diff --git a/HISTORY.md b/HISTORY.md
index cd65b87..cd46958 100644
--- a/HISTORY.md
+++ b/HISTORY.md
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ unreleased
 ==========
 
   * Make `isNew` non-enumerable and non-writeable
+  * Make `req.sessionOptions` a shallow clone to override per-request
   * deps: debug@~2.2.0
     - Fix high intensity foreground color for bold
     - deps: ms@0.7.0
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 29a098b..8009892 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -78,6 +78,12 @@ Is `true` if the session is new.
 
 Determine if the session has been populated with data or is empty.
 
+### req.sessionOptions
+
+Represents the session options for the current request. These options are a
+shallow clone of what was provided at middleware construction and can be
+altered to change cookie setting behavior on a per-request basis.
+
 ### Destroying a session
 
   To destroy a session simply set it to `null`:
@@ -88,7 +94,7 @@ req.session = null
 
 ## Example
 
-View counter example:
+### Simple view counter example
 
 ```js
 var cookieSession = require('cookie-session')
@@ -112,6 +118,30 @@ app.use(function (req, res, next) {
 app.listen(3000)
 ```
 
+## Per-user sticky max age
+
+```js
+var cookieSession = require('cookie-session')
+var express = require('express')
+
+var app = express()
+
+app.set('trust proxy', 1) // trust first proxy
+
+app.use(cookieSession({
+  name: 'session',
+  keys: ['key1', 'key2']
+}))
+
+// This allows you to set req.session.maxAge to let certain sessions
+// have a different value than the default.
+app.use(function (req, res, next) {
+  req.sessionOptions.maxAge = req.session.maxAge || req.sessionOptions.maxAge
+})
+
+// ... your logic here ...
+```
+
 ## License
 
 [MIT](LICENSE)
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 3727a00..d17971d 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -61,8 +61,8 @@ function cookieSession(options) {
     var sess, json;
 
     // to pass to Session()
-    req.sessionOptions = opts;
-    req.sessionKey = name;
+    req.sessionOptions = Object.create(opts)
+    req.sessionKey = name
 
     req.__defineGetter__('session', function(){
       // already retrieved
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ function cookieSession(options) {
       // unset
       if (false === sess) return null;
 
-      json = cookies.get(name, opts);
+      json = cookies.get(name, req.sessionOptions)
 
       if (json) {
         debug('parse %s', json);
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ function cookieSession(options) {
       try {
         if (sess === false) {
           // remove
-          cookies.set(name, '', opts);
+          cookies.set(name, '', req.sessionOptions)
         } else if (!json && !sess.length) {
           // do nothing if new and not populated
         } else if (sess.changed(json)) {
diff --git a/test/test.js b/test/test.js
index d8729b0..eca51a6 100644
--- a/test/test.js
+++ b/test/test.js
@@ -346,6 +346,50 @@ describe('Cookie Session', function(){
       })
     })
   })
+
+  describe('req.sessionOptions', function () {
+    it('should be the session options', function (done) {
+      var app = App({ name: 'session' })
+      app.use(function (req, res, next) {
+        res.end(String(req.sessionOptions.name))
+      })
+
+      request(app)
+      .get('/')
+      .expect(200, 'session', done)
+    })
+
+    it('should alter the cookie setting', function (done) {
+      var app = App({ maxAge: 3600000, name: 'session' })
+      app.use(function (req, res, next) {
+        if (req.url === '/max') {
+          req.sessionOptions.maxAge = 6500000
+        }
+
+        req.session.message = 'hello!'
+        res.end()
+      })
+
+      request(app)
+      .get('/')
+      .expect(function (res) {
+        var date = new Date(res.headers.date)
+        var expires = new Date(res.headers['set-cookie'][0].match(/expires=([^;]+)/)[1])
+        assert.ok(expires - date <= 3600000)
+      })
+      .expect(200, function (err) {
+        if (err) return done(err)
+        request(app)
+        .get('/max')
+        .expect(function (res) {
+          var date = new Date(res.headers.date)
+          var expires = new Date(res.headers['set-cookie'][0].match(/expires=([^;]+)/)[1])
+          assert.ok(expires - date > 5000000)
+        })
+        .expect(200, done)
+      })
+    })
+  })
 })
 
 function App(options) {