diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index dfd68d9..7f2b79e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -514,6 +514,22 @@ export default defineNitroPlugin(() => {
 })
 ```
 
+### Extending Cookie Lifetime
+
+When using cookie mode, only the session data itself can be enriched through the session hooks. If you want to extend the lifetime of the cookie itself, you could use a middleware that refreshes the cookie by re-setting the session data. (At this point you can also add any other custom data to your cookies)
+
+Example middleware:
+
+```ts
+// server/middleware/cookie-lifetime-extend.ts
+export default defineEventHandler(async (event) => {
+  const session = await getUserSession(event)
+  if (session && Object.keys(session).length > 0) {
+    await setUserSession(event, session)
+  }
+})
+```
+
 ## Server-Side Rendering
 
 You can make authenticated requests both from the client and the server. However, you must use `useRequestFetch()` to make authenticated requests during SSR if you are not using `useFetch()`
@@ -579,42 +595,158 @@ If you are caching your routes with `routeRules`, please make sure to use [Nitro
 
 ## Configuration
 
-We leverage `runtimeConfig.session` to give the defaults option to [h3 `useSession`](https://h3.unjs.io/examples/handle-session).
+### Session Storage
 
-You can overwrite the options in your `nuxt.config.ts`:
+Nuxt Auth Utils supports different session storage modes that can be configured in your `nuxt.config.ts`:
 
 ```ts
 export default defineNuxtConfig({
   modules: ['nuxt-auth-utils'],
+  auth: {
+    storageType: 'cookie', // 'memory', 'cache', 'nuxt-session'
+  }
+})
+```
+
+#### Storage Types
+
+- **`cookie`** (default): Stores session data in encrypted cookies. This is the most secure option and works well for most use cases.
+
+  ```ts
+  auth: {
+    storageType: 'cookie'
+  }
+  ```
+
+- **`cache`**: Uses Nitro's cache storage. Useful when you need to store larger session data that might exceed cookie size limits.
+
+  ```ts
+  auth: {
+    storageType: 'cache'
+  }
+  ```
+
+- **`memory`**: Stores sessions in memory. Only suitable for development or testing.
+
+  ```ts
+  auth: {
+    storageType: 'memory'
+  }
+  ```
+  
+> [!WARNING]
+> Memory storage is cleared when the server restarts and doesn't work with multiple server instances. Not recommended for production use.
+
+- **`nuxt-session`**: Uses a custom storage mount named 'nuxt-session'. Useful when you want to use a different storage driver.
+
+  ```ts
+  // nuxt.config.ts
+  export default defineNuxtConfig({
+    auth: {
+      storageType: 'nuxt-session'
+    },
+    nitro: {
+      storage: {
+        'nuxt-session': {
+          driver: 'fsLite',
+          base: './.data/sessions'
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  })
+  ```
+
+> [!NOTE]
+> This will store sessions in the `.data/sessions` directory. Make sure to add `.data` to your `.gitignore`.
+
+#### Session Configuration
+
+You can configure session behavior through the `auth` or `runtimeConfig` options:
+
+```ts
+export default defineNuxtConfig({
+  auth: {
+    storageType: 'cookie'
+  },
   runtimeConfig: {
     session: {
-      maxAge: 60 * 60 * 24 * 7 // 1 week
+      name: 'nuxt-session', // Cookie name
+      maxAge: 60 * 60 * 24 * 7, // 1 week
+      password: process.env.NUXT_SESSION_PASSWORD,
+      cookie: {
+        sameSite: 'lax',
+        // Additional cookie options
+        // secure: true,
+        // domain: 'example.com',
+        // path: '/'
+      }
     }
   }
 })
 ```
 
-Our defaults are:
+We leverage `runtimeConfig.session` to give the defaults option to [h3 `useSession`](https://h3.unjs.io/examples/handle-session).
+Checkout the [`SessionConfig`](https://github.com/unjs/h3/blob/c04c458810e34eb15c1647e1369e7d7ef19f567d/src/utils/session.ts#L20) for all options.
+
+> [!NOTE]
+> When using non-cookie storage types, the cookie only contains a session ID while the actual session data is stored in the selected storage.
