diff --git a/src/EventSource.php b/src/EventSource.php
index 1269ba4..dbfd22e 100644
--- a/src/EventSource.php
+++ b/src/EventSource.php
@@ -211,13 +211,9 @@ private function request()
                 $buffer = array_pop($messageEvents);
 
                 foreach ($messageEvents as $data) {
-                    $message = MessageEvent::parse($data, $this->lastEventId);
+                    $message = MessageEvent::parse($data, $this->lastEventId, $this->reconnectTime);
                     $this->lastEventId = $message->lastEventId;
 
-                    if ($message->retry !== null) {
-                        $this->reconnectTime = $message->retry / 1000;
-                    }
-
                     if ($message->data !== '') {
                         $this->emit($message->type, array($message));
                         if ($this->readyState === self::CLOSED) {
diff --git a/src/MessageEvent.php b/src/MessageEvent.php
index 35445e4..d1a5af5 100644
--- a/src/MessageEvent.php
+++ b/src/MessageEvent.php
@@ -7,10 +7,11 @@ class MessageEvent
     /**
      * @param string $data
      * @param string $lastEventId
+     * @param float  $retryTime   passed by reference, will be updated with `retry` field in seconds if valid
      * @return self
      * @internal
      */
-    public static function parse($data, $lastEventId)
+    public static function parse($data, $lastEventId, &$retryTime = 0.0)
     {
         $lines = preg_split(
             '/\r\n|\r(?!\n)|\n/S',
@@ -20,7 +21,6 @@ public static function parse($data, $lastEventId)
         $data = '';
         $id = $lastEventId;
         $type = 'message';
-        $retry = null;
 
         foreach ($lines as $line) {
             $name = strstr($line, ':', true);
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ public static function parse($data, $lastEventId)
             } elseif ($name === 'event' && $value !== '') {
                 $type = $value;
             } elseif ($name === 'retry' && $value === (string)(int)$value && $value >= 0) {
-                $retry = (int)$value;
+                $retryTime = $value * 0.001;
             }
         }
 
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public static function parse($data, $lastEventId)
             $data = substr($data, 0, -1);
         }
 
-        return new self($data, $id, $type, $retry);
+        return new self($data, $id, $type);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -51,14 +51,12 @@ public static function parse($data, $lastEventId)
      * @param string $data
      * @param string $lastEventId
      * @param string $type
-     * @param ?int   $retry
      */
-    private function __construct($data, $lastEventId, $type, $retry)
+    private function __construct($data, $lastEventId, $type)
     {
         $this->data = $data;
         $this->lastEventId = $lastEventId;
         $this->type = $type;
-        $this->retry = $retry;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -78,11 +76,4 @@ private function __construct($data, $lastEventId, $type, $retry)
      * @readonly
      */
     public $type = 'message';
-
-    /**
-     * @internal
-     * @var ?int
-     * @readonly
-     */
-    public $retry;
 }
diff --git a/tests/MessageEventTest.php b/tests/MessageEventTest.php
index 599c1ba..227c200 100644
--- a/tests/MessageEventTest.php
+++ b/tests/MessageEventTest.php
@@ -123,14 +123,14 @@ public function testParseWithEmptyEventReturnsMessageWithDefaultMessageType()
     public function retryTimeDataProvider()
     {
         return [
-            ['retry: 1234', 1234,],
-            ['retry: 0', 0,],
-            ['retry: ' . PHP_INT_MAX, PHP_INT_MAX,],
-            ['retry: ' . PHP_INT_MAX . '9', null,],
-            ['retry: 1.234', null,],
-            ['retry: now', null,],
-            ['retry: -1', null,],
-            ['retry: -1.234', null,],
+            ['retry: 1234', 1.234],
+            ['retry: 0', 0.0],
+            ['retry: ' . PHP_INT_MAX, PHP_INT_MAX * 0.001],
+            ['retry: ' . PHP_INT_MAX . '9', null],
+            ['retry: 1.234', null],
+            ['retry: now', null],
+            ['retry: -1', null],
+            ['retry: -1.234', null]
         ];
     }
 
@@ -139,8 +139,9 @@ public function retryTimeDataProvider()
      */
     public function testParseRetryTime($input, $expected)
     {
-        $message = MessageEvent::parse($input, '');
+        $retryTime = null;
+        MessageEvent::parse($input, '', $retryTime);
 
-        $this->assertSame($expected, $message->retry);
+        $this->assertSame($expected, $retryTime);
     }
 }