From 035ae209c0430a7b2a77468b407321eaf9a58fa9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: sam <sam@clerk.dev>
Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 13:25:58 -0700
Subject: [PATCH 1/6] fix(clerk-js): preserve indefinite session deadlines

Preserve zero timestamps through date conversion and snapshots, and expose hasMaximumLifetime on session resources.

Part of MOBILE-517
---
 .changeset/native-session-lifetime.md         |  6 +++++
 .../clerk-js/src/core/resources/Session.ts    |  4 ++++
 .../core/resources/SessionWithActivities.ts   |  4 ++++
 .../core/resources/__tests__/Session.test.ts  | 23 +++++++++++++++++++
 .../clerk-js/src/utils/__tests__/date.test.ts |  4 ++++
 packages/clerk-js/src/utils/date.ts           |  2 +-
 packages/shared/src/types/session.ts          |  6 +++--
 7 files changed, 46 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 .changeset/native-session-lifetime.md

diff --git a/.changeset/native-session-lifetime.md b/.changeset/native-session-lifetime.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b1e8a9c18c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/native-session-lifetime.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+"@clerk/clerk-js": patch
+"@clerk/shared": patch
+---
+
+Preserve indefinite native session deadlines when loading and restoring sessions. Sessions expose `hasMaximumLifetime` to distinguish a configured expiration from an indefinite lifetime.
diff --git a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/Session.ts b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/Session.ts
index 981a30a6f6c..af6ca0a91c8 100644
--- a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/Session.ts
+++ b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/Session.ts
@@ -87,6 +87,10 @@ export class Session extends BaseResource implements SessionResource {
     return !!resource && resource instanceof Session;
   }
 
+  get hasMaximumLifetime(): boolean {
+    return this.expireAt.getTime() > 0;
+  }
+
   constructor(data: SessionJSON | SessionJSONSnapshot) {
     super();
 
diff --git a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/SessionWithActivities.ts b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/SessionWithActivities.ts
index 23c8ababed2..62bbfed7ac6 100644
--- a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/SessionWithActivities.ts
+++ b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/SessionWithActivities.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ export class SessionWithActivities extends BaseResource implements SessionWithAc
   latestActivity!: SessionActivity;
   actor!: ActClaim | null;
 
+  get hasMaximumLifetime(): boolean {
+    return this.expireAt.getTime() > 0;
+  }
+
   constructor(data: SessionWithActivitiesJSON, pathRoot: string) {
     super();
     this.pathRoot = pathRoot;
diff --git a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/__tests__/Session.test.ts b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/__tests__/Session.test.ts
index 33ce91597e1..428a59c3d10 100644
--- a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/__tests__/Session.test.ts
+++ b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/__tests__/Session.test.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import { eventBus } from '../../events';
 import { createFapiClient } from '../../fapiClient';
 import { SessionTokenCache } from '../../tokenCache';
 import { BaseResource, Client, Organization, Session } from '../internal';
+import { SessionWithActivities } from '../SessionWithActivities';
 
 const baseFapiClientOptions = {
   frontendApi: 'clerk.example.com',
@@ -40,6 +41,28 @@ describe('Session', () => {
     vi.useRealTimers();
   });
 
+  it.each([0, 2000000000000])('preserves a session deadline of %s through snapshots', deadline => {
+    const session = new Session({
+      id: 'session_lifetime',
+      status: 'active',
+      expire_at: deadline,
+      abandon_at: deadline,
+      public_user_data: { user_id: 'user_1' },
+    } as SessionJSON);
+    expect(session.expireAt.getTime()).toBe(deadline);
+    expect(session.abandonAt.getTime()).toBe(deadline);
+    expect(session.hasMaximumLifetime).toBe(deadline > 0);
+    const restored = new Session(session.__internal_toSnapshot());
+    expect(restored.expireAt.getTime()).toBe(deadline);
+    expect(restored.hasMaximumLifetime).toBe(deadline > 0);
+    const withActivities = new SessionWithActivities(
+      { id: session.id, expire_at: deadline, abandon_at: deadline } as any,
+      '/me/sessions',
+    );
+    expect(withActivities.hasMaximumLifetime).toBe(deadline > 0);
+    expect(withActivities.abandonAt.getTime()).toBe(deadline);
+  });
+
   describe('getToken()', () => {
     let dispatchSpy;
 
diff --git a/packages/clerk-js/src/utils/__tests__/date.test.ts b/packages/clerk-js/src/utils/__tests__/date.test.ts
index 3c1ff3a3ca7..7394ca2fe0a 100644
--- a/packages/clerk-js/src/utils/__tests__/date.test.ts
+++ b/packages/clerk-js/src/utils/__tests__/date.test.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ describe('date utilities', () => {
   });
 
