diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 9c02b19..e62c2e4 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
                 --surface: #2d2d2d;
                 --primary: #10a37f;
                 --text: #ececec;
+                --smalltext: #888;
             }
             body {
                 background: var(--bg);
@@ -77,9 +78,20 @@
             .hidden {
                 display: none;
             }
+            .expires {
+                font-size: 12px;
+                color: var(--smalltext);
+                margin-top: 8px;
+                text-align: center;
+            }
+            .expires > input {
+                background: #111;
+                border: 1px solid #444;
+                color: var(--text);
+            }
             .status {
                 font-size: 12px;
-                color: #888;
+                color: var(--smalltext);
                 margin-top: 8px;
                 text-align: center;
             }
@@ -93,6 +105,9 @@
                     id="text"
                     placeholder="Type or paste your secret here..."
                 ></textarea>
+                <div class="expires">
+                    Expires in <input id="max-age" type="number" min="1" max="1000" value="48"> hours if unread.
+                </div>
                 <button class="btn" onclick="burnIt()">Create Burn Link</button>
                 <div class="status">
                     Maximum size: 10MB. Content is encrypted in-browser.
@@ -156,8 +171,9 @@
         </div>
 
         <script>
-            // Make sure this matches MAX_SIZE_BYTES in server.js
+            // Make sure these match MAX_SIZE_BYTES and MAX_AGE_HOURS in server.js
             const MAX_SIZE_BYTES = 10 * 1024 * 1024; // 10MB
+            const MAX_AGE_HOURS = 1000;
 
             // Check for existing link in URL on load
             window.onload = () => {
@@ -172,9 +188,18 @@
             }
 
             async function burnIt() {
-                const text = document.getElementById("text").value;
+                const text   = document.getElementById("text").value;
+                const maxAge = document.getElementById("max-age").value;
                 if (!text) return;
 
+                if (maxAge > MAX_AGE_HOURS) {
+                    setErrorMessage(
+                        "send-status",
+                        `maximum age is higher than ${MAX_AGE_HOURS}`
+                    );
+                    return;
+                }
+
                 // 1. Generate Key
                 const key = await crypto.subtle.generateKey(
                     { name: "AES-GCM", length: 256 },
@@ -190,7 +215,6 @@
                     new TextEncoder().encode(text),
                 );
 
-                // 3. Upload Blob (IV + Ciphertext)
                 const blob = new Blob([iv, encrypted]);
 
                 if (blob.size > MAX_SIZE_BYTES) {
@@ -198,9 +222,10 @@
                     return;
                 }
 
+                // 3. Upload Blob (IV + Ciphertext)
                 let res;
                 try {
-                    res = await fetch("/api/secret", {
+                    res = await fetch(`/api/secret?max-age=${maxAge}`, {
                         method: "POST",
                         body: blob,
                     });
@@ -248,7 +273,7 @@
                     const res = await fetch(`/api/secret/${id}`);
                     if (!res.ok)
                         throw new Error(
-                            "This secret was already burned or never existed.",
+                            "this secret was already burned or never existed",
                         );
 
                     const buf = await res.arrayBuffer();
diff --git a/server.js b/server.js
index 68c1ba8..237e33e 100644
--- a/server.js
+++ b/server.js
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@ const crypto = require('node:crypto');
 const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000;
 const DATA_DIR = path.join(__dirname, 'data');
 const MAX_SIZE_BYTES = 10 * 1024 * 1024; // 10MB
+const MAX_AGE_HOURS = 1000;
+const DEF_AGE_HOURS = 48;   // default
+
+const MS_IN_HOUR = 60 * 60 * 1000;
+
 
 if (!fs.existsSync(DATA_DIR)) fs.mkdirSync(DATA_DIR);
 
@@ -14,6 +19,24 @@ const sendJSON = (res, status, data) => {
     res.end(JSON.stringify(data));
 };
 
