diff --git a/internal/base/base.go b/internal/base/base.go
index 185a839..a03d381 100644
--- a/internal/base/base.go
+++ b/internal/base/base.go
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ func (c *Cancelations) GetAll() []context.CancelFunc {
 type Broker interface {
 	Enqueue(msg *TaskMessage) error
 	EnqueueUnique(msg *TaskMessage, ttl time.Duration) error
-	Dequeue(qnames ...string) (*TaskMessage, error)
+	Dequeue(qnames ...string) (*TaskMessage, int, error)
 	Done(msg *TaskMessage) error
 	Requeue(msg *TaskMessage) error
 	Schedule(msg *TaskMessage, processAt time.Time) error
diff --git a/internal/rdb/rdb.go b/internal/rdb/rdb.go
index 9314358..0d0a7bb 100644
--- a/internal/rdb/rdb.go
+++ b/internal/rdb/rdb.go
@@ -102,22 +102,26 @@ func (r *RDB) EnqueueUnique(msg *base.TaskMessage, ttl time.Duration) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// Dequeue queries given queues in order and pops a task message if there is one and returns it.
+// Dequeue queries given queues in order and pops a task message
+// off a queue if one exists and returns the message and deadline in Unix time in seconds.
 // Dequeue skips a queue if the queue is paused.
 // If all queues are empty, ErrNoProcessableTask error is returned.
-func (r *RDB) Dequeue(qnames ...string) (*base.TaskMessage, error) {
+func (r *RDB) Dequeue(qnames ...string) (msg *base.TaskMessage, deadline int, err error) {
 	var qkeys []interface{}
 	for _, q := range qnames {
 		qkeys = append(qkeys, base.QueueKey(q))
 	}
-	data, err := r.dequeue(qkeys...)
+	data, deadline, err := r.dequeue(qkeys...)
 	if err == redis.Nil {
-		return nil, ErrNoProcessableTask
+		return nil, 0, ErrNoProcessableTask
 	}
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, 0, err
 	}
-	return base.DecodeMessage(data)
+	if msg, err = base.DecodeMessage(data); err != nil {
+		return nil, 0, err
+	}
+	return msg, deadline, nil
 }
 
 // KEYS[1]  -> asynq:in_progress
@@ -134,9 +138,9 @@ var dequeueCmd = redis.NewScript(`
 for i = 2, table.getn(ARGV) do
 	local qkey = ARGV[i]
 	if redis.call("SISMEMBER", KEYS[2], qkey) == 0 then
-		local res = redis.call("RPOPLPUSH", qkey, KEYS[1])
-		if res then
-			local decoded = cjson.decode(res)
+		local msg = redis.call("RPOPLPUSH", qkey, KEYS[1])
+		if msg then
+			local decoded = cjson.decode(msg)
 			local timeout = decoded["Timeout"]
 			local deadline = decoded["Deadline"]
 			local score
@@ -149,23 +153,36 @@ for i = 2, table.getn(ARGV) do
 			else
 				return redis.error_reply("asynq internal error: both timeout and deadline are not set")
 			end
-			redis.call("ZADD", KEYS[3], score, res)
-			return res
+			redis.call("ZADD", KEYS[3], score, msg)
+			return {msg, score}
 		end
 	end
 end
 return nil`)
 
-func (r *RDB) dequeue(qkeys ...interface{}) (data string, err error) {
+func (r *RDB) dequeue(qkeys ...interface{}) (msgjson string, deadline int, err error) {
 	var args []interface{}
 	args = append(args, time.Now().Unix())
 	args = append(args, qkeys...)
 	res, err := dequeueCmd.Run(r.client,
 		[]string{base.InProgressQueue, base.PausedQueues, base.KeyDeadlines}, args...).Result()
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
+		return "", 0, err
 	}
-	return cast.ToStringE(res)
+	data, err := cast.ToSliceE(res)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", 0, err
+	}
+	if len(data) != 2 {
+		return "", 0, fmt.Errorf("asynq: internal error: dequeue command returned %v values", len(data))
+	}
+	if msgjson, err = cast.ToStringE(data[0]); err != nil {
+		return "", 0, err
+	}
+	if deadline, err = cast.ToIntE(data[1]); err != nil {
+		return "", 0, err
+	}
+	return msgjson, deadline, nil
 }
 