   describe('unixEpochToDate', () => {
+    it('preserves an unset session deadline', () => {
+      expect(unixEpochToDate(0).getTime()).toBe(0);
+    });
+
     it('converts a unix epoch to Date', function () {
       const epoch = 1622575087;
       const date = unixEpochToDate(epoch);
diff --git a/packages/clerk-js/src/utils/date.ts b/packages/clerk-js/src/utils/date.ts
index 9541ca70bab..eafa94d1c8f 100644
--- a/packages/clerk-js/src/utils/date.ts
+++ b/packages/clerk-js/src/utils/date.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,6 @@ function isValidDate(d: Date | unknown) {
 }
 
 export function unixEpochToDate(epochInSeconds?: number): Date {
-  const date = new Date(epochInSeconds || new Date());
+  const date = new Date(epochInSeconds ?? new Date());
   return isValidDate(date) ? date : new Date();
 }
diff --git a/packages/shared/src/types/session.ts b/packages/shared/src/types/session.ts
index 878fd6e8ecb..aa6b1e1a11d 100644
--- a/packages/shared/src/types/session.ts
+++ b/packages/shared/src/types/session.ts
@@ -219,11 +219,12 @@ export interface SessionResource extends ClerkResource {
    */
   status: SessionStatus;
   /**
-   * The date and time when the session will expire.
+   * The date and time when the session will expire. Unix epoch zero means no maximum lifetime.
    */
   expireAt: Date;
+  readonly hasMaximumLifetime?: boolean;
   /**
-   * The date and time when the session was abandoned by the user.
+   * The abandonment deadline. Unix epoch zero means no abandonment deadline.
    */
   abandonAt: Date;
   /**
@@ -378,6 +379,7 @@ export interface SessionWithActivitiesResource extends ClerkResource {
   id: string;
   status: string;
   expireAt: Date;
+  readonly hasMaximumLifetime?: boolean;
   abandonAt: Date;
   lastActiveAt: Date;
   latestActivity: SessionActivity;

From 62e3c1719a9d62c15e2b8c0f39572894318ffb08 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: sam <sam@clerk.dev>
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2026 21:53:16 -0700
Subject: [PATCH 2/6] test(clerk-js): cover restoring an indefinite session
 from a client snapshot

Part of MOBILE-517
---
 .../core/resources/__tests__/Client.test.ts   | 26 +++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 26 insertions(+)

diff --git a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/__tests__/Client.test.ts b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/__tests__/Client.test.ts
index 5514e1cc855..34261720ebf 100644
--- a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/__tests__/Client.test.ts
+++ b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/__tests__/Client.test.ts
@@ -193,6 +193,32 @@ describe('Client Singleton', () => {
     expect(client.signIn.status).toBe('needs_second_factor');
   });
 
+  it('restores a session without a maximum lifetime from a client snapshot', () => {
+    const user = createUser({ first_name: 'John', last_name: 'Doe', id: 'user_1' });
+    const clientJSON: ClientJSON = {
+      object: 'client',
+      id: 'test_id',
+      status: 'active',
+      last_active_session_id: 'session_1',
+      sign_in: null,
+      sign_up: null,
+      sessions: [{ ...createSession({ id: 'session_1', status: 'active' }, user), expire_at: 0, abandon_at: 0 }],
+      created_at: Date.now() - 1000,
+      updated_at: Date.now(),
+    } as any;
+
+    // @ts-expect-error We cannot mess with the singleton when tests are running in parallel
+    const snapshot = new Client(clientJSON).__internal_toSnapshot();
+    // @ts-expect-error We cannot mess with the singleton when tests are running in parallel
+    const [restored] = new Client(snapshot).sessions;
+
+    expect(snapshot.sessions[0]).toMatchObject({ expire_at: 0, abandon_at: 0 });
+    expect(restored.expireAt.getTime()).toBe(0);
+    expect(restored.abandonAt.getTime()).toBe(0);
+    expect(restored.hasMaximumLifetime).toBe(false);
+    expect(restored.status).toBe('active');
+  });
+
   it('replaces sign up and sign in identity when fromJSON receives new ids', () => {
     const user = createUser({ first_name: 'John', last_name: 'Doe', id: 'user_1' });
     const session = createSession({ id: 'session_1' }, user);

From 18db78f01c50667348482d19b6eea7b41943cd1f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: sam <sam@clerk.dev>
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2026 21:53:17 -0700
Subject: [PATCH 3/6] docs(shared): document hasMaximumLifetime and mark the
 change as minor

hasMaximumLifetime is a new public property, so clerk-js and shared take a minor bump. The changeset now describes the user-facing fix.