+
+When using a non-cookie mode
 
 ```ts
-{
-  name: 'nuxt-session',
-  password: process.env.NUXT_SESSION_PASSWORD || '',
-  cookie: {
-    sameSite: 'lax'
+export default defineNuxtConfig({
+  auth: {
+    storageType: 'cache',
+    sessionInactivityMaxAge: 60 * 60 * 24 * 30, // Session timeout after inactivity (30 days)
+    autoExtendSession: true // Extend session on each request
+  },
+  runtimeConfig: {
+    session: {
+      password: process.env.NUXT_SESSION_PASSWORD,
+    }
   }
-}
+})
+```
+
+> [!IMPORTANT]
+> The `sessionInactivityMaxAge` option is specifically designed for non-cookie storage types to manage and cleanup inactive sessions. When using this configuration, cookies still respect the `maxAge` setting from the session configuration, if one is specified. Whether you need both `maxAge` and `sessionInactivityMaxAge` will depend on your specific application requirements and session management strategy.
+
+## Session Cleanup
+
+When using non-cookie storage types, you may want to clean up expired sessions periodically. This can be done using Nitro's scheduled tasks feature.
+
+1. Create a task file:
+
+```ts:server/tasks/clear-sessions.ts
+export default defineTask({
+  meta: {
+    name: 'clear-sessions',
+    description: 'Clear expired sessions',
+  },
+  run({ payload, context }) {
+    console.log('Running clear-sessions task...')
+    cleanupOrphanedUserSessions()
+    return { result: 'Success' }
+  },
+})
 ```
 
-You can also overwrite the session config by passing it as 3rd argument of the `setUserSession` and `replaceUserSession` functions:
+2. Configure the task schedule in your `nuxt.config.ts`:
 
 ```ts
-await setUserSession(event, { ... } , {
-  maxAge: 60 * 60 * 24 * 7 // 1 week
+export default defineNuxtConfig({
+  nitro: {
+    experimental: {
+      tasks: true
+    },
+    scheduledTasks: {
+      '*/5 * * * *': ['clear-sessions'] // Run every 5 minutes
+    }
+  }
 })
 ```
 
-Checkout the [`SessionConfig`](https://github.com/unjs/h3/blob/c04c458810e34eb15c1647e1369e7d7ef19f567d/src/utils/session.ts#L20) for all options.
+This will automatically clean up any expired sessions based on your `sessionInactivityMaxAge` configuration.
 
 ## More
 
diff --git a/playground/nuxt.config.ts b/playground/nuxt.config.ts
index 5bbe13f..566d2bb 100644
--- a/playground/nuxt.config.ts
+++ b/playground/nuxt.config.ts
@@ -20,9 +20,21 @@ export default defineNuxtConfig({
   nitro: {
     experimental: {
       database: true,
+      // tasks: true,
     },
+    // scheduledTasks: {
+    //   '*/1 * * * *': ['clear-sessions'], // every minute clear overdue sessions
+    // },
   },
   auth: {
     webAuthn: true,
+    // storageType: 'cache',
+    // sessionInactivityMaxAge: 60 * 2, // 2 minutes
+    // autoExtendSession: true,
   },
+  // runtimeConfig: {
+  //   session: {
+  //     maxAge: 60 * 60 * 24 * 7, // 7 days
+  //   },
+  // },
 })
diff --git a/playground/server/tasks/clear-sessions.ts b/playground/server/tasks/clear-sessions.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f6bfb7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playground/server/tasks/clear-sessions.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+export default defineTask({
+  meta: {
+    name: 'clear-sessions',
+    description: 'Clear expired sessions',
+  },
+  run({ payload, context }) {
+    console.log('Running clear-sessions task...')