+// These lines are absolutely critical to filesystem security, performing
+// several overlapping checks. Be careful before changing them; we don't
+// want an attacker to get arbitrary read access to the filesystem.
+const getSafeFilePath = (url) => {
+    const id = url.split('/').pop();
+    if (!/^[a-z0-9-]+$/i.test(id)) return;
+    const baseDir  = path.resolve(DATA_DIR);
+    const filePath = path.resolve(DATA_DIR, id);
+    if (!filePath.startsWith(baseDir + '/')) return;
+    return filePath;
+};
+
+const deleteFile = (filePath) => {
+    fs.unlink(filePath, (err) => {
+        if (err) console.error(`Burn failed for ${filePath}`, err);
+    });
+}
+
 const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
     const { method, url } = req;
 
@@ -25,13 +48,24 @@ const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
     }
 
     // CREATE Secret (Public POST)
-    if (method === 'POST' && url === '/api/secret') {
+    if (method === 'POST' && url.startsWith('/api/secret')) {
         const contentLength = parseInt(req.headers['content-length'], 10);
         if (contentLength > MAX_SIZE_BYTES) {
-            res.writeHead(413); return res.end('Too large');
+            res.writeHead(413);
+            res.end('too large');
+            return;
         }
 
-        const id = crypto.randomUUID(); // Unique and Random URL component
+        const matchAge = url.match(/max-age=(\d+)/);
+        const maxAge = matchAge ? matchAge[1] : DEF_AGE_HOURS;
+        if (maxAge > MAX_AGE_HOURS) {
+            res.writeHead(422);
+            res.end(`max age is higher than ${MAX_AGE_HOURS}h`);
+            return;
+        }
+
+         // Unique and Random URL component with age appended
+        const id = crypto.randomUUID() + "-" + maxAge;
         const filePath = path.join(DATA_DIR, id);
         const writeStream = fs.createWriteStream(filePath);
 
@@ -41,32 +75,42 @@ const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
         return;
     }
 
+
     // READ & BURN Secret
     if (method === 'GET' && url.startsWith('/api/secret/')) {
-        const id = url.split('/').pop();
-        if (!/^[a-z0-9-]+$/i.test(id)) { res.writeHead(400); return res.end(); }
+        const filePath = getSafeFilePath(url);
+        const maxAge = filePath.split('-').pop();
 
-        const filePath = path.join(DATA_DIR, id);
-        if (!fs.existsSync(filePath)) {
-            res.writeHead(404); return res.end('Burned or Not Found');
-        }
+        return fs.stat(filePath, (err, stats) => {
+            if (err) {
+                res.writeHead(404);
+                res.end('Burned or Not Found');
+                return;
+            }
 
-        const readStream = fs.createReadStream(filePath);
-        res.writeHead(200, {
-            'Content-Type': 'application/octet-stream',
-            'Cache-Control': 'no-store, no-cache, must-revalidate',
-            'Expires': 0
+            if (Date.now() - stats.mtimeMs > maxAge * MS_IN_HOUR) {
+                res.writeHead(404);
+                res.end('Burned or Not Found');
+                return deleteFile(filePath);
+            }
+
+            const readStream = fs.createReadStream(filePath);
+            res.writeHead(200, {
+                'Content-Type': 'application/octet-stream',
+                'Cache-Control': 'no-store, no-cache, must-revalidate',
+                'Expires': 0
+            });
+            readStream.pipe(res);
+
+            // Delete immediately after stream ends
+            readStream.on('end', () => deleteFile(filePath));
         });
-        readStream.pipe(res);
-
-        // Delete immediately after stream ends
-        readStream.on('end', () => {
-            fs.unlink(filePath, (err) => { if (err) console.error("Burn failed", err); });
-        });
-        return;
     }
 
-    res.writeHead(404); res.end();
+    res.writeHead(404);
+    res.end();
 });
 
-server.listen(PORT, () => console.log(`Public Burn Server: http://localhost:${PORT}`));
+server.listen(PORT, () => {
+    console.log(`Public Burn Server: http://localhost:${PORT}`)
+});