Part of MOBILE-517
---
 .changeset/native-session-lifetime.md | 6 +++---
 packages/shared/src/types/session.ts  | 6 ++++++
 2 files changed, 9 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/.changeset/native-session-lifetime.md b/.changeset/native-session-lifetime.md
index b1e8a9c18c8..4124979ac4e 100644
--- a/.changeset/native-session-lifetime.md
+++ b/.changeset/native-session-lifetime.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ---
-"@clerk/clerk-js": patch
-"@clerk/shared": patch
+"@clerk/clerk-js": minor
+"@clerk/shared": minor
 ---
 
-Preserve indefinite native session deadlines when loading and restoring sessions. Sessions expose `hasMaximumLifetime` to distinguish a configured expiration from an indefinite lifetime.
+Fix `expireAt` and `abandonAt` being replaced with the current time for sessions without a maximum lifetime, which the Frontend API sends as `0`. Both now stay at Unix epoch zero, including when a cached client is restored. Add `hasMaximumLifetime` to `SessionResource` and `SessionWithActivitiesResource`; it is `false` when the session has no maximum lifetime.
diff --git a/packages/shared/src/types/session.ts b/packages/shared/src/types/session.ts
index c04ebd9356a..d37719cc20f 100644
--- a/packages/shared/src/types/session.ts
+++ b/packages/shared/src/types/session.ts
@@ -224,6 +224,9 @@ export interface SessionResource extends ClerkResource {
    * The date and time when the session will expire. Unix epoch zero means no maximum lifetime.
    */
   expireAt: Date;
+  /**
+   * Whether the session has a maximum lifetime. `false` when `expireAt` is Unix epoch zero. A session without a maximum lifetime can still end through sign-out or revocation, so use `status` to check whether it is active. `undefined` in ClerkJS versions that predate this property.
+   */
   readonly hasMaximumLifetime?: boolean;
   /**
    * The abandonment deadline. Unix epoch zero means no abandonment deadline.
@@ -381,6 +384,9 @@ export interface SessionWithActivitiesResource extends ClerkResource {
   id: string;
   status: string;
   expireAt: Date;
+  /**
+   * Whether the session has a maximum lifetime. `false` when `expireAt` is Unix epoch zero. `undefined` in ClerkJS versions that predate this property.
+   */
   readonly hasMaximumLifetime?: boolean;
   abandonAt: Date;
   lastActiveAt: Date;

From baa8e61626fa1109eee6470bd9d619707c9bba2a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Robert Soriano <sorianorobertc@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2026 14:23:46 -0700
Subject: [PATCH 4/6] chore(repo): tighten native session lifetime changeset

---
 .changeset/native-session-lifetime.md | 6 +++---
 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/.changeset/native-session-lifetime.md b/.changeset/native-session-lifetime.md
index 4124979ac4e..df5ee01a35b 100644
--- a/.changeset/native-session-lifetime.md
+++ b/.changeset/native-session-lifetime.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ---
-"@clerk/clerk-js": minor
-"@clerk/shared": minor
+'@clerk/clerk-js': minor
+'@clerk/shared': minor
 ---
 
-Fix `expireAt` and `abandonAt` being replaced with the current time for sessions without a maximum lifetime, which the Frontend API sends as `0`. Both now stay at Unix epoch zero, including when a cached client is restored. Add `hasMaximumLifetime` to `SessionResource` and `SessionWithActivitiesResource`; it is `false` when the session has no maximum lifetime.
+Add `hasMaximumLifetime` to `SessionResource` and `SessionWithActivitiesResource`. It is `false` for sessions without a maximum lifetime, whose `expireAt` and `abandonAt` now stay at Unix epoch zero instead of being replaced with the current time.

From 1538f120303acabbde97981b9ad4dc4f98588567 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Sarah Soutoul <sarah@clerk.dev>
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2026 18:15:04 -0600
Subject: [PATCH 5/6] docs(session): explain indefinite native session fields