+    cleanupOrphanedUserSessions()
+    return { result: 'Success' }
+  },
+})
diff --git a/src/module.ts b/src/module.ts
index b5103e6..d709a32 100644
--- a/src/module.ts
+++ b/src/module.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,25 @@ export interface ModuleOptions {
    * @default false
    */
   webAuthn?: boolean
+  /**
+   * Use session storage
+   * Use 'cache' for standard cache storage,
+   * 'cookie' for cookies,
+   * 'memory' for in-memory storage,
+   * 'nuxt-session' for a custom storage mount named 'nuxt-session'
+   * @default 'cache'
+   */
+  storageType?: 'cache' | 'cookie' | 'memory' | 'nuxt-session'
+  /**
+   * Session inactivity max age in milliseconds
+   * @default 2592000000 (30 days)
+   */
+  sessionInactivityMaxAge?: number
+  /**
+   * Auto extend session
+   * @default true
+   */
+  autoExtendSession?: boolean
   /**
    * Hash options used for password hashing
    */
@@ -49,6 +68,9 @@ export default defineNuxtModule<ModuleOptions>({
   // Default configuration options of the Nuxt module
   defaults: {
     webAuthn: false,
+    storageType: 'cookie',
+    sessionInactivityMaxAge: 2592000, // 30 days
+    autoExtendSession: true,
     hash: {
       scrypt: {},
     },
@@ -143,6 +165,17 @@ export default defineNuxtModule<ModuleOptions>({
       authenticate: {},
     })
 
+    runtimeConfig.useSessionStorageType = runtimeConfig.useSessionStorageType || options.storageType
+    runtimeConfig.sessionInactivityMaxAge = runtimeConfig.sessionInactivityMaxAge || options.sessionInactivityMaxAge
+    runtimeConfig.autoExtendSession = runtimeConfig.autoExtendSession || options.autoExtendSession
+    logger.withTag('nuxt-auth-utils').info(`Using session storage type: ${runtimeConfig.useSessionStorageType}`)
+    if (runtimeConfig.useSessionStorageType === 'memory') {
+      logger.warn('Using in-memory session storage, this is not recommended for production')
+      if (!nuxt.options.dev) {
+        logger.error('You are not running in dev mode, please make sure this is intentional')
+      }
+    }
+
     // OAuth settings
     runtimeConfig.oauth = defu(runtimeConfig.oauth, {})
     // GitHub OAuth
diff --git a/src/runtime/server/utils/session.ts b/src/runtime/server/utils/session.ts
index c9f7384..dd7d7c3 100644
--- a/src/runtime/server/utils/session.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/server/utils/session.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import type { H3Event, SessionConfig } from 'h3'
 import { useSession, createError } from 'h3'
 import { defu } from 'defu'
 import { createHooks } from 'hookable'
-import { useRuntimeConfig } from '#imports'
+import { useRuntimeConfig, useStorage } from '#imports'
 import type { UserSession, UserSessionRequired } from '#auth-utils'
 
 export interface SessionHooks {
@@ -23,10 +23,28 @@ export const sessionHooks = createHooks<SessionHooks>()
 /**
  * Get the user session from the current request
  * @param event The Request (h3) event
+ * @param extendSession Optional. If true, the session will be extended by updating the last access timestamp.
+ *                      If not provided, falls back to autoExtendSession runtime config value.
