diff --git a/cmd/sourceFetch.go b/cmd/sourceFetch.go
index 4a199c7..4a9aa14 100644
--- a/cmd/sourceFetch.go
+++ b/cmd/sourceFetch.go
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ func sourceFetch(source string, format string, dryRun bool) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	added, deleted, err := core.UpdateWithFetchedItems(db, source, newState, items)
+	added, deleted, err := core.UpdateWithFetchedItems(db, source, newState, items, time.Now())
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("error: failed to update: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/core/item.go b/core/item.go
index 37aa7ac..b8231fe 100644
--- a/core/item.go
+++ b/core/item.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
+	"time"
 )
 
 type Actions map[string]json.RawMessage
@@ -33,8 +34,26 @@ type Item struct {
 	Action  Actions `json:"action"`
 }
 
+func (item Item) TtlTime() time.Time {
+	return time.Unix(int64(item.Created)+int64(item.Ttl), 0)
+}
+
+func (item Item) TtdTime() time.Time {
+	return time.Unix(int64(item.Created)+int64(item.Ttd), 0)
+}
+
+func (item Item) TtsTime() time.Time {
+	return time.Unix(int64(item.Created)+int64(item.Tts), 0)
+}
+
 // Whether an item that no longer appears in a fetch can be deleted.
-func (item Item) Deletable() bool {
+func (item Item) Deletable(now time.Time) bool {
+	if item.Ttl != 0 && item.TtlTime().After(now) {
+		return false
+	}
+	if item.Ttd != 0 && item.TtdTime().Before(now) {
+		return true
+	}
 	return !item.Active
 }
 
diff --git a/core/item_test.go b/core/item_test.go
index 6d32b88..03bc4c3 100644
--- a/core/item_test.go
+++ b/core/item_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package core
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 )
 
 func TestItemFormatsExist(t *testing.T) {
@@ -49,3 +50,35 @@ func TestItemRoundTrip(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("items are not equal, err %v", err)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestItemLifecycleTimes(t *testing.T) {
+	db := EphemeralDb(t)
+	if err := AddSource(db, "_"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	now := time.Now()
+
+	// active item with expired ttd is deleted
+	add, del, err := UpdateWithFetchedItems(db, "_", nil, []Item{{Source: "_", Id: "_", Ttd: 1}}, now)
+	if add != 1 || del != 0 || err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected update result: %d %d %v", add, del, err)
+	}
+	add, del, err = UpdateWithFetchedItems(db, "_", nil, []Item{}, now.Add(time.Second*5))
+	if add != 0 || del != 1 || err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected update result: %d %d %v", add, del, err)
+	}
+
+	// inactive item with live ttl is kept
+	add, del, err = UpdateWithFetchedItems(db, "_", nil, []Item{{Source: "_", Id: "_", Ttl: 60}}, now)
+	if add != 1 || del != 0 || err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected update result: %d %d %v", add, del, err)
+	}
+	if _, err = DeactivateItem(db, "_", "_"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	add, del, err = UpdateWithFetchedItems(db, "_", nil, []Item{}, now.Add(time.Second*5))
+	if add != 0 || del != 0 || err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected update result: %d %d %v", add, del, err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/core/source.go b/core/source.go
index 3f186ce..2c0f96a 100644
--- a/core/source.go
+++ b/core/source.go
@@ -71,19 +71,31 @@ func SetState(db DB, source string, state []byte) error {
 // Given the results of a fetch, add new items, update existing items, and delete expired items.
 //
 // Returns the number of new and deleted items on success.
-func UpdateWithFetchedItems(db DB, source string, state []byte, items []Item) (int, int, error) {
+func UpdateWithFetchedItems(
+	db DB,
+	source string,
+	state []byte,
+	items []Item,
+	now time.Time,
+) (int, int, error) {
 	var new int
 	var del int
 	var err error
 	err = db.Transact(func(tx DB) error {
-		new, del, err = updateWithFetchedItemsTx(tx, source, state, items)
+		new, del, err = updateWithFetchedItemsTx(tx, source, state, items, now)
 		return err
 	})
 	return new, del, err
 }
 
