diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 408e163..88ccdcf 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
     "server-peer-option": "tcp4 ssh",
     "server-peer-service-addr": "0.0.0.0:0",
     "server-peer-service-net": "",
-    "lifetime": "0s"
+    "lifetime": "0"
 }
 ```
 
diff --git a/client-ctl.go b/client-ctl.go
index ba78d54..227611f 100644
--- a/client-ctl.go
+++ b/client-ctl.go
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ type json_in_client_route struct {
 	Lifetime string `json:"lifetime"`
 }
 
+type json_in_client_route_update struct {
+	Lifetime string `sjon:"lifetime"`
+}
+
 type json_out_client_conn_id struct {
 	Id ConnId `json:"id"`
 }
@@ -55,7 +59,8 @@ type json_out_client_conn struct {
 }
 
 type json_out_client_route_id struct {
-	Id RouteId `json:"id"`
+	Id    RouteId `json:"id"`
+	CtsId ConnId  `json:"conn-id"`
 }
 
 type json_out_client_route struct {
@@ -66,6 +71,7 @@ type json_out_client_route struct {
 	ServerPeerListenAddr string `json:"server-peer-service-addr"`
 	ServerPeerNet string `json:"server-peer-service-net"`
 	Lifetime string `json:"lifetime"`
+	LifetimeStart int64 `json:"lifetime-start"`
 }
 
 type json_out_client_peer struct {
@@ -176,7 +182,8 @@ func (ctl *client_ctl_client_conns) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.R
 						ServerPeerListenAddr: r.server_peer_listen_addr.String(),
 						ServerPeerNet: r.server_peer_net,
 						ServerPeerOption: r.server_peer_option.string(),
-						Lifetime: r.lifetime.String(),
+						Lifetime: fmt.Sprintf("%.09f", r.lifetime.Seconds()),
+						LifetimeStart: r.lifetime_start.Unix(),
 					})
 				}
 				js = append(js, json_out_client_conn{
@@ -293,7 +300,8 @@ func (ctl *client_ctl_client_conns_id) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, req *htt
 					ServerPeerListenAddr: r.server_peer_listen_addr.String(),
 					ServerPeerNet: r.server_peer_net,
 					ServerPeerOption: r.server_peer_option.string(),
-					Lifetime: r.lifetime.String(),
+					Lifetime: fmt.Sprintf("%.09f", r.lifetime.Seconds()),
+					LifetimeStart: r.lifetime_start.Unix(),
 				})
 			}
 			js = &json_out_client_conn{
@@ -375,7 +383,8 @@ func (ctl *client_ctl_client_conns_id_routes) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r
 					ServerPeerListenAddr: r.server_peer_listen_addr.String(),
 					ServerPeerNet: r.server_peer_net,
 					ServerPeerOption: r.server_peer_option.string(),
-					Lifetime: r.lifetime.String(),
+					Lifetime: fmt.Sprintf("%.09f", r.lifetime.Seconds()),
+					LifetimeStart: r.lifetime_start.Unix(),
 				})
 			}
 			cts.route_mtx.Unlock()
@@ -409,13 +418,11 @@ func (ctl *client_ctl_client_conns_id_routes) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r
 				goto oops
 			}
 
-			if jcr.Lifetime != "" {
-				lifetime, err = time.ParseDuration(jcr.Lifetime)
-				if err != nil {
-					status_code = http.StatusBadRequest; w.WriteHeader(status_code)
-					err = fmt.Errorf("wrong lifetime value %s - %s", jcr.Lifetime, err.Error())
-					goto oops
-				}
+			lifetime, err = parse_duration_string(jcr.Lifetime)
+			if err != nil {
+				status_code = http.StatusBadRequest; w.WriteHeader(status_code)
+				err = fmt.Errorf("wrong lifetime value %s - %s", jcr.Lifetime, err.Error())
+				goto oops
 			}
 
 			rc = &ClientRouteConfig{
@@ -434,7 +441,7 @@ func (ctl *client_ctl_client_conns_id_routes) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r
 				if err = je.Encode(json_errmsg{Text: err.Error()}); err != nil { goto oops }
 			} else {
 				status_code = http.StatusCreated; w.WriteHeader(status_code)
-				if err = je.Encode(json_out_client_route_id{Id: r.id}); err != nil { goto oops }
+				if err = je.Encode(json_out_client_route_id{Id: r.id, CtsId: r.cts.id}); err != nil { goto oops }
 			}
 
 		case http.MethodDelete:
@@ -519,6 +526,27 @@ func (ctl *client_ctl_client_conns_id_routes_id) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter
 			})
 			if err != nil { goto oops }
 
+		case http.MethodPut:
+			var jcr json_in_client_route_update
+			var lifetime time.Duration
+
+			err = json.NewDecoder(req.Body).Decode(&jcr)
+			if err != nil {
+				status_code = http.StatusBadRequest; w.WriteHeader(status_code)
+				goto oops
+			}
+
+			lifetime, err = parse_duration_string(jcr.Lifetime)
+			if err != nil {
+				status_code = http.StatusBadRequest; w.WriteHeader(status_code)
+				err = fmt.Errorf("wrong lifetime value %s - %s", jcr.Lifetime, err.Error())
+				goto oops
+			}
+
+
+			err = r.ResetLifetime(lifetime)
+			if err != nil { goto oops }
+
 		case http.MethodDelete:
 			r.ReqStop()
 			status_code = http.StatusNoContent; w.WriteHeader(status_code)
diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index eef4541..2e1de98 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -125,7 +125,9 @@ type ClientRoute struct {
 	ptc_wg         sync.WaitGroup
 
 	lifetime time.Duration
+	lifetime_start time.Time
 	lifetime_timer *time.Timer
+	lifetime_mtx sync.Mutex
 
 	stop_req atomic.Bool
 	stop_chan chan bool
@@ -183,6 +185,7 @@ func NewClientRoute(cts *ClientConn, id RouteId, client_peer_addr string, client
 	r.server_peer_addr = server_peer_svc_addr
 	r.server_peer_net = server_peer_svc_net // permitted network for server-side peer
 	r.server_peer_option = server_peer_option
+	r.lifetime_start = time.Now()
 	r.lifetime = lifetime
 	r.stop_req.Store(false)
 	r.stop_chan = make(chan bool, 8)
@@ -262,6 +265,22 @@ func (r *ClientRoute) FindClientPeerConnById(conn_id PeerId) *ClientPeerConn {
 	return c
 }
 
+func (r *ClientRoute) ResetLifetime(lifetime time.Duration) error {
+	r.lifetime_mtx.Lock()
+	defer r.lifetime_mtx.Unlock()
+	if r.lifetime_timer == nil {
+		// let's not support timer reset if route was not
+		// first started with lifetime enabled
+		return fmt.Errorf("prohibited operation")
+	} else {
+		r.lifetime_timer.Stop()
+		r.lifetime = lifetime
+		r.lifetime_start = time.Now()
+		r.lifetime_timer.Reset(lifetime)
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
 func (r *ClientRoute) RunTask(wg *sync.WaitGroup) {
 	var err error
 
@@ -282,7 +301,12 @@ func (r *ClientRoute) RunTask(wg *sync.WaitGroup) {
 			r.id, r.peer_addr, r.server_peer_option, r.server_peer_net, r.cts.remote_addr)
 	}
 
-	if r.lifetime > 0 { r.lifetime_timer = time.NewTimer(r.lifetime) }
+	r.lifetime_mtx.Lock()
+	if r.lifetime > 0 {
+		r.lifetime_start = time.Now()
+		r.lifetime_timer = time.NewTimer(r.lifetime)
+	}
+	r.lifetime_mtx.Unlock()
 
 main_loop:
 	for {
@@ -304,7 +328,12 @@ main_loop:
 		}
 	}
 
-	if r.lifetime_timer != nil { r.lifetime_timer.Stop() }
+	r.lifetime_mtx.Lock()
+	if r.lifetime_timer != nil {
+		r.lifetime_timer.Stop()
+		r.lifetime_timer = nil
+	}
+	r.lifetime_mtx.Unlock()
 
 done:
 	r.ReqStop()
diff --git a/hodu.go b/hodu.go
index 0c57319..c9db838 100644
--- a/hodu.go
+++ b/hodu.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import "os"
 import "runtime"
 import "strings"
 import "sync"
+import "time"
 
 
 const HODU_RPC_VERSION uint32 = 0x010000
@@ -130,3 +131,27 @@ func svc_addr_to_dst_addr (svc_addr *net.TCPAddr) *net.TCPAddr {
 
 	return &addr
 }
+
+func is_digit_or_period(r rune) bool {
+	return (r >= '0' && r <= '9') || r == '.'
+}
+
+func get_last_rune_of_non_empty_string(s string) rune {
+	var tmp []rune
+	// the string must not be blank for this to work
+	tmp = []rune(s)
+	return tmp[len(tmp) - 1]
+}
+
+func parse_duration_string(dur string) (time.Duration, error) {
+	// i want the input to be in seconds with resolution of 9 digits after
+	// the decimal point. For example, 0.05 to mean 500ms.
+	// however, i don't care if a unit is part of the input.
+	var tmp string
+
+	if dur == "" { return 0, nil }
+
+	tmp = dur
+	if is_digit_or_period(get_last_rune_of_non_empty_string(tmp)) { tmp = tmp + "s" }
+	return time.ParseDuration(tmp)
+}