diff --git a/provider/mesh/state.go b/provider/mesh/state.go
index d117b284..80001668 100644
--- a/provider/mesh/state.go
+++ b/provider/mesh/state.go
@@ -19,22 +19,55 @@ type notificationEntry struct {
 }
 
 type notificationState struct {
-	mtx sync.RWMutex
-	set map[string]notificationEntry
+	mtx   sync.RWMutex
+	set   map[string]notificationEntry
+	stopc chan struct{}
+	now   func() time.Time // test injection hook
 }
 
+const gcInterval = 10 * time.Minute
+
 func newNotificationState() *notificationState {
 	return &notificationState{
-		set: map[string]notificationEntry{},
+		set:   map[string]notificationEntry{},
+		stopc: make(chan struct{}),
+		now:   time.Now,
 	}
 }
 
+func (s *notificationState) run(retention time.Duration) {
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-s.stopc:
+			return
+		case <-time.After(gcInterval):
+			s.gc(retention)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (s *notificationState) stop() {
+	close(s.stopc)
+}
+
 func decodeNotificationSet(b []byte) (map[string]notificationEntry, error) {
 	var v map[string]notificationEntry
 	err := gob.NewDecoder(bytes.NewReader(b)).Decode(&v)
 	return v, err
 }
 
+func (s *notificationState) gc(retention time.Duration) {
+	s.mtx.Lock()
+	defer s.mtx.Unlock()
+
+	t := s.now().Add(-retention)
+	for k, v := range s.set {
+		if v.Timestamp.Before(t) {
+			delete(s.set, k)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // copy returns a deep copy of the notification state.
 func (s *notificationState) copy() *notificationState {
 	s.mtx.RLock()
diff --git a/provider/mesh/state_test.go b/provider/mesh/state_test.go
index dcc40650..1f0932ec 100644
--- a/provider/mesh/state_test.go
+++ b/provider/mesh/state_test.go
@@ -12,6 +12,35 @@ import (
 	"github.com/satori/go.uuid"
 )
 
+func TestNotificationStateGC(t *testing.T) {
+	now := time.Now()
+
+	initial := map[string]notificationEntry{
+		"1": {true, now},
+		"2": {true, now.Add(30 * time.Minute)},
+		"3": {true, now.Add(-30 * time.Minute)},
+		"4": {true, now.Add(-60 * time.Minute)},
+		"5": {true, now.Add(-61 * time.Minute)},
+		"6": {true, now.Add(-100 * time.Hour)},
+	}
+	final := map[string]notificationEntry{
+		"1": {true, now},
+		"2": {true, now.Add(30 * time.Minute)},
+		"3": {true, now.Add(-30 * time.Minute)},
+		"4": {true, now.Add(-60 * time.Minute)},
+	}
+
+	st := newNotificationState()
+	st.now = func() time.Time { return now }
+	st.set = initial
+	st.gc(time.Hour)
+
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(st.set, final) {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected state after GC")
+		t.Errorf("%s", pretty.Compare(st.set, final))
+	}
+}
+
 func TestSilenceStateSet(t *testing.T) {
 	var (
 		now      = time.Now()