diff --git a/lib/workflow_metal/application.ex b/lib/workflow_metal/application.ex
index d01a29d..21e9719 100644
--- a/lib/workflow_metal/application.ex
+++ b/lib/workflow_metal/application.ex
@@ -1,5 +1,20 @@
 defmodule WorkflowMetal.Application do
-  @moduledoc false
+  @moduledoc """
+  A workflow_metal application is a collection of workflows, cases, tasks and workitems.
+
+  In `config/config.exs` set default_lifespan_timeout for any `Case`, `Task` and `Workitem`:
+
+      config :my_app, MyApp.Application,
+        case: [
+          lifespan_timeout: 30000
+        ],
+        task: [
+          lifespan_timeout: 60000
+        ],
+        workitem: [
+          lifespan_timeout: 300000
+        ]
+  """
 
   alias WorkflowMetal.Application.Config
 
diff --git a/lib/workflow_metal/case/case.ex b/lib/workflow_metal/case/case.ex
index 5aecfc4..a8c9f7d 100644
--- a/lib/workflow_metal/case/case.ex
+++ b/lib/workflow_metal/case/case.ex
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ defmodule WorkflowMetal.Case.Case do
         {:noreply, data, {:continue, :stop_server}}
 
       _error ->
-        {:noreply, data}
+        {:noreply, data, get_timeout(data.application)}
     end
   end
 
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ defmodule WorkflowMetal.Case.Case do
   def handle_continue({:revoke_tokens, locked_token_schemas, except_task_id}, %__MODULE__{state: :active} = data) do
     data = do_revoke_tokens(locked_token_schemas, except_task_id, data)
 
-    {:noreply, data}
+    {:noreply, data, get_timeout(data.application)}
   end
 
   @impl GenServer
@@ -257,10 +257,10 @@ defmodule WorkflowMetal.Case.Case do
           "#{describe(data)}: tokens(#{Enum.join(token_ids, ", ")}) have been locked by the task(#{task_id})"
         end)
 
-        {:reply, {:ok, locked_token_schemas}, data}
+        {:reply, {:ok, locked_token_schemas}, data, get_timeout(data.application)}
 
       {:error, _reason} = error ->
-        {:reply, error, data}
+        {:reply, error, data, get_timeout(data.application)}
     end
   end
 
@@ -290,19 +290,19 @@ defmodule WorkflowMetal.Case.Case do
   def handle_call({:offer_tokens_to_task, task_id}, _from, %{state: :active} = data) do
     {tokens, data} = do_offer_tokens_to_task(task_id, data)
 
-    {:reply, {:ok, tokens}, data}
+    {:reply, {:ok, tokens}, data, get_timeout(data.application)}
   end
 
   @impl GenServer
   def handle_call({:fetch_locked_tokens_from_task, task_id}, _from, %{state: :active} = data) do
     tokens = do_fetch_locked_tokens_from_task(task_id, data)
 
-    {:reply, {:ok, tokens}, data}
+    {:reply, {:ok, tokens}, data, get_timeout(data.application)}
   end
 
   @impl GenServer
   def handle_call(_msg, _from, %{} = data) do
-    {:reply, {:error, :case_not_available}, data}
+    {:reply, {:error, :case_not_available}, data, get_timeout(data.application)}
   end
 
   @impl GenServer
@@ -332,6 +332,13 @@ defmodule WorkflowMetal.Case.Case do
     {:noreply, data, {:continue, :stop_server}}
   end
 
+  @impl GenServer
+  def handle_info(:timeout, %__MODULE__{} = data) do
+    Logger.debug(describe(data) <> " stopping due to inactivity timeout")
+
+    {:stop, :normal, data}
+  end
+
   @spec fetch_unconsumed_tokens(t()) :: t()
   defp fetch_unconsumed_tokens(%__MODULE__{} = data) do
     %{
@@ -829,6 +836,13 @@ defmodule WorkflowMetal.Case.Case do
     {:ok, data}
   end
 
+  defp get_timeout(application) do
+    application
+    |> WorkflowMetal.Application.Config.get(:case)
+    |> Kernel.||([])
+    |> Keyword.get(:lifespan_timeout, :timer.minutes(5))
+  end
+
   defp describe(%__MODULE__{} = data) do
     %{
       case_schema: %Schema.Case{
diff --git a/lib/workflow_metal/task/task.ex b/lib/workflow_metal/task/task.ex
index 9456d09..6c10402 100644
--- a/lib/workflow_metal/task/task.ex
+++ b/lib/workflow_metal/task/task.ex
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ defmodule WorkflowMetal.Task.Task do
       |> request_tokens()
       |> start_created_workitems()
 
-    {:noreply, data}
+    {:noreply, data, get_timeout(data.application)}
   end
 
   def handle_continue(:after_start, %{state: :executing} = data) do
@@ -221,10 +221,10 @@ defmodule WorkflowMetal.Task.Task do
           |> allocate_workitem()
           |> update_task(%{state: :allocated})
 
-        {:noreply, data}
+        {:noreply, data, get_timeout(data.application)}
 
       _other ->
-        {:noreply, data}
+        {:noreply, data, get_timeout(data.application)}
     end
   end
 
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ defmodule WorkflowMetal.Task.Task do
         {:noreply, data, {:continue, :stop_server}}
 
