diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7136f54..4a3923f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -75,18 +75,11 @@ end
 ### Time To Live
 
 ```ruby
-Suo::Client::Redis.new("bar_resource", ttl: 10) #ttl in seconds
+Suo::Client::Redis.new("bar_resource", ttl: 60) #ttl in seconds
 ```
 
-All locks are expired and the lock key is removed after the specified `ttl` time runs out. This is counted as the time since any resource for a given key was locked or unlocked.
+A key representing a set of lockable resources is removed once the last resource lock is released and the `ttl` time runs out. When another lock is acquired and the key has been removed the key has to be recreated.
 
-### Lock Release Removes Key
-
-```ruby
-Suo::Client::Redis.new("bar_resource", lock_release_removes_key: true)
-```
-
-By default, a key representing a set of resource locks is persisted indefinitely even when no resources are currently locked. When `lock_release_removes_key` is set to `true`, the key is removed when the last resource lock is released. This also means that when another lock is acquired the key has to be recreated.
 
 ## TODO
  - more race condition tests
diff --git a/lib/suo/client/base.rb b/lib/suo/client/base.rb
index 3427a20..c439575 100644
--- a/lib/suo/client/base.rb
+++ b/lib/suo/client/base.rb
@@ -6,8 +6,7 @@ module Suo
         acquisition_delay: 0.01,
         stale_lock_expiration: 3600,
         resources: 1,
-        lock_release_removes_key: false,
-        ttl: nil,
+        ttl: 60,
       }.freeze
 
       BLANK_STR = "".freeze
@@ -66,7 +65,7 @@ module Suo
 
           refresh_lock(cleared_locks, token)
 
-          break if set(serialize_locks(cleared_locks), cas)
+          break if set(serialize_locks(cleared_locks), cas, expire: cleared_locks.empty?)
         end
       end
 
@@ -83,12 +82,7 @@ module Suo
           acquisition_lock = remove_lock(cleared_locks, token)
 
           break unless acquisition_lock
-
-          if @options[:lock_release_removes_key] && cleared_locks.empty?
-            break if clear
-          else
-            break if set(serialize_locks(cleared_locks), cas)
-          end
+          break if set(serialize_locks(cleared_locks), cas, expire: cleared_locks.empty?)
         end
       rescue LockClientError => _ # rubocop:disable Lint/HandleExceptions
         # ignore - assume success due to optimistic locking
diff --git a/lib/suo/client/memcached.rb b/lib/suo/client/memcached.rb
index 3e15d75..2aabc8a 100644
--- a/lib/suo/client/memcached.rb
+++ b/lib/suo/client/memcached.rb
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@ module Suo
         @client.get_cas(@key)
       end
 
-      def set(newval, cas)
-        if @options[:ttl]
-          @client.set_cas(@key, newval, cas, {ttl:  @options[:ttl]})
+      def set(newval, cas, expire:)
+        if expire
+          @client.set_cas(@key, newval, cas, @options[:ttl])
         else
           @client.set_cas(@key, newval, cas)
         end
diff --git a/lib/suo/client/redis.rb b/lib/suo/client/redis.rb
index ff736e5..98861f9 100644
--- a/lib/suo/client/redis.rb
+++ b/lib/suo/client/redis.rb
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@ module Suo
         [@client.get(@key), nil]
       end
 
-      def set(newval, _)
+      def set(newval, _, expire:)
         ret = @client.multi do |multi|
-          if @options[:ttl]
+          if expire
             multi.setex(@key, @options[:ttl], newval)
           else
             multi.set(@key, newval)