacket(buf, n)
+	}
+}
+
+func (l *StatsDUDPListener) EnqueueUdpPacket(packet []byte, n int) {
+	l.UDPPackets.Inc()
+	packetCopy := make([]byte, n)
+	copy(packetCopy, packet)
+	select {
+	case l.UdpPacketQueue <- packetCopy:
+		// do nothing
+	default:
+		l.UDPPacketDrops.Inc()
+	}
+}
+
+func (l *StatsDUDPListener) ProcessUdpPacketQueue() {
+	for {
+		packet := <-l.UdpPacketQueue
+		l.HandlePacket(packet)
 	}
 }
 
 func (l *StatsDUDPListener) HandlePacket(packet []byte) {
-	l.UDPPackets.Inc()
 	lines := strings.Split(string(packet), "\n")
 	for _, line := range lines {
 		level.Debug(l.Logger).Log("msg", "Incoming line", "proto", "udp", "line", line)