diff --git a/db/migrations/20190306204728_add_scheduled_close_silent_to_threads.js b/db/migrations/20190306204728_add_scheduled_close_silent_to_threads.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..de113e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrations/20190306204728_add_scheduled_close_silent_to_threads.js
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+exports.up = async function(knex, Promise) {
+  await knex.schema.table('threads', table => {
+    table.integer('scheduled_close_silent').nullable();
+  });
+};
+
+exports.down = async function(knex, Promise) {
+  await knex.schema.table('threads', table => {
+    table.dropColumn('scheduled_close_silent');
+  });
+};
diff --git a/src/data/Thread.js b/src/data/Thread.js
index ecdf593..0756c52 100644
--- a/src/data/Thread.js
+++ b/src/data/Thread.js
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ const {THREAD_MESSAGE_TYPE, THREAD_STATUS} = require('./constants');
  * @property {String} scheduled_close_at
  * @property {String} scheduled_close_id
  * @property {String} scheduled_close_name
+ * @property {Number} scheduled_close_silent
  * @property {String} alert_id
  * @property {String} created_at
  */
@@ -326,10 +327,15 @@ class Thread {
   /**
    * @returns {Promise<void>}
    */
-  async close(noSystemMessage = false) {
-    if (! noSystemMessage) {
+  async close(suppressSystemMessage = false, silent = false) {
+    if (! suppressSystemMessage) {
       console.log(`Closing thread ${this.id}`);
-      await this.postSystemMessage('Closing thread...');
+
+      if (silent) {
+        await this.postSystemMessage('Closing thread silently...');
+      } else {
+        await this.postSystemMessage('Closing thread...');
+      }
     }
 
     // Update DB status
@@ -352,13 +358,14 @@ class Thread {
    * @param {Eris~User} user
    * @returns {Promise<void>}
    */
-  async scheduleClose(time, user) {
+  async scheduleClose(time, user, silent) {
     await knex('threads')
       .where('id', this.id)
       .update({
         scheduled_close_at: time,
         scheduled_close_id: user.id,
-        scheduled_close_name: user.username
+        scheduled_close_name: user.username,
+        scheduled_close_silent: silent
       });
   }
 
@@ -371,7 +378,8 @@ class Thread {
       .update({
         scheduled_close_at: null,
         scheduled_close_id: null,
-        scheduled_close_name: null
+        scheduled_close_name: null,
+        scheduled_close_silent: null
       });
   }
 
diff --git a/src/modules/close.js b/src/modules/close.js
index 9e92239..4abf96d 100644
--- a/src/modules/close.js
+++ b/src/modules/close.js
@@ -14,8 +14,11 @@ module.exports = bot => {
   async function applyScheduledCloses() {
     const threadsToBeClosed = await threads.getThreadsThatShouldBeClosed();
     for (const thread of threadsToBeClosed) {
-      if(config.closeMessage) await thread.postToUser(config.closeMessage).catch(() => {});
-      await thread.close();
+      if (config.closeMessage && ! thread.scheduled_close_silent) {
+        await thread.postToUser(config.closeMessage).catch(() => {});
+      }
+
+      await thread.close(false, thread.scheduled_close_silent);
 
       const logUrl = await thread.getLogUrl();
       utils.postLog(utils.trimAll(`
@@ -41,7 +44,8 @@ module.exports = bot => {
   bot.registerCommand('close', async (msg, args) => {
     let thread, closedBy;
 
-    let sendCloseMessage = !! config.closeMessage;
+    let hasCloseMessage = !! config.closeMessage;
+    let silentClose = false;
 
     if (msg.channel instanceof Eris.PrivateChannel) {
       // User is closing the thread by themselves (if enabled)
@@ -67,7 +71,6 @@ module.exports = bot => {
       thread = await threads.findOpenThreadByChannelId(msg.channel.id);
       if (! thread) return;
 
-      // Timed close
       if (args.length) {
         if (args.includes('cancel') || args.includes('c')) {
           // Cancel timed close
@@ -77,30 +80,46 @@ module.exports = bot => {
           }
 
           return;
-        } else if (args.includes('silent') || args.includes('s')) {
-          sendCloseMessage = false;
-        } else {
+        }
+
+        // Silent close (= no close message)
+        if (args.includes('silent') || args.includes('s')) {
+          silentClose = true;
+        }
+
+        // Timed close
+        const delayStringArg = args.find(arg => utils.delayStringRegex.test(arg));
+        if (delayStringArg) {
           // Set a timed close
-          const delay = utils.convertDelayStringToMS(args.join(' '));
+          const delay = utils.convertDelayStringToMS(delayStringArg);
           if (delay === 0 || delay === null) {
             thread.postSystemMessage(`Invalid delay specified. Format: "1h30m"`);
             return;
           }
 
           const closeAt = moment.utc().add(delay, 'ms');
-          await thread.scheduleClose(closeAt.format('YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss'), msg.author);
-          thread.postSystemMessage(`Thread is now scheduled to be closed in ${humanizeDelay(delay)}. Use \`${config.prefix}close cancel\` to cancel.`);
+          await thread.scheduleClose(closeAt.format('YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss'), msg.author, silentClose ? 1 : 0);
+
+          let response;
+          if (silentClose) {
+            response = `Thread is now scheduled to be closed silently in ${humanizeDelay(delay)}. Use \`${config.prefix}close cancel\` to cancel.`;
+          } else {
+            response = `Thread is now scheduled to be closed in ${humanizeDelay(delay)}. Use \`${config.prefix}close cancel\` to cancel.`;
+          }
+
+          thread.postSystemMessage(response);
 
           return;
         }
       }
 
       // Regular close
-      await thread.close();
+      await thread.close(false, silentClose);
       closedBy = msg.author.username;
     }
 
-    if (sendCloseMessage) {
+    // Send close message (unless suppressed with a silent close)
+    if (hasCloseMessage && ! silentClose) {
       await thread.postToUser(config.closeMessage).catch(() => {});
     }
 
diff --git a/src/utils.js b/src/utils.js
index 3751369..2a3ce6b 100644
--- a/src/utils.js
+++ b/src/utils.js
@@ -220,19 +220,20 @@ function trimAll(str) {
     .join('\n');
 }
 
+const delayStringRegex = /^([0-9]+)(?:([dhms])[a-z]*)?/i;
+
 /**
  * Turns a "delay string" such as "1h30m" to milliseconds
  * @param {String} str
  * @returns {Number}
  */
 function convertDelayStringToMS(str) {
-  const regex = /^([0-9]+)\s*([dhms])?[a-z]*\s*/;
   let match;
   let ms = 0;
 
   str = str.trim();
 
-  while (str !== '' && (match = str.match(regex)) !== null) {
+  while (str !== '' && (match = str.match(delayStringRegex)) !== null) {
     if (match[2] === 'd') ms += match[1] * 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24;
     else if (match[2] === 'h') ms += match[1] * 1000 * 60 * 60;
     else if (match[2] === 's') ms += match[1] * 1000;
@@ -312,6 +313,7 @@ module.exports = {
   disableLinkPreviews,
   getSelfUrl,
   getMainRole,
+  delayStringRegex,
   convertDelayStringToMS,
   getInboxMention,
   postSystemMessageWithFallback,