diff --git a/core/commands/publish.go b/core/commands/publish.go
index 0737a011721..0e539868db2 100644
--- a/core/commands/publish.go
+++ b/core/commands/publish.go
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ Publish an <ipfs-path> to another public key (not implemented):
 	Options: []cmds.Option{
 		cmds.BoolOption("resolve", "resolve given path before publishing (default=true)"),
 		cmds.StringOption("lifetime", "t", "time duration that the record will be valid for (default: 24hrs)"),
+		cmds.StringOption("ttl", "time duration this record should be cached for (caution: experimental)"),
 	},
 	Run: func(req cmds.Request, res cmds.Response) {
 		log.Debug("Begin Publish")
@@ -96,7 +97,18 @@ Publish an <ipfs-path> to another public key (not implemented):
 			popts.pubValidTime = d
 		}
 
-		output, err := publish(req.Context(), n, n.PrivateKey, path.Path(pstr), popts)
+		ctx := req.Context()
+		if ttl, found, _ := req.Option("ttl").String(); found {
+			d, err := time.ParseDuration(ttl)
+			if err != nil {
+				res.SetError(err, cmds.ErrNormal)
+				return
+			}
+
+			ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, "ipns-publish-ttl", d)
+		}
+
+		output, err := publish(ctx, n, n.PrivateKey, path.Path(pstr), popts)
 		if err != nil {
 			res.SetError(err, cmds.ErrNormal)
 			return
diff --git a/namesys/pb/namesys.pb.go b/namesys/pb/namesys.pb.go
index 4d99a5e0a20..0508e772dfd 100644
--- a/namesys/pb/namesys.pb.go
+++ b/namesys/pb/namesys.pb.go
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ type IpnsEntry struct {
 	ValidityType     *IpnsEntry_ValidityType `protobuf:"varint,3,opt,name=validityType,enum=namesys.pb.IpnsEntry_ValidityType" json:"validityType,omitempty"`
 	Validity         []byte                  `protobuf:"bytes,4,opt,name=validity" json:"validity,omitempty"`
 	Sequence         *uint64                 `protobuf:"varint,5,opt,name=sequence" json:"sequence,omitempty"`
+	Ttl              *uint64                 `protobuf:"varint,6,opt,name=ttl" json:"ttl,omitempty"`
 	XXX_unrecognized []byte                  `json:"-"`
 }
 
@@ -99,6 +100,13 @@ func (m *IpnsEntry) GetSequence() uint64 {
 	return 0
 }
 
+func (m *IpnsEntry) GetTtl() uint64 {
+	if m != nil && m.Ttl != nil {
+		return *m.Ttl
+	}
+	return 0
+}
+
 func init() {
 	proto.RegisterEnum("namesys.pb.IpnsEntry_ValidityType", IpnsEntry_ValidityType_name, IpnsEntry_ValidityType_value)
 }
diff --git a/namesys/pb/namesys.proto b/namesys/pb/namesys.proto
index 242f77bf2ab..d6eaf3243fe 100644
--- a/namesys/pb/namesys.proto
+++ b/namesys/pb/namesys.proto
@@ -12,4 +12,6 @@ message IpnsEntry {
 	optional bytes validity = 4;
 
 	optional uint64 sequence = 5;
+
+	optional uint64 ttl = 6;
 }
diff --git a/namesys/publisher.go b/namesys/publisher.go
index e31217dff33..78d7bb37cc9 100644
--- a/namesys/publisher.go
+++ b/namesys/publisher.go
@@ -121,6 +121,19 @@ func (p *ipnsPublisher) getPreviousSeqNo(ctx context.Context, ipnskey key.Key) (
 	return e.GetSequence(), nil
 }
 
+// setting the TTL on published records is an experimental feature.
+// as such, i'm using the context to wire it through to avoid changing too
+// much code along the way.
+func checkCtxTTL(ctx context.Context) (time.Duration, bool) {
+	v := ctx.Value("ipns-publish-ttl")
+	if v == nil {
+		return 0, false
+	}
+
+	d, ok := v.(time.Duration)
+	return d, ok
+}
+
 func PutRecordToRouting(ctx context.Context, k ci.PrivKey, value path.Path, seqnum uint64, eol time.Time, r routing.IpfsRouting, id peer.ID) error {
 	namekey, ipnskey := IpnsKeysForID(id)
 	entry, err := CreateRoutingEntryData(k, value, seqnum, eol)
@@ -128,6 +141,11 @@ func PutRecordToRouting(ctx context.Context, k ci.PrivKey, value path.Path, seqn
 		return err
 	}
 
+	ttl, ok := checkCtxTTL(ctx)
+	if ok {
+		entry.Ttl = proto.Uint64(uint64(ttl.Nanoseconds()))
+	}
+
 	err = PublishEntry(ctx, r, ipnskey, entry)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/namesys/routing.go b/namesys/routing.go
index 123b5fbd7c1..aebac546c12 100644
--- a/namesys/routing.go
+++ b/namesys/routing.go
@@ -40,7 +40,16 @@ func (r *routingResolver) cacheGet(name string) (path.Path, bool) {
 }
 
 func (r *routingResolver) cacheSet(name string, val path.Path, rec *pb.IpnsEntry) {
-	cacheTil := time.Now().Add(r.cachelife)
+	ttl := r.cachelife
+	if rec.Ttl != nil {
+		// if the record has a ttl set, and its less than ours, use it instead
+		recttl := time.Duration(rec.GetTtl())
+		if recttl < ttl {
+			ttl = recttl
+		}
+	}
+
+	cacheTil := time.Now().Add(ttl)
 	eol, ok := checkEOL(rec)
 	if ok && eol.Before(cacheTil) {
 		cacheTil = eol