diff --git a/src/db.rs b/src/db.rs
index df385bc..cb818d3 100644
--- a/src/db.rs
+++ b/src/db.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+use std::time::{Duration, SystemTime};
+
 use rocket::futures::lock::Mutex;
 use tokio_postgres::{Client, Error, Statement};
 
@@ -5,7 +7,9 @@ use crate::GlobalState;
 
 pub const STATEMENT_GET_LINK: usize = 0;
 pub const STATEMENT_ADD_LINK: usize = 1;
-pub const N_STATEMENTS: usize = 2;
+pub const STATEMENT_ADD_TEMP_LINK: usize = 2;
+pub const STATEMENT_DELETE_EXPIRED: usize = 3;
+pub const N_STATEMENTS: usize = 4;
 
 pub async fn get_link(state: &Mutex<GlobalState>, link: &str) -> Result<Option<String>, Error> {
     let lock = state.lock().await;
@@ -18,13 +22,28 @@ pub async fn add_link(state: &Mutex<GlobalState>, link: &str, url: &str) -> Resu
     Ok(())
 }
 
+pub async fn add_temporary_link(state: &Mutex<GlobalState>, link: &str, url: &str, ttl: u64) -> Result<(), Error> {
+    let time = SystemTime::now() + Duration::from_secs(ttl);
+    let lock = state.lock().await;
+    lock.db_client.execute(&lock.statements[STATEMENT_ADD_TEMP_LINK], &[&link, &url, &time]).await?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+pub async fn delete_expired_links(state: &Mutex<GlobalState>) -> Result<(), Error> {
+    let lock = state.lock().await;
+    lock.db_client.execute(&lock.statements[STATEMENT_DELETE_EXPIRED], &[]).await?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 pub async fn prepare_statements(db: &Client) -> Result<[Statement; N_STATEMENTS], Error> {
     Ok([db.prepare("SELECT url FROM links WHERE id = $1").await?,
         db.prepare("INSERT INTO links (id, url) VALUES ($1, $2)").await?,
+        db.prepare("INSERT INTO links (id, url, valid_until) VALUES ($1, $2, $3)").await?,
+        db.prepare("DELETE FROM links WHERE valid_until < NOW()").await?
     ])
 }
 
 pub async fn prepare_tables(db: &Client) -> Result<(), Error> {
-    db.execute("CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS links (id TEXT PRIMARY KEY, url TEXT NOT NULL)", &[]).await?;
+    db.execute("CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS links (id TEXT PRIMARY KEY, url TEXT NOT NULL, valid_until TIMESTAMP NOT NULL)", &[]).await?;
     Ok(())
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index de05a75..ab7e57f 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use db::N_STATEMENTS;
 use rocket::{futures::lock::Mutex, get, fs::FileServer, http::Status, response::Redirect, response::content::RawHtml, routes, State};
 use tokio_postgres::{Client, NoTls, Statement};
-use std::fs::File;
+use std::{fs::File, sync::Arc, time::Duration};
 
 mod db;
 mod linkgen;
@@ -17,7 +17,13 @@ pub struct GlobalState {
 #[tokio::main]
 async fn main() {
     let postgres_config = "host=localhost user=shortener password=".to_owned() + include_str!("../postgres_password.txt").trim();
-    let (client, conn) = tokio_postgres::connect(&postgres_config, NoTls).await.unwrap();
+    let (client, conn) = match tokio_postgres::connect(&postgres_config, NoTls).await {
+        Ok((client, conn)) => (client, conn),
+        Err(e) => {
+            eprintln!("Failed to connect to PostgreSQL: {}", e);
+            return;
+        }
+    };
     tokio::spawn(async move {
         if let Err(e) = conn.await {
             eprintln!("postgresql error: {}", e);
@@ -28,16 +34,26 @@ async fn main() {
     let mut config = rocket::Config::default();
     config.port = 3020;
     let state = GlobalState { db_client: client, statements };
+    let state_mutex = Arc::new(Mutex::new(state));
+    {
+        let state_mutex = state_mutex.clone();
+        tokio::spawn(async move {
+            loop {
+                delete_expired(&state_mutex).await.unwrap();
+                tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(2 * 3600)).await;
+            }
+        });
+    }
     rocket::build()
         .mount("/", routes![create, go_to_link])
-        .manage(Mutex::new(state))
+        .manage(state_mutex.clone())
         .configure(config)
         .launch()
         .await.unwrap();
 }
 
-#[get("/create?<url>&<secret>&<length>&<link>")]
-async fn create(state: &State<Mutex<GlobalState>>, url: &str, secret: Option<&str>, length: Option<u32>, link: Option<&str>) -> (Status, String) {
+#[get("/create?<url>&<secret>&<length>&<link>&<ttl>")]
+async fn create(state: &State<Mutex<GlobalState>>, url: &str, secret: Option<&str>, length: Option<u32>, link: Option<&str>, ttl: Option<u64>) -> (Status, String) {
     let mut allow_secret_options = false;
     if let Some(secret) = secret {
         if secret == include_str!("../secret.txt").trim() {
@@ -83,7 +99,11 @@ async fn create(state: &State<Mutex<GlobalState>>, url: &str, secret: Option<&st
         }
     }
 
-    match db::add_link(&state, actual_link.as_ref().unwrap(), url).await {
+    let res = match ttl {
+        Some(ttl) => db::add_temporary_link(&state, actual_link.as_ref().unwrap(), url, ttl).await,
+        None => db::add_link(&state, actual_link.as_ref().unwrap(), url).await
+    };
+    match res {
         Ok(_) => (),
         Err(e) => {
             eprintln!("add link error:  {}", e);
@@ -108,3 +128,7 @@ pub async fn go_to_link(state: &State<Mutex<GlobalState>>, link: &str) -> Result
         }
     }
 }
+
+async fn delete_expired(state: &Mutex<GlobalState>) -> Result<(), tokio_postgres::Error> {
+    db::delete_expired_links(state).await
+}