diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 164b78e7..c62e05a4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ gaxios.request({url: '/data'}).then(...);
   // Defaults to `0`, which is the same as unset.
   maxContentLength: 2000,
 
+  // The max number of HTTP redirects to follow.
+  // Defaults to 100.
+  maxRedirects: 100,
+
   // The querystring parameters that will be encoded using `qs` and
   // appended to the url
   params: {
diff --git a/src/common.ts b/src/common.ts
index f5ad57c7..1412dc8a 100644
--- a/src/common.ts
+++ b/src/common.ts
@@ -61,6 +61,11 @@ export interface GaxiosOptions {
    * The maximum size of the http response content in bytes allowed.
    */
   maxContentLength?: number;
+  /**
+   * The maximum number of redirects to follow. Defaults to 20.
+   */
+  maxRedirects?: number;
+  follow?: number;
   params?: any;
   paramsSerializer?: (params: {[index: string]: string|number}) => string;
   timeout?: number;
diff --git a/src/gaxios.ts b/src/gaxios.ts
index 73120013..0762e753 100644
--- a/src/gaxios.ts
+++ b/src/gaxios.ts
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ export class Gaxios {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Validate the options, and massage them to match the fetch format.
+   * Validates the options, and merges them with defaults.
    * @param opts The original options passed from the client.
    */
   private validateOpts(options: GaxiosOptions): GaxiosOptions {
@@ -130,6 +130,10 @@ export class Gaxios {
       opts.size = options.maxContentLength;
     }
 
+    if (typeof options.maxRedirects === 'number') {
+      opts.follow = options.maxRedirects;
+    }
+
     opts.headers = opts.headers || {};
     if (opts.data) {
       if (this.isReadableStream(opts.data)) {
diff --git a/test/test.getch.ts b/test/test.getch.ts
index 25c1d3c2..5fd3002a 100644
--- a/test/test.getch.ts
+++ b/test/test.getch.ts
@@ -86,7 +86,25 @@ describe('🥁 configuration options', () => {
     const body = {hello: '🌎'};
     const scope = nock(url).get('/').reply(200, body);
     const maxContentLength = 1;
-    assertRejects(request({url, maxContentLength}), /over limit/);
+    await assertRejects(request({url, maxContentLength}), /over limit/);
+    scope.done();
+  });
+
+  it('should support redirects by default', async () => {
+    const body = {hello: '🌎'};
+    const scopes = [
+      nock(url).get('/foo').reply(200, body),
+      nock(url).get('/').reply(302, null, {location: '/foo'})
+    ];
+    const res = await request({url});
+    scopes.forEach(x => x.done());
+    assert.deepStrictEqual(res.data, body);
+  });
+
+  it('should support disabling redirects', async () => {
+    const scope = nock(url).get('/').reply(302, null, {location: '/foo'});
+    const maxRedirects = 0;
+    await assertRejects(request({url, maxRedirects}), /maximum redirect/);
     scope.done();
   });