  * @returns The user session
  */
-export async function getUserSession(event: H3Event) {
-  return (await _useSession(event)).data
+export async function getUserSession(event: H3Event, extendSession?: boolean) {
+  const runtimeConfig = useRuntimeConfig(event)
+  const session = await _useSession(event)
+
+  const sessionStorage = getSessionStorage()
+  if (sessionStorage) {
+    const data = await sessionStorage.getItem<UserSession>(`nuxt-session:${session.id}`)
+    if (data) {
+      if (extendSession ?? runtimeConfig.autoExtendSession) {
+        data.lastAccess = Date.now()
+        await sessionStorage.setItem(`nuxt-session:${session.id}`, data)
+      }
+      return data
+    }
+    return {} as UserSession
+  }
+
+  return session.data
 }
 /**
  * Set a user session
@@ -37,7 +55,18 @@ export async function getUserSession(event: H3Event) {
 export async function setUserSession(event: H3Event, data: UserSession, config?: Partial<SessionConfig>) {
   const session = await _useSession(event, config)
 
-  await session.update(defu(data, session.data))
+  const sessionStorage = getSessionStorage()
+  if (sessionStorage) {
+    const existingSessionData = await sessionStorage.getItem<UserSession>(`nuxt-session:${session.id}`)
+    const dataToApply = defu(data, existingSessionData)
+    await sessionStorage.setItem(`nuxt-session:${session.id}`, {
+      ...dataToApply,
+      lastAccess: Date.now(),
+    })
+  }
+  else {
+    await session.update(defu(data, session.data))
+  }
 
   return session.data
 }
@@ -50,8 +79,17 @@ export async function setUserSession(event: H3Event, data: UserSession, config?:
 export async function replaceUserSession(event: H3Event, data: UserSession, config?: Partial<SessionConfig>) {
   const session = await _useSession(event, config)
 
-  await session.clear()
-  await session.update(data)
+  const sessionStorage = getSessionStorage()
+  if (sessionStorage) {
+    await sessionStorage.setItem(`nuxt-session:${session.id}`, {
+      ...data,
+      lastAccess: Date.now(),
+    })
+  }
+  else {
+    await session.clear()
+    await session.update(data)
+  }
 
   return session.data
 }
@@ -65,7 +103,14 @@ export async function clearUserSession(event: H3Event, config?: Partial<SessionC
   const session = await _useSession(event, config)
 
   await sessionHooks.callHookParallel('clear', session.data, event)
-  await session.clear()
+
+  const sessionStorage = getSessionStorage()
+  if (sessionStorage) {
+    await sessionStorage.removeItem(`nuxt-session:${session.id}`)
+  }
+  else {
+    await session.clear()
+  }
 
   return true
 }
@@ -91,6 +136,37 @@ export async function requireUserSession(event: H3Event, opts: { statusCode?: nu
   return userSession as UserSessionRequired
 }
 
+/**
+ * Cleanup orphaned sessions
+ * This should be called either
+ * on a request basis with a middleware for example
+ * or by a scheduled task
+ * @see https://github.com/atinux/nuxt-auth-utils
+ */
+export async function cleanupOrphanedUserSessions() {
+  const runtimeConfig = useRuntimeConfig()
+  const maxAge = runtimeConfig.sessionInactivityMaxAge * 1000
+  if (!maxAge) {
+    console.warn('No session inactivity max age configured, skipping cleanup')
+    return
+  }
+
+  const sessionStorage = getSessionStorage()
+  if (!sessionStorage) {
+    console.warn('No session storage configured, skipping cleanup')
+    return
+  }
+
+  const sessionKeys = await sessionStorage.getKeys('nuxt-session')
+  for (const currentSessionKey of sessionKeys) {
+    const session = await sessionStorage.getItem<UserSession>(currentSessionKey)
+    const currentSessionAge = session?.lastAccess ? Date.now() - session.lastAccess : 0
+    if (currentSessionAge > maxAge) {
+      await sessionStorage.removeItem(currentSessionKey)
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 let sessionConfig: SessionConfig
 
 function _useSession(event: H3Event, config: Partial<SessionConfig> = {}) {
@@ -104,3 +180,16 @@ function _useSession(event: H3Event, config: Partial<SessionConfig> = {}) {
   const finalConfig = defu(config, sessionConfig) as SessionConfig
   return useSession<UserSession>(event, finalConfig)
 }
+
+function getSessionStorage() {
+  const runtimeConfig = useRuntimeConfig()
+  switch (runtimeConfig.useSessionStorageType) {
+    case 'memory':
+      return useStorage()
+    case 'cache':
+      return useStorage('cache')
+    case 'nuxt-session':
+      return useStorage('nuxt-session')
+  }
+  return undefined
+}
diff --git a/src/runtime/types/session.ts b/src/runtime/types/session.ts
index 2533f67..3e2f91b 100644
--- a/src/runtime/types/session.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/types/session.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ export interface UserSession {
    * Private session data, only available on server/ code
    */
   secure?: SecureSessionData
+  /**
+   * Timestamp of last access
+   */
+  lastAccess?: number
   /**
    * Extra session data, available on client and server
    */