diff --git a/common/expirecontainer.cpp b/common/expirecontainer.cpp
index 4e9e3a0b..2b3b80a6 100644
--- a/common/expirecontainer.cpp
+++ b/common/expirecontainer.cpp
@@ -18,10 +18,12 @@ limitations under the License.
 #include <photon/thread/thread.h>
 
 ExpireContainerBase::ExpireContainerBase(uint64_t lifespan,
-                                         uint64_t timer_cycle)
+                                         uint64_t timer_cycle,
+                                         bool expire_if_possible)
     : _lifespan(lifespan),
       _timer(std::max(static_cast<uint64_t>(1000), timer_cycle),
-             {this, &ExpireContainerBase::expire}, true, 8UL * 1024 * 1024) {}
+             {this, &ExpireContainerBase::expire}, true),
+      _expire_if_possible(expire_if_possible) {}
 
 auto ExpireContainerBase::insert(Item* item) -> std::pair<iterator, bool> {
     return _set.emplace(item);
@@ -38,24 +40,31 @@ auto ExpireContainerBase::find(const Item& key_item) -> iterator {
 }
 
 void ExpireContainerBase::clear() {
-    for (auto x : ({
-             SCOPED_LOCK(_lock);
-             _list.node = nullptr;
-             Set(std::move(_set));
-         })) {
-        delete x;
+    Set tmp;
+    {
+        SCOPED_LOCK(_lock);
+        _list.node = nullptr;
+        tmp = std::move(_set);
     }
+    for (auto x : tmp)
+        delete x;
 }
 
 uint64_t ExpireContainerBase::expire() {
-    ({
+    if (_lifespan > UINT64_MAX / 2)
+        return 0;
+    intrusive_list<Item> expired;
+    {
         SCOPED_LOCK(_lock);
-        _list.split_by_predicate([&](Item* x) {
+        auto tmp = _list.split_by_predicate([&](Item* x) {
             bool ret = x->_timeout.expiration() < photon::now;
             if (ret) _set.erase(x);
             return ret;
         });
-    }).delete_all();
+        expired = tmp;
+        tmp.node = nullptr;
+    }
+    expired.delete_all();
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -79,7 +88,7 @@ auto ObjectCacheBase::ref_acquire(const Item& key_item,
                                   uint64_t failure_cooldown) -> Item* {
     Base::iterator holder;
     Item* item = nullptr;
-    expire();
+    if (_expire_if_possible) expire();
     do {
         SCOPED_LOCK(_lock);
         holder = Base::__find_prelock(key_item);
@@ -115,7 +124,9 @@ auto ObjectCacheBase::ref_acquire(const Item& key_item,
 }
 
 int ObjectCacheBase::ref_release(ItemPtr item, bool recycle) {
-    DEFER(expire());
+    DEFER({
+        if (_expire_if_possible) expire();
+    });
     photon::semaphore sem;
     {
         SCOPED_LOCK(_lock);
diff --git a/common/expirecontainer.h b/common/expirecontainer.h
index 6453e3e3..1aa0126c 100644
--- a/common/expirecontainer.h
+++ b/common/expirecontainer.h
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ class ExpireContainerBase : public Object {
     intrusive_list<Item> _list;
     uint64_t _lifespan;
     photon::Timer _timer;
+    bool _expire_if_possible;
     photon::spinlock _lock; // protect _list/_set operations
 
     using ItemPtr = Item*;
@@ -94,9 +95,6 @@ class ExpireContainerBase : public Object {
     using Set = std::unordered_set<ItemPtr, ItemHash, ItemEqual>;
     Set _set;
 
-    ExpireContainerBase(uint64_t lifespan, uint64_t timer_cycle);
-    ~ExpireContainerBase() { clear(); }
-
     using iterator = decltype(_set)::iterator;
     std::pair<iterator, bool> insert(Item* item);
     iterator begin() { return _set.begin(); }
@@ -121,6 +119,11 @@ class ExpireContainerBase : public Object {
     }
 
 public:
+    explicit ExpireContainerBase(uint64_t lifespan) : ExpireContainerBase(lifespan, lifespan / 16, true) {}
+    ExpireContainerBase(uint64_t lifespan, uint64_t timer_cycle) : ExpireContainerBase(lifespan, timer_cycle, true) {}
+    ExpireContainerBase(uint64_t lifespan, uint64_t timer_cycle, bool expire_if_possible);
+    ~ExpireContainerBase() override { clear(); }
+
     void clear();
     uint64_t expire();
     size_t size() { return _set.size(); }
@@ -134,9 +137,7 @@ template <typename KeyType, typename... Ts>
 class ExpireContainer : public ExpireContainerBase {
 public:
     using Base = ExpireContainerBase;
-    ExpireContainer(uint64_t expiration) : Base(expiration, expiration / 16) {}
-    ExpireContainer(uint64_t expiration, uint64_t timer_cycle)
-        : Base(expiration, timer_cycle) {}
+    using Base::Base;
 
 protected:
     using KeyedItem = typename Base::KeyedItem<Base::Item, KeyType>;
@@ -198,7 +199,6 @@ class ExpireContainer : public ExpireContainerBase {
 
 // a set / list like structure
 // able to query whether an item not expired in it.
-
 template <typename T>
 class ExpireList : public ExpireContainer<T> {
 public:
@@ -367,6 +367,7 @@ template <typename KeyType, typename ValType, typename ItemType>
 class __ObjectCache : public ObjectCacheBase {
 public:
     using Base = ObjectCacheBase;
+    using Base::Base;
     using Item = ItemType;
     using KeyedItem = Base::KeyedItem<Base::Item, KeyType>;
     using InterfaceKey = typename Item::InterfaceKey;
@@ -374,10 +375,6 @@ class __ObjectCache : public ObjectCacheBase {
     using ValEntity = typename Item::ValEntity;
     using Borrow = typename Base::Borrow<__ObjectCache>;
 
-    __ObjectCache(uint64_t expiration) : Base(expiration, expiration / 16) {}
-    __ObjectCache(uint64_t expiration, uint64_t timer_cycle)
-        : Base(expiration, timer_cycle) {}
-
     template <typename Constructor>
     ItemPtr ref_acquire(const InterfaceKey& key, const Constructor& ctor,
                         uint64_t failure_cooldown = 0) {
diff --git a/thread/timer.h b/thread/timer.h
index d8e789b2..d0a7fe5f 100644
--- a/thread/timer.h
+++ b/thread/timer.h
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ namespace photon
         // 0 for default_timeout (given in the ctor)
         using Entry = Delegate<uint64_t>;
 
-        // Create a timer object with `default_timedout` in usec, callback function `on_timer`,
+        // Create a timer object with `default_timeout` in usec, callback function `on_timer`,
         // and callback argument `arg`. The timer object is implemented as a special thread, so
         // it has a `stack_size`, and the `on_timer` is invoked within the thread's context.
         // The timer object is deleted automatically after it is finished.
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ namespace photon
         {
             _on_timer = on_timer;
             _default_timeout = default_timeout;
+            _reset_timeout = -1UL;
             _repeating = repeating;
             _th = thread_create(&_stub, this, stack_size);
             thread_enable_join(_th);