       _error ->
-        {:noreply, data}
+        {:noreply, data, get_timeout(data.application)}
     end
   end
 
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ defmodule WorkflowMetal.Task.Task do
         {:noreply, data, {:continue, :stop_server}}
 
       _error ->
-        {:noreply, data}
+        {:noreply, data, get_timeout(data.application)}
     end
   end
 
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ defmodule WorkflowMetal.Task.Task do
         {:noreply, data, {:continue, :stop_server}}
 
       _ ->
-        {:noreply, data}
+        {:noreply, data, get_timeout(data.application)}
     end
   end
 
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ defmodule WorkflowMetal.Task.Task do
   def handle_cast({:receive_tokens, token_schemas}, %{state: :allocated} = data) do
     data = Enum.reduce(token_schemas, data, &upsert_ets_token/2)
 
-    {:noreply, data}
+    {:noreply, data, get_timeout(data.application)}
   end
 
   @impl GenServer
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ defmodule WorkflowMetal.Task.Task do
       when state in [:allocated, :executing] do
     data = upsert_ets_workitem({workitem_id, :started}, data)
 
-    {:noreply, data}
+    {:noreply, data, get_timeout(data.application)}
   end
 
   @impl GenServer
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ defmodule WorkflowMetal.Task.Task do
 
   @impl GenServer
   def handle_cast(_msg, %{} = data) do
-    {:noreply, data}
+    {:noreply, data, get_timeout(data.application)}
   end
 
   @impl GenServer
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ defmodule WorkflowMetal.Task.Task do
         {:reply, {:ok, locked_token_schemas}, data}
 
       error ->
-        {:reply, error, data}
+        {:reply, error, data, get_timeout(data.application)}
     end
   end
 
@@ -378,12 +378,19 @@ defmodule WorkflowMetal.Task.Task do
           acc
       end)
 
-    {:reply, {:ok, tokens}, data}
+    {:reply, {:ok, tokens}, data, get_timeout(data.application)}
   end
 
   @impl GenServer
   def handle_call(_msg, _from, %{} = data) do
-    {:reply, {:error, :task_not_available}, data}
+    {:reply, {:error, :task_not_available}, data, get_timeout(data.application)}
+  end
+
+  @impl GenServer
+  def handle_info(:timeout, %__MODULE__{} = data) do
+    Logger.debug(describe(data) <> " stopping due to inactivity timeout")
+
+    {:stop, :normal, data}
   end
 
   @spec fetch_workitems(t()) :: t()
@@ -775,6 +782,13 @@ defmodule WorkflowMetal.Task.Task do
     data
   end
 
+  defp get_timeout(application) do
+    application
+    |> WorkflowMetal.Application.Config.get(:task)
+    |> Kernel.||([])
+    |> Keyword.get(:lifespan_timeout, :timer.minutes(1))
+  end
+
   defp describe(%__MODULE__{} = data) do
     %{
       task_schema: %Schema.Task{
diff --git a/lib/workflow_metal/workitem/workitem.ex b/lib/workflow_metal/workitem/workitem.ex
index 84744ed..490f7cf 100644
--- a/lib/workflow_metal/workitem/workitem.ex
+++ b/lib/workflow_metal/workitem/workitem.ex
@@ -151,7 +151,8 @@ defmodule WorkflowMetal.Workitem.Workitem do
             application: application,
             state: :started,
             workitem_schema: workitem_schema
-          }
+          },
+          get_timeout(application)
         }
 
       state when state in [:completed, :abandoned] ->
@@ -167,7 +168,7 @@ defmodule WorkflowMetal.Workitem.Workitem do
       {:ok, :started, data} ->
         data = update_workitem(%{state: :started}, data)
 
-        {:noreply, data}
+        {:noreply, data, get_timeout(data.application)}
 
       {:ok, {:completed, workitem_output}, data} ->
         {:noreply, %{data | state: :started}, {:continue, {:complete, workitem_output}}}
@@ -175,7 +176,7 @@ defmodule WorkflowMetal.Workitem.Workitem do
       {:ok, :abandoned, data} ->
         data = update_workitem(%{state: :abandoned}, data)
 
-        {:noreply, data}
+        {:noreply, data, get_timeout(data.application)}
     end
   end
 
@@ -215,6 +216,13 @@ defmodule WorkflowMetal.Workitem.Workitem do
     {:noreply, data, {:continue, :stop_server}}
   end
 
+  @impl GenServer
+  def handle_info(:timeout, %__MODULE__{} = data) do
+    Logger.debug(describe(data) <> " stopping due to inactivity timeout")
+
+    {:stop, :normal, data}
+  end
+
   @spec update_workitem(map(), t()) :: t()
   defp update_workitem(params, %__MODULE__{} = data) do
     %{
@@ -330,6 +338,13 @@ defmodule WorkflowMetal.Workitem.Workitem do
     {:ok, data}
   end
 
+  defp get_timeout(application) do
+    application
+    |> WorkflowMetal.Application.Config.get(:case)
+    |> Kernel.||([])
+    |> Keyword.get(:lifespan_timeout, :timer.seconds(30))
+  end
+
   defp describe(%__MODULE__{} = data) do
     %{
       workitem_schema: %Schema.Workitem{