 // Implementation logic for [UpdateWithFetchedItems], which executes this inside a transaction.
-func updateWithFetchedItemsTx(db DB, source string, state []byte, items []Item) (int, int, error) {
+func updateWithFetchedItemsTx(
+	db DB,
+	source string,
+	state []byte,
+	items []Item,
+	now time.Time,
+) (int, int, error) {
 	// Get the existing items
 	existingItems, err := GetAllItemsForSource(db, source)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -154,7 +166,7 @@ func updateWithFetchedItemsTx(db DB, source string, state []byte, items []Item)
 	// Check expired items for deletion
 	idsToDelete := map[string]bool{}
 	for _, item := range existingItems {
-		if expiredIds[item.Id] && item.Deletable() {
+		if expiredIds[item.Id] && item.Deletable(now) {
 			idsToDelete[item.Id] = true
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/core/source_test.go b/core/source_test.go
index fbd4f79..9d83695 100644
--- a/core/source_test.go
+++ b/core/source_test.go
@@ -50,20 +50,24 @@ func TestUpdateSourceAddAndDelete(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := AddSource(db, "test"); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
+	update := func(items []Item) (int, int, error) {
+		t.Helper()
+		return UpdateWithFetchedItems(db, "test", nil, items, time.Now())
+	}
 
 	a := Item{Source: "test", Id: "a"}
-	add, del, err := UpdateWithFetchedItems(db, "test", nil, []Item{a})
+	add, del, err := update([]Item{a})
 	if add != 1 || del != 0 || err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("update failed: add %d, del %d, err %v", add, del, err)
 	}
 
-	add, del, err = UpdateWithFetchedItems(db, "test", nil, []Item{a})
+	add, del, err = update([]Item{a})
 	if add != 0 || del != 0 || err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("update failed: add %d, del %d, err %v", add, del, err)
 	}
 
 	b := Item{Source: "test", Id: "b"}
-	add, del, err = UpdateWithFetchedItems(db, "test", nil, []Item{a, b})
+	add, del, err = update([]Item{a, b})
 	if add != 1 || del != 0 || err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("update failed: add %d, del %d, err %v", add, del, err)
 	}
@@ -71,17 +75,17 @@ func TestUpdateSourceAddAndDelete(t *testing.T) {
 	if _, err = DeactivateItem(db, "test", "a"); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	add, del, err = UpdateWithFetchedItems(db, "test", nil, []Item{a, b})
+	add, del, err = update([]Item{a, b})
 	if add != 0 || del != 0 || err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("update failed: add %d, del %d, err %v", add, del, err)
 	}
 
-	add, del, err = UpdateWithFetchedItems(db, "test", nil, []Item{b})
+	add, del, err = update([]Item{b})
 	if add != 0 || del != 1 || err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("update failed: add %d, del %d, err %v", add, del, err)
 	}
 
-	add, del, err = UpdateWithFetchedItems(db, "test", nil, []Item{b})
+	add, del, err = update([]Item{b})
 	if add != 0 || del != 0 || err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("update failed: add %d, del %d, err %v", add, del, err)
 	}
@@ -97,7 +101,7 @@ func TestUpdateSourceTransaction(t *testing.T) {
 	b := Item{Source: "s", Id: "b"}
 
