diff --git a/banjax-config.yaml b/banjax-config.yaml
index c5a93db..8f968cd 100644
--- a/banjax-config.yaml
+++ b/banjax-config.yaml
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ password_hashes:
   "localhost": "5e884898da28047151d0e56f8dc6292773603d0d6aabbdd62a11ef721d1542d8"
 password_hash_roaming:
   sub.example.com: example.com
+password_persite_cookie_ttl_seconds:
+  example.com: 3600
 per_site_decision_lists:
   example.com:
     allow:
diff --git a/banjax_base_test.go b/banjax_base_test.go
index fe6c5a4..48d6ce2 100644
--- a/banjax_base_test.go
+++ b/banjax_base_test.go
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ func httpCheck(client *http.Client, resource_ptr *TestResource, t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-type CookieMap map[string]string
+type CookieMap map[string]*http.Cookie
 
 func httpTesterWithCookie(t *testing.T, resources []TestResource) {
 	client := &http.Client{}
@@ -128,6 +128,11 @@ func httpTesterWithCookie(t *testing.T, resources []TestResource) {
 		t.Run(test_name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			cookies := httpCheckWithCookie(client, &resource, t)
 			assert.Contains(t, cookies, resource.contains[0])
+			if len(resource.contains) > 1 {
+				log.Print(cookies[resource.contains[0]])
+				expectedMaxAge, _ := strconv.Atoi(resource.contains[1])
+				assert.Equal(t, cookies[resource.contains[0]].MaxAge, expectedMaxAge)
+			}
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -140,9 +145,8 @@ func httpCheckWithCookie(client *http.Client, resource_ptr *TestResource, t *tes
 
 	cookieMap = make(CookieMap)
 	if len(resp.Cookies()) > 0 {
-		log.Print(resp.Cookies())
 		for _, cookie := range resp.Cookies() {
-			cookieMap[cookie.Name] = cookie.Value
+			cookieMap[cookie.Name] = cookie
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/banjax_integration_test.go b/banjax_integration_test.go
index 11c566d..6c4ff94 100644
--- a/banjax_integration_test.go
+++ b/banjax_integration_test.go
@@ -21,8 +21,15 @@ func TestPathWithChallengeCookies(t *testing.T) {
 	prefix := "/auth_request?path="
 	httpTesterWithCookie(t, []TestResource{
 		{"GET", prefix + "/wp-admin", 401, nil, []string{"deflect_password3"}},
+		{"GET", prefix + "/wp-admin", 401, nil, []string{"deflect_password3", "3600"}}, // testing max-age
 		{"GET", prefix + "/global_mask_64_ban", 429, ClientIP("192.168.1.64"), []string{"deflect_challenge3"}},
 	})
+
+	// reload without per site max age, test if default value 14400 present
+	reloadConfig(fixtureConfigTestReloadCIDR, 1)
+	httpTesterWithCookie(t, []TestResource{
+		{"GET", prefix + "/wp-admin", 401, nil, []string{"deflect_password3", "14400"}}, // testing max-age
+	})
 }
 
 func TestGlobalPerSiteDecisionListsMask(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/fixtures/banjax-config-test.yaml b/fixtures/banjax-config-test.yaml
index 85d996c..7af5c27 100644
--- a/fixtures/banjax-config-test.yaml
+++ b/fixtures/banjax-config-test.yaml
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ password_protected_path_exceptions:
 password_hashes:
   "localhost:8081": "5e884898da28047151d0e56f8dc6292773603d0d6aabbdd62a11ef721d1542d8"
   "localhost": "5e884898da28047151d0e56f8dc6292773603d0d6aabbdd62a11ef721d1542d8"
+password_persite_cookie_ttl_seconds:
+  "localhost:8081": 3600
 per_site_decision_lists:
   example.com:
     allow:
diff --git a/internal/config.go b/internal/config.go
index 9a43c7c..c4faa55 100644
--- a/internal/config.go
+++ b/internal/config.go
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	SitesToProtectedPaths                  map[string][]string `yaml:"password_protected_paths"`
 	SitesToProtectedPathExceptions         map[string][]string `yaml:"password_protected_path_exceptions"`
 	SitesToPasswordHashesRoaming           map[string]string   `yaml:"password_hash_roaming"`
+	SitesToPasswordCookieTtlSeconds        map[string]int      `yaml:"password_persite_cookie_ttl_seconds"`
 	ExpiringDecisionTtlSeconds             int                 `yaml:"expiring_decision_ttl_seconds"`
 	TooManyFailedChallengesIntervalSeconds int                 `yaml:"too_many_failed_challenges_interval_seconds"`
 	TooManyFailedChallengesThreshold       int                 `yaml:"too_many_failed_challenges_threshold"`
diff --git a/internal/http_server.go b/internal/http_server.go
index f32b304..15a567a 100644
--- a/internal/http_server.go
+++ b/internal/http_server.go
@@ -234,9 +234,10 @@ func challenge(c *gin.Context, cookieName string, cookieTtlSeconds int, secret s
 }
 
 func passwordChallenge(c *gin.Context, config *Config, roaming bool) {
-	challenge(c, "deflect_password3", config.PasswordCookieTtlSeconds, config.HmacSecret, roaming)
+	cookieTtl := getPerSiteCookieTtlOrDefault(config, c.Request.Header.Get("X-Requested-Host"), config.PasswordCookieTtlSeconds)
+	challenge(c, "deflect_password3", cookieTtl, config.HmacSecret, roaming)
 	// custom status code, not defined in RFC
-	c.Data(401, "text/html", applyArgsToPasswordPage(config, config.PasswordPageBytes, roaming))
+	c.Data(401, "text/html", applyArgsToPasswordPage(config, config.PasswordPageBytes, roaming, cookieTtl))
 	c.Abort()
 }
 
@@ -247,6 +248,14 @@ func shaInvChallenge(c *gin.Context, config *Config) {
 	c.Abort()
 }
 
+func getPerSiteCookieTtlOrDefault(config *Config, domain string, defaultTtl int) (cookieTtl int) {
+	cookieTtl, ok := config.SitesToPasswordCookieTtlSeconds[domain]
+	if ok {
+		return
+	}
+	return defaultTtl
+}
+
 func modifyHTMLContent(pageBytes []byte, targetStr string, toReplace string) (modifiedPageBytes []byte) {
 	return bytes.Replace(pageBytes, []byte(targetStr), []byte(toReplace), 1)
 }
@@ -275,9 +284,9 @@ func applyCookieDomain(pageBytes []byte, cookieName string) (modifiedPageBytes [
 	)
 }
 
-func applyArgsToPasswordPage(config *Config, pageBytes []byte, roaming bool) (modifiedPageBytes []byte) {
+func applyArgsToPasswordPage(config *Config, pageBytes []byte, roaming bool, cookieTtl int) (modifiedPageBytes []byte) {
 	// apply default or site specific expire time
-	modifiedPageBytes = applyCookieMaxAge(pageBytes, "deflect_password3", config.PasswordCookieTtlSeconds)
+	modifiedPageBytes = applyCookieMaxAge(pageBytes, "deflect_password3", cookieTtl)
 
 	if !roaming {
 		return