diff --git a/README.txt b/README.txt
index d101bf8..8f761b9 100644
--- a/README.txt
+++ b/README.txt
@@ -128,6 +128,10 @@ Description: The table used by FeedsDataProcessor to store feed items. Usually a
              and the importer's id ($importer_id). This default table name can
              be overridden by defining a variable with the same name.
 
+Name:        feeds_node_batch_size
+Default:     20
+             The number of nodes feed node processor creates in one batch.
+
 Glossary
 ========
 
diff --git a/feeds.install b/feeds.install
index cfa165a..83dd510 100644
--- a/feeds.install
+++ b/feeds.install
@@ -70,6 +70,13 @@ function feeds_schema() {
         'not null' => TRUE,
         'description' => t('Main source resource identifier. E. g. a path or a URL.'),
       ),
+      'batch' => array(
+        'type' => 'text',
+        'size' => 'big',
+        'not null' => FALSE,
+        'description' => t('Cache for batching.'),
+        'serialize' => TRUE,
+      ),
     ),
     'primary key' => array('id', 'feed_nid'),
     'indexes' => array(
@@ -316,4 +323,22 @@ function feeds_update_6007() {
   db_add_field($ret, 'feeds_node_item', 'hash', $spec);
 
   return $ret;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Add feed field to source table.
+ */
+function feeds_update_6008() {
+  $ret = array();
+
+  $spec = array(
+    'type' => 'text',
+    'size' => 'big',
+    'not null' => FALSE,
+    'description' => t('Cache for batching.'),
+    'serialize' => TRUE,
+  );
+  db_add_field($ret, 'feeds_source', 'batch', $spec);
+
+  return $ret;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/feeds.module b/feeds.module
index af1a99f..ea226a0 100644
--- a/feeds.module
+++ b/feeds.module
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ function feeds_nodeapi(&$node, $op, $form) {
         // Refresh feed if import on create is selected and suppress_import is
         // not set.
         if ($op == 'insert' && feeds_importer($importer_id)->config['import_on_create'] && !isset($node->feeds['suppress_import'])) {
-          $source->import();
+          feeds_batch_set(t('Importing'), 'import', $importer_id, $node->nid);
         }
         // Add import to scheduler.
         feeds_scheduler()->add($importer_id, 'import', $node->nid);
@@ -378,6 +378,62 @@ function feeds_scheduler_work($feed_info) {
  */
 
 /**
+ * @defgroup batch Batch functions.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Batch callback.
+ *
+ * @param $method
+ *   Method to execute on importer; one of 'import', 'clear' or 'expire'.
+ * @param $importer_id
+ *   Identifier of a FeedsImporter object.
+ * @param $feed_nid
+ *   If importer is attached to content type, feed node id identifying the
+ *   source to be imported.
+ * @param $context
+ *   Batch context.
+ */
+function feeds_batch($method, $importer_id, $feed_nid = 0, &$context) {
+  switch ($method) {
+    case 'import':
+      $batch_status = feeds_source($importer_id, $feed_nid)->import();
+      break;
+    case 'clear':
+      $batch_status = feeds_source($importer_id, $feed_nid)->clear();
+      break;
+  }
+  $context['finished'] = ($batch_status != FEEDS_BATCH_ACTIVE);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Batch helper.
+ *
+ * @param $title
+ *   Title to show to user when executing batch.
+ * @param $method
+ *   Method to execute on importer; one of 'import', 'clear' or 'expire'.
+ * @param $importer_id
+ *   Identifier of a FeedsImporter object.
+ * @param $feed_nid
+ *   If importer is attached to content type, feed node id identifying the
+ *   source to be imported.
+ */
+function feeds_batch_set($title, $method, $importer_id, $feed_nid = 0) {
+  $batch = array(
+    'title' => $title,
+    'operations' => array(
+      array('feeds_batch', array($method, $importer_id, $feed_nid)),
+    ),
+  );
+  batch_set($batch);
+}
+
+/**
+ * @} End of "defgroup batch".
+ */
+
+/**
  * @defgroup utility Utility functions
  * @{
  */
diff --git a/feeds.pages.inc b/feeds.pages.inc
index 415ad6f..94d3eb4 100644
--- a/feeds.pages.inc
+++ b/feeds.pages.inc
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ function feeds_import_form_submit($form, &$form_state) {
 
   // Refresh feed if import on create is selected.
   if ($source->importer->config['import_on_create']) {
-    $source->import();
+    feeds_batch_set(t('Importing'), 'import', $form['#importer_id']);
   }
 
   // Add importer to schedule.
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ function feeds_import_tab_form(&$form_state, $node) {
  * Submit handler for feeds_import_tab_form().
  */
 function feeds_import_tab_form_submit($form, $form_state) {
-  feeds_source($form['#importer_id'], $form['#feed_nid'])->import();
+  feeds_batch_set(t('Importing'), 'import', $form['#importer_id'], $form['#feed_nid']);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -134,5 +134,5 @@ function feeds_delete_tab_form(&$form_state, $importer_id, $node = NULL) {
  * Submit handler for feeds_delete_tab_form().
  */
 function feeds_delete_tab_form_submit($form, &$form_state) {
-  feeds_source($form['#importer_id'], empty($form['#feed_nid']) ? 0 : $form['#feed_nid'])->clear();
+  feeds_batch_set(t('Deleting'), 'clear', $form['#importer_id'], empty($form['#feed_nid']) ? 0 : $form['#feed_nid']);
 }
diff --git a/includes/FeedsFeed.inc b/includes/FeedsFeed.inc
index c9f5f1d..4d47433 100644
--- a/includes/FeedsFeed.inc
+++ b/includes/FeedsFeed.inc
@@ -9,12 +9,13 @@
  * @see FeedsSource class
  * @see FeedsFetcher class
  */
-class FeedsFeed {
+class FeedsFeed extends FeedsBatch {
 
+  // Properties of this feed.
   protected $url;
   protected $file_path;
   protected $raw;
-  protected $items;
+  public $items;
   protected $link;
 
   /**
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ class FeedsFeed {
     $this->url = $url;
     $this->file_path = $file_path;
     $this->items = array();
+    parent::__construct();
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/includes/FeedsImporter.inc b/includes/FeedsImporter.inc
index b3428fb..5237873 100644
--- a/includes/FeedsImporter.inc
+++ b/includes/FeedsImporter.inc
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ require_once(dirname(__FILE__) .'/FeedsConfigurable.inc');
 require_once(dirname(__FILE__) .'/FeedsSource.inc');
 require_once(dirname(__FILE__) .'/FeedsFeed.inc');
 
+// Batch status of a FeedsImporter operation.
+define('FEEDS_BATCH_ACTIVE', 'active');
+
 /**
  * Class defining an importer object. This is the main hub for Feeds module's
  * functionality.
@@ -65,7 +68,7 @@ class FeedsImporter extends FeedsConfigurable {
    */
   public function expire($time = NULL) {
     try {
-      $this->processor->expire($time);
+      return $this->processor->expire($time);
     }
     catch (Exception $e) {
       drupal_set_message($e->getMessage(), 'error');
diff --git a/includes/FeedsScheduler.inc b/includes/FeedsScheduler.inc
index c1ea746..0916eed 100644
--- a/includes/FeedsScheduler.inc
+++ b/includes/FeedsScheduler.inc
@@ -208,7 +208,14 @@ class FeedsScheduler implements FeedsSchedulerInterface {
       // There are 2 possible callbacks: expire or 'import'.
       if ($feed_info['callback'] == 'expire') {
         try {
-          $importer->expire();
+          // @todo: support batching on cron by unflagging after importing.
+          // - unflag after import
+          // - set last_scheduled_time only if batch is complete.
+          // - will require to rename last_scheduled_time to last_import_time.
+          do {
+            $result = $importer->expire();
+          }
+          while ($result == FEEDS_BATCH_ACTIVE);
         }
         catch (Exception $e) {
           watchdog('FeedsScheduler', $e->getMessage(), array(), WATCHDOG_ERROR);
@@ -222,7 +229,10 @@ class FeedsScheduler implements FeedsSchedulerInterface {
           return;
         }
         try {
-          $source->import();
+          do {
+            $result = $source->import();
+          }
+          while ($result == FEEDS_BATCH_ACTIVE);
         }
         catch (Exception $e) {
           watchdog('FeedsScheduler', $e->getMessage(), array(), WATCHDOG_ERROR);
diff --git a/includes/FeedsSource.inc b/includes/FeedsSource.inc
index 469dfce..165a4c6 100644
--- a/includes/FeedsSource.inc
+++ b/includes/FeedsSource.inc
@@ -42,6 +42,22 @@ interface FeedsSourceInterface {
 }
 
 /**
+ * A FeedsBatch object holds the state of an import or clear batch. Used in
+ * FeedsSource class.
+ */
+class FeedsBatch {
+  // Public counters for easier access.
+  public $created;
+  public $updated;
+  public $deleted;
+  public function __construct() {
+    $this->created = 0;
+    $this->updated = 0;
+    $this->deleted = 0;
+  }
+}
+
+/**
  * This class encapsulates a source of a feed. It stores where the feed can be
  * found and how to import it.
  *
@@ -75,6 +91,9 @@ class FeedsSource extends FeedsConfigurable {
   // The FeedsImporter object that this source is expected to be used with.
   protected $importer;
 
+  // A FeedsBatch object. NULL if there is no active batch.
+  protected $batch;
+
   /**
    * Instantiate a unique object per class/id/feed_nid. Don't use
    * directly, use feeds_source() instead.
@@ -107,10 +126,16 @@ class FeedsSource extends FeedsConfigurable {
    */
   public function import() {
     try {
-      $feed = $this->importer->fetcher->fetch($this);
-      $this->importer->parser->parse($feed, $this);
-      $this->importer->processor->process($feed, $this);
-      unset($feed);
+      if (!$this->batch) {
+        $this->batch = $this->importer->fetcher->fetch($this);
+        $this->importer->parser->parse($this->batch, $this);
+      }
+      if (FEEDS_BATCH_ACTIVE == $this->importer->processor->process($this->batch, $this)) {
+        $this->save();
+        return FEEDS_BATCH_ACTIVE;
+      }
+      unset($this->batch);
+      $this->save();
     }
     catch (Exception $e) {
       drupal_set_message($e->getMessage(), 'error');
@@ -125,7 +150,15 @@ class FeedsSource extends FeedsConfigurable {
     try {
       $this->importer->fetcher->clear($this);
       $this->importer->parser->clear($this);
-      $this->importer->processor->clear($this);
+      if (!$this->batch) {
+        $this->batch = new FeedsBatch();
+      }
+      if (FEEDS_BATCH_ACTIVE == $this->importer->processor->clear($this->batch, $this)) {
+        $this->save();
+        return FEEDS_BATCH_ACTIVE;
+      }
+      unset($this->batch);
+      $this->save();
     }
     catch (Exception $e) {
       drupal_set_message($e->getMessage(), 'error');
@@ -148,6 +181,7 @@ class FeedsSource extends FeedsConfigurable {
       'feed_nid' => $this->feed_nid,
       'config' => $config,
       'source' => $source,
+      'batch' => isset($this->batch) ? $this->batch : FALSE,
     );
     // Make sure a source record is present at all time, try to update first,
     // then insert.
@@ -161,13 +195,14 @@ class FeedsSource extends FeedsConfigurable {
    * Load configuration and unpack.
    */
   public function load() {
-    if ($config = db_result(db_query('SELECT config FROM {feeds_source} WHERE id = "%s" AND feed_nid = %d', $this->id, $this->feed_nid))) {
+    if ($record = db_fetch_object(db_query('SELECT config, batch FROM {feeds_source} WHERE id = "%s" AND feed_nid = %d', $this->id, $this->feed_nid))) {
       // While FeedsSource cannot be exported, we still use CTool's export.inc
       // export definitions.
       // @todo: patch CTools to move constants from export.inc to ctools.module.
       ctools_include('export');
       $this->export_type = EXPORT_IN_DATABASE;
-      $this->config = unserialize($config);
+      $this->config = unserialize($record->config);
+      $this->batch = unserialize($record->batch);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/plugins/FeedsDataProcessor.inc b/plugins/FeedsDataProcessor.inc
index 6711ab8..8743510 100644
--- a/plugins/FeedsDataProcessor.inc
+++ b/plugins/FeedsDataProcessor.inc
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class FeedsDataProcessor extends FeedsProcessor {
    *
    * Delete all data records for feed_nid in this table.
    */
-  public function clear(FeedsSource $source) {
+  public function clear(FeedsBatch $batch, FeedsSource $source) {
     $clause = array(
       'feed_nid' => $source->feed_nid,
     );
diff --git a/plugins/FeedsFeedNodeProcessor.inc b/plugins/FeedsFeedNodeProcessor.inc
index a7317e3..477ca48 100644
--- a/plugins/FeedsFeedNodeProcessor.inc
+++ b/plugins/FeedsFeedNodeProcessor.inc
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class FeedsFeedNodeProcessor extends FeedsProcessor {
   /**
    * Implementation of FeedsProcessor::clear().
    */
-  public function clear(FeedsSource $source) {
+  public function clear(FeedsBatch $batch, FeedsSource $source) {
     // Do not support deleting imported items as we would have to delete all
     // items of the content type we imported which may contain nodes that a
     // user created by hand.
diff --git a/plugins/FeedsNodeProcessor.inc b/plugins/FeedsNodeProcessor.inc
index 6c583ca..04d8df0 100644
--- a/plugins/FeedsNodeProcessor.inc
+++ b/plugins/FeedsNodeProcessor.inc
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ class FeedsNodeProcessor extends FeedsProcessor {
   public function process(FeedsFeed $feed, FeedsSource $source) {
 
     // Count number of created and updated nodes.
-    $created = $updated = 0;
+    $processed = 0;
 
     while ($item = $feed->shiftItem()) {
 
@@ -38,10 +38,10 @@ class FeedsNodeProcessor extends FeedsProcessor {
           // If updating populate nid and vid avoiding an expensive node_load().
           $node->nid = $nid;
           $node->vid = db_result(db_query('SELECT vid FROM {node} WHERE nid = %d', $nid));
-          $updated++;
+          $feed->updated++;
         }
         else {
-          $created++;
+          $feed->created++;
         }
 
         // Populate and prepare node object.
@@ -68,14 +68,21 @@ class FeedsNodeProcessor extends FeedsProcessor {
         // Save the node.
         node_save($node);
       }
+
+      // Return FEEDS_BATCH_ACTIVE batch size is reached and items are not
+      // completely consumed yet.
+      $processed++;
+      if ($processed > variable_get('feeds_node_batch_size', 1)) {
+        return FEEDS_BATCH_ACTIVE;
+      }
     }
 
     // Set messages.
-    if ($created) {
-      drupal_set_message(t('Created !number !type nodes.', array('!number' => $created, '!type' => node_get_types('name', $this->config['content_type']))));
+    if ($feed->created) {
+      drupal_set_message(t('Created !number !type nodes.', array('!number' => $feed->created, '!type' => node_get_types('name', $this->config['content_type']))));
     }
-    elseif ($updated) {
-      drupal_set_message(t('Updated !number !type nodes.', array('!number' => $updated, '!type' => node_get_types('name', $this->config['content_type']))));
+    elseif ($feed->updated) {
+      drupal_set_message(t('Updated !number !type nodes.', array('!number' => $feed->updated, '!type' => node_get_types('name', $this->config['content_type']))));
     }
     else {
       drupal_set_message(t('There is no new content.'));
@@ -84,21 +91,22 @@ class FeedsNodeProcessor extends FeedsProcessor {
 
   /**
    * Implementation of FeedsProcessor::clear().
-   * @todo: use batch API.
    */
-  public function clear(FeedsSource $source) {
-    // Count number of deleted nodes.
-    $deleted = 0;
-
-    $result = db_query('SELECT nid FROM {feeds_node_item} WHERE feed_nid = %d', $source->feed_nid);
+  public function clear(FeedsBatch $batch, FeedsSource $source) {
+    $result = db_query_range('SELECT nid FROM {feeds_node_item} WHERE feed_nid = %d', $source->feed_nid, 0, variable_get('feeds_node_batch_size', 1));
     while ($node = db_fetch_object($result)) {
       _feeds_node_delete($node->nid);
-      $deleted++;
+      $batch->deleted++;
+    }
+
+    // If there is still content to be deleted return FALSE.
+    if (db_result(db_query_range('SELECT nid FROM {feeds_node_item} WHERE feed_nid = %d', $source->feed_nid, 0, 1))) {
+      return FEEDS_BATCH_ACTIVE;
     }
 
     // Set message.
-    if ($deleted) {
-      drupal_set_message(t('Deleted !number nodes.', array('!number' => $deleted)));
+    if ($batch->deleted) {
+      drupal_set_message(t('Deleted !number nodes.', array('!number' => $batch->deleted)));
     }
     else {
       drupal_set_message(t('There is no content to be deleted.'));
diff --git a/plugins/FeedsProcessor.inc b/plugins/FeedsProcessor.inc
index 202b488..3aae33c 100644
--- a/plugins/FeedsProcessor.inc
+++ b/plugins/FeedsProcessor.inc
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ abstract class FeedsProcessor extends FeedsPlugin {
    * Remove all stored results or stored results up to a certain time for this
    * configuration/this source.
    *
+   * @param FeedsBatch $batch
+   *   A FeedsBatch object for keeping information between page loads.
    * @param FeedsSource $source
    *   Source information for this expiry. Implementers should only delete items
    *   pertaining to this source. The preferred way of determining whether an
@@ -32,8 +34,11 @@ abstract class FeedsProcessor extends FeedsPlugin {
    *   processor's responsibility to store the feed_nid of an imported item in
    *   the processing stage.
    *   @todo: pass in feed_nid instead of source?
+   *
+   * @return
+   *   NULL if all items have been cleared, FEEDS_BATCH_ACTIVE if not.
    */
-  public abstract function clear(FeedsSource $source);
+  public abstract function clear(FeedsBatch $batch, FeedsSource $source);
 
   /**
    * Delete feed items younger than now - $time.
@@ -44,8 +49,12 @@ abstract class FeedsProcessor extends FeedsPlugin {
    *   If implemented, all items produced by this configuration that are older
    *   than FEEDS_REQUEST_TIME - $time
    *   If $time === NULL processor should use internal configuration.
+   *
+   * @return
+   *   NULL if all items have been expired, FEEDS_BATCH_ACTIVE if not.
    */
-  public function expire($time = NULL) {}
+  public function expire($time = NULL) {
+  }
 
   /**
    * Execute mapping on an item.
diff --git a/plugins/FeedsTermProcessor.inc b/plugins/FeedsTermProcessor.inc
index 85f9021..d9cf29f 100644
--- a/plugins/FeedsTermProcessor.inc
+++ b/plugins/FeedsTermProcessor.inc
@@ -74,11 +74,13 @@ class FeedsTermProcessor extends FeedsProcessor {
   /**
    * Implement clear.
    *
-   * @param $source
+   * @param FeedsBatch $batch
+   *   A FeedsBatch object for keeping information between page loads.
+   * @param FeedsSource $source
    *   FeedsSource of this term. FeedsTermProcessor does not heed this
    *   parameter, it deletes all terms from a vocabulary.
    */
-  public function clear(FeedsSource $source) {
+  public function clear(FeedsBatch $batch, FeedsSource $source) {
     $deleted = 0;
 
     $result = db_query('SELECT tid FROM {term_data} WHERE vid = %d', $this->config['vocabulary']);
diff --git a/plugins/FeedsUserProcessor.inc b/plugins/FeedsUserProcessor.inc
index 4fc7553..2c5559b 100644
--- a/plugins/FeedsUserProcessor.inc
+++ b/plugins/FeedsUserProcessor.inc
@@ -68,11 +68,13 @@ class FeedsUserProcessor extends FeedsProcessor {
   /**
    * Implement clear.
    *
-   * @param $source
+   * @param FeedsBatch $batch
+   *   A FeedsBatch object for keeping information between page loads.
+   * @param FeedsSource $source
    *   FeedsSource of this term. FeedsTermProcessor does not heed this
    *   parameter, it deletes all terms from a vocabulary.
    */
-  public function clear(FeedsSource $source) {
+  public function clear(FeedsBatch $batch, FeedsSource $source) {
     // Do not support deleting users as we have no way of knowing which ones we
     // imported.
     throw new Exception(t('User processor does not support deleting users.'));