 	// Add and deactivate a so it will be deleted on next fetch without it
-	if add, _, err := UpdateWithFetchedItems(db, "s", nil, []Item{a}); add != 1 || err != nil {
+	if add, _, err := UpdateWithFetchedItems(db, "s", nil, []Item{a}, time.Now()); add != 1 || err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("expected 1 add, got %d and err %v", add, err)
 	}
 	if _, err := DeactivateItem(db, "s", "a"); err != nil {
@@ -114,7 +118,7 @@ func TestUpdateSourceTransaction(t *testing.T) {
 			return nil
 		},
 	}
-	add, del, err := UpdateWithFetchedItems(fdb, "s", nil, []Item{b})
+	add, del, err := UpdateWithFetchedItems(fdb, "s", nil, []Item{b}, time.Now())
 	if add != 0 || del != 0 || err == nil {
 		t.Fatalf("expected failure, got %d %d %v", add, del, err)
 	}
@@ -153,6 +157,11 @@ func TestOnCreateAction(t *testing.T) {
 		return items
 	}
 
+	update := func(items []Item) (int, int, error) {
+		t.Helper()
+		return UpdateWithFetchedItems(db, "test", nil, items, time.Now())
+	}
+
 	onCreate := func(argv []string) {
 		t.Helper()
 		if err := UpdateAction(db, "test", "on_create", argv); err != nil {
@@ -172,7 +181,7 @@ func TestOnCreateAction(t *testing.T) {
 	// Noop on_create works
 	onCreate([]string{"tee"})
 	items := execute([]string{"jq", "-cn", `{id: "one"}`})
-	add, _, err := UpdateWithFetchedItems(db, "test", nil, items)
+	add, _, err := update(items)
 	if add != 1 || err != nil {
 		t.Fatal("failed update with noop oncreate")
 	}
@@ -188,7 +197,7 @@ func TestOnCreateAction(t *testing.T) {
 	if items[0].Title != "Hello, World" {
 		t.Fatal("unexpected title")
 	}
-	add, _, err = UpdateWithFetchedItems(db, "test", nil, items)
+	add, _, err = update(items)
 	if add != 1 || err != nil {
 		t.Fatal("failed update with alter oncreate")
 	}
@@ -203,7 +212,7 @@ func TestOnCreateAction(t *testing.T) {
 	if items[0].Link != "" {
 		t.Fatal("unexpected link")
 	}
-	add, _, err = UpdateWithFetchedItems(db, "test", nil, items)
+	add, _, err = update(items)
 	if add != 1 || err != nil {
 		t.Fatal("failed update with augment oncreate")
 	}
@@ -218,7 +227,7 @@ func TestOnCreateAction(t *testing.T) {
 	if items[0].Link != "gopher://go.dev" {
 		t.Fatal("missing link")
 	}
-	add, _, err = UpdateWithFetchedItems(db, "test", nil, items)
+	add, _, err = update(items)
 	if add != 1 || err != nil {
 		t.Fatal("failed update with attempted deletion oncreate")
 	}
@@ -229,7 +238,7 @@ func TestOnCreateAction(t *testing.T) {
 	// item is created if on_create fails
 	onCreate([]string{"false"})
 	items = execute([]string{"jq", "-cn", `{id: "five"}`})
-	add, _, err = UpdateWithFetchedItems(db, "test", nil, items)
+	add, _, err = update(items)
 	if add != 1 || err != nil {
 		t.Fatal("failed update with failing oncreate")
 	}
@@ -243,7 +252,7 @@ func TestOnCreateAction(t *testing.T) {
 	if items[0].Title != "before" {
 		t.Fatal("unexpected title")
 	}
-	add, _, err = UpdateWithFetchedItems(db, "test", nil, items)
+	add, _, err = update(items)
 	if add != 1 || err != nil {
 		t.Fatal("failed update with bad exit code oncreate")
 	}
@@ -254,7 +263,7 @@ func TestOnCreateAction(t *testing.T) {
 	// on_create can't change id, active, or created
 	onCreate([]string{"jq", "-c", `.id = "seven"; .active = false; .created = 123456`})
 	items = execute([]string{"jq", "-cn", `{id: "seven"}`})
-	add, _, err = UpdateWithFetchedItems(db, "test", nil, items)
+	add, _, err = update(items)
 	if add != 1 || err != nil {
 		t.Fatal("failed update with invalid field changes oncreate")
 	}