diff --git a/backendTestCase_test.go b/backendTestCase_test.go
index c9b172f..9cfe98f 100644
--- a/backendTestCase_test.go
+++ b/backendTestCase_test.go
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ func NewBackendTestCase(t *testing.T, backend httpcache.Backend, tagsInResult bo
 func (tc *BackendTestCase) RunTests() {
 	tc.testSetGetPurge()
 
+	tc.testSetTTL()
+
 	tc.testFlush()
 
 	if _, ok := tc.backend.(httpcache.TagSupporting); ok {
@@ -178,3 +180,12 @@ func (tc *BackendTestCase) buildEntry(content string, tags []string) httpcache.E
 		Body:       []byte(content),
 	}
 }
+
+func (tc *BackendTestCase) testSetTTL() {
+	entry := tc.buildEntry("expires quickly", nil)
+	entry.Meta.GraceTime = time.Now().Add(200 * time.Millisecond)
+	entry.Meta.LifeTime = entry.Meta.GraceTime
+	tc.setEntry("EXPIRED_ENTRY", entry)
+	time.Sleep(300 * time.Millisecond)
+	tc.shouldNotExist("EXPIRED_ENTRY")
+}
diff --git a/inMemoryBackend.go b/inMemoryBackend.go
index c1b890f..979a39c 100644
--- a/inMemoryBackend.go
+++ b/inMemoryBackend.go
@@ -7,13 +7,14 @@ import (
 	lru "github.com/hashicorp/golang-lru/v2"
 )
 
-const lurkerPeriod = 1 * time.Minute
+const defaultLurkerPeriod = 1 * time.Minute
 
 type (
 	// MemoryBackend implements the cache backend interface with an "in memory" solution
 	MemoryBackend struct {
 		cacheMetrics Metrics
 		pool         *lru.TwoQueueCache[string, inMemoryCacheEntry]
+		lurkerPeriod time.Duration
 	}
 
 	// MemoryBackendConfig config
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ type (
 	InMemoryBackendFactory struct {
 		config       MemoryBackendConfig
 		frontendName string
+		lurkerPeriod time.Duration
 	}
 
 	inMemoryCacheEntry struct {
@@ -41,6 +43,12 @@ func (f *InMemoryBackendFactory) SetConfig(config MemoryBackendConfig) *InMemory
 	return f
 }
 
+// SetLurkerPeriod sets the timeframe how often expired cache entries should be checked/cleaned up, if 0 is provided the default period of 1 minute is taken
+func (f *InMemoryBackendFactory) SetLurkerPeriod(period time.Duration) *InMemoryBackendFactory {
+	f.lurkerPeriod = period
+	return f
+}
+
 // SetFrontendName used in Metrics
 func (f *InMemoryBackendFactory) SetFrontendName(frontendName string) *InMemoryBackendFactory {
 	f.frontendName = frontendName
@@ -51,10 +59,17 @@ func (f *InMemoryBackendFactory) SetFrontendName(frontendName string) *InMemoryB
 func (f *InMemoryBackendFactory) Build() (Backend, error) {
 	cache, _ := lru.New2Q[string, inMemoryCacheEntry](f.config.Size)
 
+	lurkerPeriod := defaultLurkerPeriod
+	if f.lurkerPeriod > 0 {
+		lurkerPeriod = f.lurkerPeriod
+	}
+
 	memoryBackend := &MemoryBackend{
 		pool:         cache,
 		cacheMetrics: NewCacheMetrics("memory", f.frontendName),
+		lurkerPeriod: lurkerPeriod,
 	}
+
 	go memoryBackend.lurker()
 
 	return memoryBackend, nil
@@ -115,7 +130,7 @@ func (m *MemoryBackend) Flush() error {
 }
 
 func (m *MemoryBackend) lurker() {
-	for range time.Tick(lurkerPeriod) {
+	for range time.Tick(m.lurkerPeriod) {
 		m.cacheMetrics.recordEntries(int64(m.pool.Len()))
 
 		for _, key := range m.pool.Keys() {
diff --git a/inMemoryBackend_test.go b/inMemoryBackend_test.go
index 27e81ee..2d96e20 100644
--- a/inMemoryBackend_test.go
+++ b/inMemoryBackend_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package httpcache_test
 
 import (
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"flamingo.me/httpcache"
 )
@@ -10,7 +11,7 @@ func Test_RunDefaultBackendTestCase_InMemoryBackend(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
 	f := httpcache.InMemoryBackendFactory{}
-	backend, _ := f.SetConfig(httpcache.MemoryBackendConfig{Size: 100}).SetFrontendName("default").Build()
+	backend, _ := f.SetConfig(httpcache.MemoryBackendConfig{Size: 100}).SetFrontendName("default").SetLurkerPeriod(100 * time.Millisecond).Build()
 
 	testCase := NewBackendTestCase(t, backend, true)
 	testCase.RunTests()
diff --git a/redisBackend.go b/redisBackend.go
index ef5abad..10fa37f 100644
--- a/redisBackend.go
+++ b/redisBackend.go
@@ -217,16 +217,17 @@ func (b *RedisBackend) Set(key string, entry Entry) error {
 	}
 
 	err = conn.Send(
-		"SETEX",
+		"SET",
 		b.createPrefixedKey(key, valuePrefix),
-		int(entry.Meta.GraceTime.Sub(time.Now().Round(time.Second))),
 		buffer,
+		"PX",
+		time.Until(entry.Meta.GraceTime).Round(time.Millisecond).Milliseconds(),
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		b.cacheMetrics.countError("SetFailed")
 		b.logger.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error setting key %q with timeout %v and buffer %v", key, entry.Meta.GraceTime, buffer))
 
-		return fmt.Errorf("redis SETEX failed: %w", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("redis SET PX failed: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	for _, tag := range entry.Meta.Tags {
diff --git a/twoLevelBackend_test.go b/twoLevelBackend_test.go
index f1d042b..ceaa80c 100644
--- a/twoLevelBackend_test.go
+++ b/twoLevelBackend_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package httpcache_test
 
 import (
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"flamingo.me/flamingo/v3/framework/flamingo"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -12,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 func createInMemoryBackend() httpcache.Backend {
 	return func() httpcache.Backend {
 		f := httpcache.InMemoryBackendFactory{}
-		backend, _ := f.SetConfig(httpcache.MemoryBackendConfig{Size: 100}).SetFrontendName("default").Build()
+		backend, _ := f.SetConfig(httpcache.MemoryBackendConfig{Size: 100}).SetFrontendName("default").SetLurkerPeriod(100 * time.Millisecond).Build()
 
 		return backend
 	}()