diff --git a/os_collect_config/collect.py b/os_collect_config/collect.py
index c353b2c..e9e4389 100644
--- a/os_collect_config/collect.py
+++ b/os_collect_config/collect.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 import hashlib
 import json
 import os
+import random
 import shutil
 import signal
 import subprocess
@@ -89,7 +90,17 @@ opts = [
                     help='Key(s) to explode into multiple collected outputs. '
                     'Parsed according to the expected Metadata created by '
                     'OS::Heat::StructuredDeployment. Only exploded if seen at '
-                    'the root of the Metadata.')
+                    'the root of the Metadata.'),
+    cfg.FloatOpt('splay',
+                 default=0,
+                 help='Use this option to sleep for a random amount of time '
+                      'prior to starting the collect process. Takes a maximum '
+                      'number of seconds to wait before beginning collection '
+                      'as an argument. Disabled when set to 0. This option '
+                      'can help ensure that multiple collect processes '
+                      '(on different hosts) do not attempt to poll at the '
+                      'exact same time if they were all started at the same '
+                      'time. Ignored if --one-time or --force is used.'),
 ]
 
 CONF = cfg.CONF
@@ -253,6 +264,11 @@ def __main__(args=sys.argv, collector_kwargs_map=None):
     if CONF.force:
         CONF.set_override('one_time', True)
 
+    if CONF.splay > 0 and not CONF.one_time:
+        # sleep splay seconds in the beginning to prevent multiple collect
+        # processes from all running at the same time
+        time.sleep(random.randrange(0, CONF.splay))
+
     exitval = 0
     config_files = CONF.config_file
     config_hash = getfilehash(config_files)
diff --git a/os_collect_config/tests/test_collect.py b/os_collect_config/tests/test_collect.py
index b735770..3b09425 100644
--- a/os_collect_config/tests/test_collect.py
+++ b/os_collect_config/tests/test_collect.py
@@ -344,6 +344,16 @@ class TestCollect(testtools.TestCase):
                           ['os-collect-config', 'heat_local', '-i', '10',
                            '--min-polling-interval', '20', '-c', 'true'])
 
+    @mock.patch('time.sleep')
+    @mock.patch('random.randrange')
+    def test_main_with_splay(self, randrange_mock, sleep_mock):
+        randrange_mock.return_value = 4
+        collect.__main__(args=['os-collect-config', 'heat_local', '-i', '10',
+                               '--min-polling-interval', '20', '-c', 'true',
+                               '--print', '--splay', '29'])
+        randrange_mock.assert_called_with(0, 29)
+        sleep_mock.assert_called_with(4)
+
 
 class TestCollectAll(testtools.TestCase):