diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 76e91a526e..d87de22209 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@
 ### Bugfixes
 - [#1836] (https://github.com/influxdb/influxdb/pull/1836): Store each parsed shell command in history file.
 - [#1789] (https://github.com/influxdb/influxdb/pull/1789): add --config-files option to fpm command. Thanks @kylezh
- 
+
 ### Features
 - [#1755] (https://github.com/influxdb/influxdb/pull/1848): Support JSON data ingest over UDP
+- [#1857] (https://github.com/influxdb/influxdb/pull/1857): Support retention policies with infinite duration
 
 ## v0.9.0-rc7 [2015-03-02]
 
diff --git a/database.go b/database.go
index e0280e4974..d284c0aba0 100644
--- a/database.go
+++ b/database.go
@@ -1013,7 +1013,7 @@ type RetentionPolicy struct {
 	// Unique name within database. Required.
 	Name string `json:"name"`
 
-	// Length of time to keep data around
+	// Length of time to keep data around. A zero duration means keep the data forever.
 	Duration time.Duration `json:"duration"`
 
 	// The number of copies to make of each shard.
diff --git a/influxql/parser.go b/influxql/parser.go
index 4fb41d03d1..ea5fc7695c 100644
--- a/influxql/parser.go
+++ b/influxql/parser.go
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ func (p *Parser) parseShowStatement() (Statement, error) {
 }
 
 // parseCreateStatement parses a string and returns a create statement.
-// This function assumes the CREATE token has already been consumned.
+// This function assumes the CREATE token has already been consumed.
 func (p *Parser) parseCreateStatement() (Statement, error) {
 	tok, pos, lit := p.scanIgnoreWhitespace()
 	if tok == CONTINUOUS {
@@ -352,9 +352,14 @@ func (p *Parser) parseUInt32() (uint32, error) {
 // This function assumes the DURATION token has already been consumed.
 func (p *Parser) parseDuration() (time.Duration, error) {
 	tok, pos, lit := p.scanIgnoreWhitespace()
-	if tok != DURATION_VAL {
+	if tok != DURATION_VAL && tok != INF {
 		return 0, newParseError(tokstr(tok, lit), []string{"duration"}, pos)
 	}
+
+	if tok == INF {
+		return 0, nil
+	}
+
 	d, err := ParseDuration(lit)
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, &ParseError{Message: err.Error(), Pos: pos}
diff --git a/influxql/parser_test.go b/influxql/parser_test.go
index e85ec3ed16..aff30d4a85 100644
--- a/influxql/parser_test.go
+++ b/influxql/parser_test.go
@@ -637,6 +637,17 @@ func TestParser_ParseStatement(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 
+		// CREATE RETENTION POLICY with infinite retention
+		{
+			s: `CREATE RETENTION POLICY policy1 ON testdb DURATION INF REPLICATION 2`,
+			stmt: &influxql.CreateRetentionPolicyStatement{
+				Name:        "policy1",
+				Database:    "testdb",
+				Duration:    0,
+				Replication: 2,
+			},
+		},
+
 		// CREATE RETENTION POLICY ... DEFAULT
 		{
 			s: `CREATE RETENTION POLICY policy1 ON testdb DURATION 2m REPLICATION 4 DEFAULT`,
@@ -661,6 +672,12 @@ func TestParser_ParseStatement(t *testing.T) {
 			stmt: newAlterRetentionPolicyStatement("policy1", "testdb", time.Minute, 4, true),
 		},
 
+		// ALTER RETENTION POLICY with infinite retention
+		{
+			s:    `ALTER RETENTION POLICY policy1 ON testdb DEFAULT REPLICATION 4 DURATION INF`,
+			stmt: newAlterRetentionPolicyStatement("policy1", "testdb", 0, 4, true),
+		},
+
 		// ALTER RETENTION POLICY without optional DURATION
 		{
 			s:    `ALTER RETENTION POLICY policy1 ON testdb DEFAULT REPLICATION 4`,
diff --git a/influxql/token.go b/influxql/token.go
index fea1013f02..218855b480 100644
--- a/influxql/token.go
+++ b/influxql/token.go
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ const (
 	GROUP
 	IF
 	IN
+	INF
 	INNER
 	INSERT
 	INTO
@@ -176,6 +177,7 @@ var tokens = [...]string{
 	GROUP:        "GROUP",
 	IF:           "IF",
 	IN:           "IN",
+	INF:          "INF",
 	INNER:        "INNER",
 	INSERT:       "INSERT",
 	INTO:         "INTO",
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 02044e4fc0..cddf0bdd71 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ func (s *Server) EnforceRetentionPolicies() {
 	for _, db := range s.databases {
 		for _, rp := range db.policies {
 			for _, g := range rp.shardGroups {
-				if g.EndTime.Add(rp.Duration).Before(time.Now().UTC()) {
+				if rp.Duration != 0 && g.EndTime.Add(rp.Duration).Before(time.Now().UTC()) {
 					log.Printf("shard group %d, retention policy %s, database %s due for deletion",
 						g.ID, rp.Name, db.name)
 					if err := s.DeleteShardGroup(db.name, rp.Name, g.ID); err != nil {