diff --git a/graphql/e2e/subscription/subscription_test.go b/graphql/e2e/subscription/subscription_test.go
index 5da20a20f12..40ea867520f 100644
--- a/graphql/e2e/subscription/subscription_test.go
+++ b/graphql/e2e/subscription/subscription_test.go
@@ -427,6 +427,80 @@ func TestSubscriptionWithAuthShouldExpireWithJWT(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Nil(t, res)
 }
 
+func TestSubscriptionAuthWithoutExpiry(t *testing.T) {
+	dg, err := testutil.DgraphClient(groupOnegRPC)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	testutil.DropAll(t, dg)
+
+	add := &common.GraphQLParams{
+		Query: `mutation updateGQLSchema($sch: String!) {
+			updateGQLSchema(input: { set: { schema: $sch }}) {
+				gqlSchema {
+					schema
+				}
+			}
+		}`,
+		Variables: map[string]interface{}{"sch": schAuth},
+	}
+	addResult := add.ExecuteAsPost(t, adminEndpoint)
+	require.Nil(t, addResult.Errors)
+	time.Sleep(time.Second * 2)
+
+	metaInfo := &testutil.AuthMeta{
+		PublicKey: "secret",
+		Namespace: "https://dgraph.io",
+		Algo:      "HS256",
+		Header:    "Authorization",
+	}
+	metaInfo.AuthVars = map[string]interface{}{
+		"USER": "jatin",
+		"ROLE": "USER",
+	}
+
+	add = &common.GraphQLParams{
+		Query: `mutation{
+              addTodo(input: [
+                 {text : "GraphQL is exciting!!",
+                  owner : "jatin"}
+               ])
+             {
+               todo{
+                    text
+                    owner
+               }
+           }
+         }`,
+	}
+
+	addResult = add.ExecuteAsPost(t, graphQLEndpoint)
+	require.Nil(t, addResult.Errors)
+
+	jwtToken, err := metaInfo.GetSignedToken("secret", -1)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	payload := fmt.Sprintf(`{"Authorization": "%s"}`, jwtToken)
+	subscriptionClient, err := common.NewGraphQLSubscription(subscriptionEndpoint, &schema.Request{
+		Query: `subscription{
+			queryTodo{
+                owner
+                text
+			}
+		}`,
+	}, payload)
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+
+	res, err := subscriptionClient.RecvMsg()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	var resp common.GraphQLResponse
+	err = json.Unmarshal(res, &resp)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	require.Nil(t, resp.Errors)
+	require.JSONEq(t, `{"queryTodo":[{"owner":"jatin","text":"GraphQL is exciting!!"}]}`,
+		string(resp.Data))
+}
+
 func TestSubscriptionAuth_SameQueryAndClaimsButDifferentExpiry_ShouldExpireIndependently(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Skip()
 	dg, err := testutil.DgraphClient(groupOnegRPC)
diff --git a/graphql/web/http.go b/graphql/web/http.go
index b53f76b6d6c..7409d5080f5 100644
--- a/graphql/web/http.go
+++ b/graphql/web/http.go
@@ -20,11 +20,10 @@ import (
 	"compress/gzip"
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
-	"strconv"
-	"time"
-
 	"github.com/dgrijalva/jwt-go/v4"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/metadata"
+	"strconv"
+	"time"
 
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
@@ -127,13 +126,11 @@ func (gs *graphqlSubscription) Subscribe(
 
 	// library (graphql-transport-ws) passes the headers which are part of the INIT payload to us in the context.
 	// And we are extracting the Auth JWT from those and passing them along.
-
-	header, _ := ctx.Value("Header").(json.RawMessage)
 	customClaims := &authorization.CustomClaims{
-		StandardClaims: jwt.StandardClaims{
-			ExpiresAt: jwt.At(time.Time{}),
-		},
+		StandardClaims: jwt.StandardClaims{},
 	}
+	header, _ := ctx.Value("Header").(json.RawMessage)
+
 	if len(header) > 0 {
 		payload := make(map[string]interface{})
 		if err := json.Unmarshal(header, &payload); err != nil {
@@ -155,7 +152,11 @@ func (gs *graphqlSubscription) Subscribe(
 			}
 		}
 	}
-
+	// for the cases when no expiry is given in jwt or subscription doesn't have any authorization,
+	// we set their expiry to zero time
+	if customClaims.StandardClaims.ExpiresAt == nil {
+		customClaims.StandardClaims.ExpiresAt = jwt.At(time.Time{})
+	}
 	req := &schema.Request{
 		OperationName: operationName,
 		Query:         document,
diff --git a/testutil/graphql.go b/testutil/graphql.go
index 1c17260046c..009f9c81b45 100644
--- a/testutil/graphql.go
+++ b/testutil/graphql.go
@@ -158,10 +158,12 @@ func (a *AuthMeta) GetSignedToken(privateKeyFile string,
 		a.Namespace,
 		a.AuthVars,
 		jwt.StandardClaims{
-			ExpiresAt: jwt.At(time.Now().Add(expireAfter)),
-			Issuer:    "test",
+			Issuer: "test",
 		},
 	}
+	if expireAfter != -1 {
+		claims.ExpiresAt = jwt.At(time.Now().Add(expireAfter))
+	}
 
 	var signedString string
 	var err error