diff --git a/packages/pic/src/error.ts b/packages/pic/src/error.ts
index 4158a31..01bc8cf 100644
--- a/packages/pic/src/error.ts
+++ b/packages/pic/src/error.ts
@@ -67,6 +67,16 @@ export class TopologyValidationError extends Error {
   }
 }
 
+export class InvalidTtlError extends Error {
+  override name = 'InvalidTtlError';
+
+  constructor(ttl: number) {
+    super(
+      `Invalid ttl value ${ttl}. The ttl must be a non-negative integer representing seconds.`,
+    );
+  }
+}
+
 export class RetryableError extends Error {
   override name: string = 'RetryableError';
 }
diff --git a/packages/pic/src/pocket-ic-server-types.ts b/packages/pic/src/pocket-ic-server-types.ts
index 8d94e2b..e5c1362 100644
--- a/packages/pic/src/pocket-ic-server-types.ts
+++ b/packages/pic/src/pocket-ic-server-types.ts
@@ -18,4 +18,12 @@ export interface StartServerOptions {
    * otherwise the binary downloaded by this package's install script.
    */
   binPath?: string;
+
+  /**
+   * Time to live of the server in seconds since the last completed operation,
+   * after which the server shuts down gracefully.
+   * Must be a non-negative integer.
+   * If not provided, the server's default time to live is used.
+   */
+  ttl?: number;
 }
diff --git a/packages/pic/src/pocket-ic-server.ts b/packages/pic/src/pocket-ic-server.ts
index 80065d3..b599c2e 100644
--- a/packages/pic/src/pocket-ic-server.ts
+++ b/packages/pic/src/pocket-ic-server.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {
   BinStartError,
   BinStartMacOSArmError,
   BinTimeoutError,
+  InvalidTtlError,
 } from './error';
 import {
   exists,
@@ -70,7 +71,16 @@ export class PocketIcServer {
     const picFilePrefix = `pocket_ic_${pid}`;
     const portFilePath = tmpFile(`${picFilePrefix}.port`);
 
-    const serverProcess = spawn(binPath, ['--port-file', portFilePath]);
+    const serverArgs = ['--port-file', portFilePath];
+    if (options.ttl !== undefined) {
+      if (!Number.isInteger(options.ttl) || options.ttl < 0) {
+        throw new InvalidTtlError(options.ttl);
+      }
+
+      serverArgs.push('--ttl', options.ttl.toString());
+    }
+
+    const serverProcess = spawn(binPath, serverArgs);
 
     if (options.showRuntimeLogs) {
       serverProcess.stdout.pipe(process.stdout);