diff --git a/modules/cache/cache_util.h b/modules/cache/cache_util.h

index eec38f3..1a2d5ee 100644

--- a/modules/cache/cache_util.h

+++ b/modules/cache/cache_util.h

@@ -194,6 +194,9 @@ typedef struct {

     unsigned int store_nostore_set:1;

     unsigned int enable_set:1;

     unsigned int disable_set:1;

+    /* treat maxex as hard limit */

+    unsigned int hardmaxex:1;

+    unsigned int hardmaxex_set:1;

 } cache_dir_conf;

 /* A linked-list of authn providers. */

diff --git a/modules/cache/mod_cache.c b/modules/cache/mod_cache.c

index 4f2d3e0..30c88f4 100644

--- a/modules/cache/mod_cache.c

+++ b/modules/cache/mod_cache.c

@@ -1299,6 +1299,11 @@ static apr_status_t cache_save_filter(ap_filter_t *f, apr_bucket_brigade *in)

             exp = date + dconf->defex;

         }

     }

+    /* else, forcibly cap the expiry date if required */

+    else if (dconf->hardmaxex && (date + dconf->maxex) < exp) {

+        exp = date + dconf->maxex;

+    }        

+

     info->expire = exp;

     /* We found a stale entry which wasn't really stale. */

@@ -1717,7 +1722,9 @@ static void *create_dir_config(apr_pool_t *p, char *dummy)

     /* array of providers for this URL space */

     dconf->cacheenable = apr_array_make(p, 10, sizeof(struct cache_enable));

-

+    /* flag; treat maxex as hard limit */

+    dconf->hardmaxex = 0;

+    dconf->hardmaxex_set = 0;

     return dconf;

 }

@@ -1767,7 +1774,10 @@ static void *merge_dir_config(apr_pool_t *p, void *basev, void *addv) {

     new->enable_set = add->enable_set || base->enable_set;

     new->disable = (add->disable_set == 0) ? base->disable : add->disable;

     new->disable_set = add->disable_set || base->disable_set;

-

+    new->hardmaxex = 

+        (add->hardmaxex_set == 0)

+        ? base->hardmaxex

+        : add->hardmaxex;

     return new;

 }

@@ -2096,12 +2106,18 @@ static const char *add_cache_disable(cmd_parms *parms, void *dummy,

 }

 static const char *set_cache_maxex(cmd_parms *parms, void *dummy,

-                                   const char *arg)

+                                   const char *arg, const char *hard)

 {

     cache_dir_conf *dconf = (cache_dir_conf *)dummy;

     dconf->maxex = (apr_time_t) (atol(arg) * MSEC_ONE_SEC);

     dconf->maxex_set = 1;

+    

+    if (hard && strcasecmp(hard, "hard") == 0) {

+        dconf->hardmaxex = 1;

+        dconf->hardmaxex_set = 1;

+    }

+

     return NULL;

 }

@@ -2309,7 +2325,7 @@ static const command_rec cache_cmds[] =

                    "caching is enabled"),

     AP_INIT_TAKE1("CacheDisable", add_cache_disable, NULL, RSRC_CONF|ACCESS_CONF,

                   "A partial URL prefix below which caching is disabled"),

-    AP_INIT_TAKE1("CacheMaxExpire", set_cache_maxex, NULL, RSRC_CONF|ACCESS_CONF,

+    AP_INIT_TAKE12("CacheMaxExpire", set_cache_maxex, NULL, RSRC_CONF|ACCESS_CONF,

                   "The maximum time in seconds to cache a document"),

     AP_INIT_TAKE1("CacheMinExpire", set_cache_minex, NULL, RSRC_CONF|ACCESS_CONF,

                   "The minimum time in seconds to cache a document"),