diff --git a/examples/skip_updates_example.py b/examples/skip_updates_example.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8474e16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/skip_updates_example.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import telebot
+
+bot = telebot.TeleBot("TOKEN")
+
+@bot.message_handler(commands=['start', 'help'])
+def send_welcome(message):
+	bot.reply_to(message, "Howdy, how are you doing?")
+
+@bot.message_handler(func=lambda message: True)
+def echo_all(message):
+	bot.reply_to(message, message.text)
+
+bot.polling(skip_updates=True) # Will skip old messages when skip_updates is set
+
+# Also, you can use skip_updates in infinity_polling()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/telebot/__init__.py b/telebot/__init__.py
index 9fd86a2..26354b0 100644
--- a/telebot/__init__.py
+++ b/telebot/__init__.py
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@ class TeleBot:
         for listener in self.update_listener:
             self._exec_task(listener, new_messages)
 
-    def infinity_polling(self, timeout=20, long_polling_timeout=20, logger_level=logging.ERROR,
+    def infinity_polling(self, timeout=20, skip_updates=False, long_polling_timeout=20, logger_level=logging.ERROR,
             allowed_updates=None, *args, **kwargs):
         """
         Wrap polling with infinite loop and exception handling to avoid bot stops polling.
@@ -565,6 +565,7 @@ class TeleBot:
         :param long_polling_timeout: Timeout in seconds for long polling (see API docs)
         :param logger_level: Custom logging level for infinity_polling logging.
             Use logger levels from logging as a value. None/NOTSET = no error logging
+        :param skip_updates: Skip previous updates
         :param allowed_updates: A list of the update types you want your bot to receive.
             For example, specify [“message”, “edited_channel_post”, “callback_query”] to only receive updates of these types. 
             See util.update_types for a complete list of available update types. 
@@ -574,6 +575,8 @@ class TeleBot:
             Please note that this parameter doesn't affect updates created before the call to the get_updates, 
             so unwanted updates may be received for a short period of time.
         """
+        if skip_updates:
+            apihelper.get_updates(self.token, -1)
         while not self.__stop_polling.is_set():
             try:
                 self.polling(none_stop=True, timeout=timeout, long_polling_timeout=long_polling_timeout,
@@ -590,7 +593,7 @@ class TeleBot:
         if logger_level and logger_level >= logging.INFO:
             logger.error("Break infinity polling")
 
-    def polling(self, none_stop: bool=False, interval: int=0, timeout: int=20, 
+    def polling(self, none_stop: bool=False, skip_updates=False, interval: int=0, timeout: int=20, 
             long_polling_timeout: int=20, allowed_updates: Optional[List[str]]=None):
         """
         This function creates a new Thread that calls an internal __retrieve_updates function.
@@ -601,6 +604,7 @@ class TeleBot:
         Always get updates.
         :param interval: Delay between two update retrivals
         :param none_stop: Do not stop polling when an ApiException occurs.
+        :param skip_updates: Skip previous updates
         :param timeout: Request connection timeout
         :param long_polling_timeout: Timeout in seconds for long polling (see API docs)
         :param allowed_updates: A list of the update types you want your bot to receive.
@@ -613,6 +617,8 @@ class TeleBot:
             so unwanted updates may be received for a short period of time.
         :return:
         """
+        if skip_updates:
+            apihelper.get_updates(self.token, -1)
         if self.threaded:
             self.__threaded_polling(none_stop, interval, timeout, long_polling_timeout, allowed_updates)
         else: