diff --git a/src/modules/Elsa.Scheduling/Activities/Delay.cs b/src/modules/Elsa.Scheduling/Activities/Delay.cs
index 0cd8b769a..1f525a7a5 100644
--- a/src/modules/Elsa.Scheduling/Activities/Delay.cs
+++ b/src/modules/Elsa.Scheduling/Activities/Delay.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-using System;
-using Elsa.Common.Services;
+using Elsa.Common.Services;
+using Elsa.Scheduling.Models;
 using Elsa.Workflows.Core;
 using Elsa.Workflows.Core.Attributes;
 using Elsa.Workflows.Core.Models;
@@ -18,16 +18,58 @@ public class Delay : Activity
     public Delay(Variable<TimeSpan> timeSpan) => TimeSpan = new Input<TimeSpan>(timeSpan);
 
     [Input] public Input<TimeSpan> TimeSpan { get; set; } = default!;
+    
+    [Input] public Input<DelayBlockingStrategy> Strategy { get; set; } = default!;
+    
+    /// <summary>
+    /// The threshold used by the <see cref="DelayBlockingStrategy.Auto"/>
+    /// </summary>
+    [Input] public Input<TimeSpan> AutoBlockingThreshold { get; set; } = new(System.TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
 
-    protected override void Execute(ActivityExecutionContext context)
+    /// <inheritdoc />
+    protected override async ValueTask ExecuteAsync(ActivityExecutionContext context)
     {
         var timeSpan = context.ExpressionExecutionContext.Get(TimeSpan);
+        var blockingMode = context.Get(Strategy);
+
+        switch (blockingMode)
+        {
+            case DelayBlockingStrategy.Blocking:
+                await BlockingStrategy(timeSpan);
+                break;
+                case DelayBlockingStrategy.NonBlocking:
+                    await NonBlockingStrategy(timeSpan, context);
+                    break;
+            case DelayBlockingStrategy.Auto:
+                await AutoBlockingStrategy(timeSpan, context);
+                break;
+            default:
+                throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException();
+        }
+    }
+
+    private async ValueTask BlockingStrategy(TimeSpan timeSpan) => await Task.Delay(timeSpan);
+
+    private ValueTask NonBlockingStrategy(TimeSpan timeSpan, ActivityExecutionContext context)
+    {
         var clock = context.ExpressionExecutionContext.GetRequiredService<ISystemClock>();
         var resumeAt = clock.UtcNow.Add(timeSpan);
         var payload = new DelayPayload(resumeAt);
 
         context.JournalData.Add("ResumeAt", resumeAt);
         context.CreateBookmark(payload);
+        
+        return ValueTask.CompletedTask;
+    }
+
+    private async ValueTask AutoBlockingStrategy(TimeSpan timeSpan, ActivityExecutionContext context)
+    {
+        var threshold = context.Get(AutoBlockingThreshold);
+
+        if (timeSpan <= threshold)
+            await BlockingStrategy(timeSpan);
+        else
+            await NonBlockingStrategy(timeSpan, context);
     }
 
     public static Delay FromMilliseconds(double value) => new(System.TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(value));
diff --git a/src/modules/Elsa.Scheduling/Models/DelayBlockingStrategy.cs b/src/modules/Elsa.Scheduling/Models/DelayBlockingStrategy.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..58f16d877
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/modules/Elsa.Scheduling/Models/DelayBlockingStrategy.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+using Elsa.Scheduling.Activities;
+
+namespace Elsa.Scheduling.Models;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Represents an execution mode for <see cref="Delay"/>. 
+/// </summary>
+public enum DelayBlockingStrategy
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Do not suspend the workflow, but instead wait
+    /// </summary>
+    NonBlocking,
+    
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Suspend the workflow and schedule a background timer to resume the workflow.
+    /// </summary>
+    Blocking,
+    
+    /// <summary>
+    /// If the delay is less than a configurable amount of time, behaves as <see cref="Blocking"/>, otherwise as <see cref="NonBlocking"/>.
+    /// </summary>
+    Auto
+}
\ No newline at end of file