diff --git a/bitswap/client/internal/messagequeue/messagequeue.go b/bitswap/client/internal/messagequeue/messagequeue.go
index edea20b9c..86b0f260a 100644
--- a/bitswap/client/internal/messagequeue/messagequeue.go
+++ b/bitswap/client/internal/messagequeue/messagequeue.go
@@ -175,6 +175,23 @@ func (r *recallWantlist) ClearSentAt(c cid.Cid) {
 	delete(r.sentAt, c)
 }
 
+// Refresh moves wants from the sent list back to the pending list.
+// If a want has been sent for longer than the interval, it is moved back to the pending list.
+// Returns the number of wants that were refreshed.
+func (r *recallWantlist) Refresh(now time.Time, interval time.Duration) int {
+	var refreshed int
+	for _, want := range r.sent.Entries() {
+		sentAt, ok := r.sentAt[want.Cid]
+		if ok && now.Sub(sentAt) >= interval {
+			r.pending.Add(want.Cid, want.Priority, want.WantType)
+			r.sent.Remove(want.Cid)
+			refreshed++
+		}
+	}
+
+	return refreshed
+}
+
 type peerConn struct {
 	p       peer.ID
 	network MessageNetwork
@@ -476,27 +493,27 @@ func (mq *MessageQueue) rebroadcastWantlist() {
 	mq.rebroadcastIntervalLk.Unlock()
 
 	// If some wants were transferred from the rebroadcast list
-	if mq.transferRebroadcastWants() {
+	if toRebroadcast := mq.transferRebroadcastWants(); toRebroadcast > 0 {
 		// Send them out
 		mq.sendMessage()
+		log.Infow("Rebroadcasting wants", "amount", toRebroadcast, "peer", mq.p)
 	}
 }
 
 // Transfer wants from the rebroadcast lists into the pending lists.
-func (mq *MessageQueue) transferRebroadcastWants() bool {
+func (mq *MessageQueue) transferRebroadcastWants() int {
 	mq.wllock.Lock()
 	defer mq.wllock.Unlock()
 
-	// Check if there are any wants to rebroadcast
-	if mq.bcstWants.sent.Len() == 0 && mq.peerWants.sent.Len() == 0 {
-		return false
-	}
-
-	// Copy sent wants into pending wants lists
-	mq.bcstWants.pending.Absorb(mq.bcstWants.sent)
-	mq.peerWants.pending.Absorb(mq.peerWants.sent)
+	mq.rebroadcastIntervalLk.Lock()
+	rebroadcastInterval := mq.rebroadcastInterval
+	mq.rebroadcastIntervalLk.Unlock()
 
-	return true
+	now := mq.clock.Now()
+	// Transfer sent wants into pending wants lists
+	transferred := mq.bcstWants.Refresh(now, rebroadcastInterval)
+	transferred += mq.peerWants.Refresh(now, rebroadcastInterval)
+	return transferred
 }
 
 func (mq *MessageQueue) signalWorkReady() {
diff --git a/bitswap/client/wantlist/wantlist.go b/bitswap/client/wantlist/wantlist.go
index 6cb71eecc..245085af9 100644
--- a/bitswap/client/wantlist/wantlist.go
+++ b/bitswap/client/wantlist/wantlist.go
@@ -130,13 +130,3 @@ func (w *Wantlist) Entries() []Entry {
 	w.cached = es
 	return es[0:len(es):len(es)]
 }
-
-// Absorb all the entries in other into this want list
-func (w *Wantlist) Absorb(other *Wantlist) {
-	// Invalidate the cache up-front to avoid doing any work trying to keep it up-to-date.
-	w.cached = nil
-
-	for _, e := range other.Entries() {
-		w.Add(e.Cid, e.Priority, e.WantType)
-	}
-}
diff --git a/bitswap/client/wantlist/wantlist_test.go b/bitswap/client/wantlist/wantlist_test.go
index 07d4ce415..901fe0d67 100644
--- a/bitswap/client/wantlist/wantlist_test.go
+++ b/bitswap/client/wantlist/wantlist_test.go
@@ -157,52 +157,6 @@ func TestAddBlockThenRemoveAny(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestAbsort(t *testing.T) {
-	wl := New()
-	wl.Add(testcids[0], 5, pb.Message_Wantlist_Block)
-	wl.Add(testcids[1], 4, pb.Message_Wantlist_Have)
-	wl.Add(testcids[2], 3, pb.Message_Wantlist_Have)
-
-	wl2 := New()
-	wl2.Add(testcids[0], 2, pb.Message_Wantlist_Have)
-	wl2.Add(testcids[1], 1, pb.Message_Wantlist_Block)
-
-	wl.Absorb(wl2)
-
-	e, ok := wl.Contains(testcids[0])
-	if !ok {
-		t.Fatal("expected to have ", testcids[0])
-	}
-	if e.Priority != 5 {
-		t.Fatal("expected priority 5")
-	}
-	if e.WantType != pb.Message_Wantlist_Block {
-		t.Fatal("expected type ", pb.Message_Wantlist_Block)
-	}
-
-	e, ok = wl.Contains(testcids[1])
-	if !ok {
-		t.Fatal("expected to have ", testcids[1])
-	}
-	if e.Priority != 1 {
-		t.Fatal("expected priority 1")
-	}
-	if e.WantType != pb.Message_Wantlist_Block {
-		t.Fatal("expected type ", pb.Message_Wantlist_Block)
-	}
-
-	e, ok = wl.Contains(testcids[2])
-	if !ok {
-		t.Fatal("expected to have ", testcids[2])
-	}
-	if e.Priority != 3 {
-		t.Fatal("expected priority 3")
-	}
-	if e.WantType != pb.Message_Wantlist_Have {
-		t.Fatal("expected type ", pb.Message_Wantlist_Have)
-	}
-}
-
 func TestSortEntries(t *testing.T) {
 	wl := New()