diff --git a/aws_sqs_consumer/consumer.py b/aws_sqs_consumer/consumer.py
index 28f1244..6e22079 100644
--- a/aws_sqs_consumer/consumer.py
+++ b/aws_sqs_consumer/consumer.py
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@
 import boto3
 import time
 import traceback
+import threading
+import atexit
+from uuid import uuid4
 from typing import List
 
 from .error import SQSException
@@ -27,7 +30,10 @@ def __init__(
         batch_size=1,
         wait_time_seconds=1,
         visibility_timeout_seconds=None,
-        polling_wait_time_ms=0
+        polling_wait_time_ms=0,
+        daemon: bool = True,
+        thread_name: str = "consumer",
+        threaded: bool = True
     ):
         self.queue_url = queue_url
         self.attribute_names = attribute_names
@@ -41,6 +47,10 @@ def __init__(
         self.wait_time_seconds = wait_time_seconds
         self.visibility_timeout_seconds = visibility_timeout_seconds
         self.polling_wait_time_ms = polling_wait_time_ms
+        self.daemon = daemon
+        self.thread_name_prefix = "aws_sqs_thread" + thread_name
+        self._sqs_thread = None
+        self.threaded = threaded
         if region:
             self._sqs_client = sqs_client or boto3.client(
                 "sqs", region_name=region)
@@ -52,6 +62,7 @@ def __init__(
             raise Exception("Please specify the region parameter or set \
                             AWS_DEFAULT_REGION env variable.")
         self._running = False
+        atexit.register(self.stop)
 
     def handle_message(self, message: Message):
         """
@@ -107,7 +118,6 @@ def start(self):
         """
         Start the consumer.
         """
-        # TODO: Figure out threading/daemon
         self._running = True
         while self._running:
             response = self._sqs_client.receive_message(
@@ -131,8 +141,24 @@ def stop(self):
         """
         Stop the consumer.
         """
-        # TODO: There's no way to invoke this other than a separate thread.
         self._running = False
+        if not self.daemon:
+            self._sqs_thread.join()
+
+    def start_consumer(self):
+        """
+        Starts the process of receiving sqs messages either in main
+        thread (if threaded=False) or separate thread (if threaded=True)
+        depending on threaded.
+        """
+        if not self.threaded:
+            self.start()
+        else:
+            thread_name = self.thread_name_prefix + str(uuid4())
+            self._sqs_thread = threading.Thread(target=self.start,
+                                                name=thread_name,
+                                                daemon=self.daemon)
+            self._sqs_thread.start()
 
     def _process_message(self, message: Message):
         try:
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index e73098c..81a2624 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "aws_sqs_consumer"
-version = "0.0.15"
+version = "0.0.16"
 description = "AWS SQS Consumer"
 authors = ["Hexmos Technology <nobody@flyweightgroup.com>"]
 license = "MIT"