---
 packages/backend/src/api/resources/Session.ts | 8 ++++++--
 packages/shared/src/types/session.ts          | 4 ++--
 2 files changed, 8 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/packages/backend/src/api/resources/Session.ts b/packages/backend/src/api/resources/Session.ts
index 968be156748..cb52f230154 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/api/resources/Session.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/api/resources/Session.ts
@@ -52,9 +52,13 @@ export class Session {
     readonly status: string,
     /** The time the session was last active on the [`Client`](https://clerk.com/docs/reference/backend/types/backend-client). */
     readonly lastActiveAt: number,
-    /** The Unix timestamp when the `Session` will expire. */
+    /**
+     * The Unix timestamp when the `Session` will expire. For an [indefinite native session](https://clerk.com/docs/guides/secure/session-options#native-sessions), this is `0`, meaning no expiration deadline. Check `status` to determine whether the session is active.
+     */
     readonly expireAt: number,
-    /** The Unix timestamp when the `Session` will be abandoned. */
+    /**
+     * The Unix timestamp when the `Session` will be abandoned. For an [indefinite native session](https://clerk.com/docs/guides/secure/session-options#native-sessions), this is `0`, meaning no abandonment deadline.
+     */
     readonly abandonAt: number,
     /** The Unix timestamp when the `Session` was first created. */
     readonly createdAt: number,
diff --git a/packages/shared/src/types/session.ts b/packages/shared/src/types/session.ts
index d37719cc20f..f65c1191a1d 100644
--- a/packages/shared/src/types/session.ts
+++ b/packages/shared/src/types/session.ts
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ export interface SessionResource extends ClerkResource {
    */
   status: SessionStatus;
   /**
-   * The date and time when the session will expire. Unix epoch zero means no maximum lifetime.
+   * The date and time when the session will expire. For an [indefinite native session](https://clerk.com/docs/guides/secure/session-options#native-sessions), this represents Unix epoch zero, meaning no expiration deadline is configured.
    */
   expireAt: Date;
   /**
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ export interface SessionResource extends ClerkResource {
    */
   readonly hasMaximumLifetime?: boolean;
   /**
-   * The abandonment deadline. Unix epoch zero means no abandonment deadline.
+   * The abandonment deadline. For an [indefinite native session](https://clerk.com/docs/guides/secure/session-options#native-sessions), this represents Unix epoch zero, meaning no abandonment deadline is configured.
    */
   abandonAt: Date;
   /**

From 7b3a07d0f8dbd9969357ab4656a6e9e9c18743c1 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Sarah Soutoul <sarah@clerk.dev>
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2026 18:19:40 -0600
Subject: [PATCH 6/6] docs(session): omit unpublished native section links

---
 packages/backend/src/api/resources/Session.ts | 4 ++--
 packages/shared/src/types/session.ts          | 4 ++--
 2 files changed, 4 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/packages/backend/src/api/resources/Session.ts b/packages/backend/src/api/resources/Session.ts
index cb52f230154..41f32d54f7b 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/api/resources/Session.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/api/resources/Session.ts
@@ -53,11 +53,11 @@ export class Session {
     /** The time the session was last active on the [`Client`](https://clerk.com/docs/reference/backend/types/backend-client). */
     readonly lastActiveAt: number,
     /**
-     * The Unix timestamp when the `Session` will expire. For an [indefinite native session](https://clerk.com/docs/guides/secure/session-options#native-sessions), this is `0`, meaning no expiration deadline. Check `status` to determine whether the session is active.
+     * The Unix timestamp when the `Session` will expire. For an indefinite native session, this is `0`, meaning no expiration deadline. Check `status` to determine whether the session is active.
      */
     readonly expireAt: number,
     /**
-     * The Unix timestamp when the `Session` will be abandoned. For an [indefinite native session](https://clerk.com/docs/guides/secure/session-options#native-sessions), this is `0`, meaning no abandonment deadline.
+     * The Unix timestamp when the `Session` will be abandoned. For an indefinite native session, this is `0`, meaning no abandonment deadline.
      */
     readonly abandonAt: number,
     /** The Unix timestamp when the `Session` was first created. */
diff --git a/packages/shared/src/types/session.ts b/packages/shared/src/types/session.ts
index f65c1191a1d..7eaaae5b11c 100644
--- a/packages/shared/src/types/session.ts
+++ b/packages/shared/src/types/session.ts
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ export interface SessionResource extends ClerkResource {
    */
   status: SessionStatus;
   /**
-   * The date and time when the session will expire. For an [indefinite native session](https://clerk.com/docs/guides/secure/session-options#native-sessions), this represents Unix epoch zero, meaning no expiration deadline is configured.
+   * The date and time when the session will expire. For an indefinite native session, this represents Unix epoch zero, meaning no expiration deadline is configured.
    */
   expireAt: Date;
   /**
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ export interface SessionResource extends ClerkResource {
    */
   readonly hasMaximumLifetime?: boolean;
   /**
-   * The abandonment deadline. For an [indefinite native session](https://clerk.com/docs/guides/secure/session-options#native-sessions), this represents Unix epoch zero, meaning no abandonment deadline is configured.
+   * The abandonment deadline. For an indefinite native session, this represents Unix epoch zero, meaning no abandonment deadline is configured.
    */
   abandonAt: Date;
   /**