diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index aeb29bd..73c1622 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -21,6 +21,13 @@ from st_keyup import st_keyup
 
 value = st_keyup("Enter a value")
 
-# Notice that value updates with every keyup
+# Notice that value updates after every key press
 st.write(value)
+
+# If you want to set a default value, you can pass one
+with_default = st_keyup("Enter a value", value="Example")
+
+# If you want to limit how often the value gets updated, pass `debounce` value, which
+# will force the value to only update after that many milliseconds have passed
+with_debounce = st_keyup("Enter a value", debounce=500)
 ```
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index fad4ee0..86cc03c 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 setuptools.setup(
     name="streamlit-keyup",
-    version="0.1.3",
+    version="0.1.4",
     author="Zachary Blackwood",
     author_email="zachary@streamlit.io",
     description="Text input that renders on keyup",
diff --git a/src/__init__.py b/src/__init__.py
index d2a8e05..e7d41d9 100644
--- a/src/__init__.py
+++ b/src/__init__.py
@@ -22,11 +22,23 @@ def st_keyup(
     label: str,
     value: str = "",
     key: Optional[str] = None,
+    debounce: int = 0,
 ):
+    """
+    Generate a text input that renders on keyup, debouncing the input by the
+    specified amount of milliseconds.
+
+    Debounce means that it will wait at least the specified amount of milliseconds
+    before updating the value. This is useful for preventing excessive updates
+    when the user is typing. Since the input updating will cause the app to rerun,
+    if you are having performance issues, you should consider setting a debounce
+    value.
+    """
     component_value = _component_func(
         label=label,
         value=value,
         key=key,
+        debounce=debounce,
         default="",
     )
 
@@ -34,14 +46,22 @@ def st_keyup(
 
 
 def main():
+    st.write("## Default keyup input")
     value = st_keyup("Enter a value")
 
     st.write(value)
 
+    "## Keyup input with default value"
     value = st_keyup("Enter a second value", value="Hello World")
 
     st.write(value)
 
+    "## Keyup input with 500 millesecond debounce"
+    value = st_keyup("Enter a second value", debounce=500)
+
+    st.write(value)
+
+    "## Standard text input for comparison"
     value = st.text_input("Enter a value")
 
     st.write(value)
diff --git a/src/frontend/src/index.tsx b/src/frontend/src/index.tsx
index 584e156..b855887 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/index.tsx
+++ b/src/frontend/src/index.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { Streamlit, RenderData } from "streamlit-component-lib"
+import { debounce } from "underscore"
 
 declare global {
   interface Window {
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ function onRender(event: Event): void {
 
     const label: string = data.args["label"]
     const value: string = data.args["value"]
+    const debounce_time: number = data.args["debounce"]
 
     const input = document.getElementsByTagName("input")[0] as HTMLInputElement
 
@@ -37,7 +39,13 @@ function onRender(event: Event): void {
       input.value = value
     }
 
-    input.onkeyup = onKeyUp
+    if (debounce_time > 0) {
+      input.onkeyup = debounce(onKeyUp, debounce_time)
+    }
+    else {
+      input.onkeyup = onKeyUp
+    }
+
     window.rendered = true
   }
 }