 // KEYS[1] -> asynq:in_progress
diff --git a/internal/rdb/rdb_test.go b/internal/rdb/rdb_test.go
index 3732feb..7c2d1ed 100644
--- a/internal/rdb/rdb_test.go
+++ b/internal/rdb/rdb_test.go
@@ -143,7 +143,8 @@ func TestDequeue(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		enqueued       map[string][]*base.TaskMessage
 		args           []string // list of queues to query
-		want           *base.TaskMessage
+		wantMsg        *base.TaskMessage
+		wantDeadline   int
 		err            error
 		wantEnqueued   map[string][]*base.TaskMessage
 		wantInProgress []*base.TaskMessage
@@ -153,9 +154,10 @@ func TestDequeue(t *testing.T) {
 			enqueued: map[string][]*base.TaskMessage{
 				"default": {t1},
 			},
-			args: []string{"default"},
-			want: t1,
-			err:  nil,
+			args:         []string{"default"},
+			wantMsg:      t1,
+			wantDeadline: t1Deadline,
+			err:          nil,
 			wantEnqueued: map[string][]*base.TaskMessage{
 				"default": {},
 			},
@@ -171,9 +173,10 @@ func TestDequeue(t *testing.T) {
 			enqueued: map[string][]*base.TaskMessage{
 				"default": {},
 			},
-			args: []string{"default"},
-			want: nil,
-			err:  ErrNoProcessableTask,
+			args:         []string{"default"},
+			wantMsg:      nil,
+			wantDeadline: 0,
+			err:          ErrNoProcessableTask,
 			wantEnqueued: map[string][]*base.TaskMessage{
 				"default": {},
 			},
@@ -186,9 +189,10 @@ func TestDequeue(t *testing.T) {
 				"critical": {t2},
 				"low":      {t3},
 			},
-			args: []string{"critical", "default", "low"},
-			want: t2,
-			err:  nil,
+			args:         []string{"critical", "default", "low"},
+			wantMsg:      t2,
+			wantDeadline: t2Deadline,
+			err:          nil,
 			wantEnqueued: map[string][]*base.TaskMessage{
 				"default":  {t1},
 				"critical": {},
@@ -208,9 +212,10 @@ func TestDequeue(t *testing.T) {
 				"critical": {},
 				"low":      {t2, t1},
 			},
-			args: []string{"critical", "default", "low"},
-			want: t3,
-			err:  nil,
+			args:         []string{"critical", "default", "low"},
+			wantMsg:      t3,
+			wantDeadline: t3Deadline,
+			err:          nil,
 			wantEnqueued: map[string][]*base.TaskMessage{
 				"default":  {},
 				"critical": {},
@@ -230,9 +235,10 @@ func TestDequeue(t *testing.T) {
 				"critical": {},
 				"low":      {},
 			},
-			args: []string{"critical", "default", "low"},
-			want: nil,
-			err:  ErrNoProcessableTask,
+			args:         []string{"critical", "default", "low"},
+			wantMsg:      nil,
+			wantDeadline: 0,
+			err:          ErrNoProcessableTask,
 			wantEnqueued: map[string][]*base.TaskMessage{
 				"default":  {},
 				"critical": {},
@@ -249,10 +255,20 @@ func TestDequeue(t *testing.T) {
 			h.SeedEnqueuedQueue(t, r.client, msgs, queue)
 		}
 
-		got, err := r.Dequeue(tc.args...)
-		if !cmp.Equal(got, tc.want) || err != tc.err {
-			t.Errorf("(*RDB).Dequeue(%v) = %v, %v; want %v, %v",
-				tc.args, got, err, tc.want, tc.err)
+		gotMsg, gotDeadline, err := r.Dequeue(tc.args...)
+		if err != tc.err {
+			t.Errorf("(*RDB).Dequeue(%v) returned error %v; want %v",
+				tc.args, err, tc.err)
+			continue
+		}
+		if !cmp.Equal(gotMsg, tc.wantMsg) || err != tc.err {
+			t.Errorf("(*RDB).Dequeue(%v) returned message %v; want %v",
+				tc.args, gotMsg, tc.wantMsg)
+			continue
+		}
+		if gotDeadline != tc.wantDeadline {
+			t.Errorf("(*RDB).Dequeue(%v) returned deadline %v; want %v",
+				tc.args, gotDeadline, tc.wantDeadline)
 			continue
 		}
 
@@ -284,7 +300,7 @@ func TestDequeueIgnoresPausedQueues(t *testing.T) {
 		paused         []string // list of paused queues
 		enqueued       map[string][]*base.TaskMessage
 		args           []string // list of queues to query
-		want           *base.TaskMessage
+		wantMsg        *base.TaskMessage
 		err            error
 		wantEnqueued   map[string][]*base.TaskMessage
 		wantInProgress []*base.TaskMessage
@@ -295,9 +311,9 @@ func TestDequeueIgnoresPausedQueues(t *testing.T) {
 				"default":  {t1},
 				"critical": {t2},
 			},
-			args: []string{"default", "critical"},
-			want: t2,
-			err:  nil,
+			args:    []string{"default", "critical"},
+			wantMsg: t2,
+			err:     nil,
 			wantEnqueued: map[string][]*base.TaskMessage{
 				"default":  {t1},
 				"critical": {},
@@ -309,9 +325,9 @@ func TestDequeueIgnoresPausedQueues(t *testing.T) {
 			enqueued: map[string][]*base.TaskMessage{
 				"default": {t1},
 			},
-			args: []string{"default"},
-			want: nil,
-			err:  ErrNoProcessableTask,
+			args:    []string{"default"},
+			wantMsg: nil,
+			err:     ErrNoProcessableTask,
 			wantEnqueued: map[string][]*base.TaskMessage{
 				"default": {t1},
 			},
@@ -323,9 +339,9 @@ func TestDequeueIgnoresPausedQueues(t *testing.T) {
 				"default":  {t1},
 				"critical": {t2},
 			},
-			args: []string{"default", "critical"},
-			want: nil,
-			err:  ErrNoProcessableTask,
+			args:    []string{"default", "critical"},
+			wantMsg: nil,
+			err:     ErrNoProcessableTask,
 			wantEnqueued: map[string][]*base.TaskMessage{
 				"default":  {t1},
 				"critical": {t2},
@@ -345,10 +361,10 @@ func TestDequeueIgnoresPausedQueues(t *testing.T) {
 			h.SeedEnqueuedQueue(t, r.client, msgs, queue)
 		}
 
-		got, err := r.Dequeue(tc.args...)
-		if !cmp.Equal(got, tc.want) || err != tc.err {
+		got, _, err := r.Dequeue(tc.args...)
+		if !cmp.Equal(got, tc.wantMsg) || err != tc.err {
 			t.Errorf("Dequeue(%v) = %v, %v; want %v, %v",
-				tc.args, got, err, tc.want, tc.err)
+				tc.args, got, err, tc.wantMsg, tc.err)
 			continue
 		}
 
diff --git a/internal/testbroker/testbroker.go b/internal/testbroker/testbroker.go
index 08e407f..d577fd9 100644
--- a/internal/testbroker/testbroker.go
+++ b/internal/testbroker/testbroker.go
@@ -60,11 +60,11 @@ func (tb *TestBroker) EnqueueUnique(msg *base.TaskMessage, ttl time.Duration) er
 	return tb.real.EnqueueUnique(msg, ttl)
 }
 
-func (tb *TestBroker) Dequeue(qnames ...string) (*base.TaskMessage, error) {
+func (tb *TestBroker) Dequeue(qnames ...string) (*base.TaskMessage, int, error) {
 	tb.mu.Lock()
 	defer tb.mu.Unlock()
 	if tb.sleeping {
-		return nil, errRedisDown
+		return nil, 0, errRedisDown
 	}
 	return tb.real.Dequeue(qnames...)
 }