diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index d70be409..34e47910 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 1.5.3
 -----
 * Set Last-Modified header with cache_policy=persist
+* Raise max-age to one year for all cacheable queries
+* Set max-age to 0 for uncacheable (mutating) queries 
 
 1.5.2
 -----
diff --git a/app/controllers/app.js b/app/controllers/app.js
index d846e5da..15d2a8af 100755
--- a/app/controllers/app.js
+++ b/app/controllers/app.js
@@ -257,13 +257,17 @@ function handleQuery(req, res) {
                 setCrossDomain(res);
 
                 // set cache headers
-                res.header('X-Cache-Channel', generateCacheKey(database, tableCacheItem, authenticated));
+                var ttl = 31536000; // 1 year time to live by default
                 var cache_policy = req.query.cache_policy;
                 if ( cache_policy == 'persist' ) {
-                  res.header('Cache-Control', 'public,max-age=31536000'); // 1 year
+                  res.header('Cache-Control', 'public,max-age=' + ttl); 
+                  res.header('X-Cache-Channel', ''); // forever
                 } else {
-                  // TODO: set ttl=0 when tableCache[sql_md5].may_write is true ?
-                  var ttl = 3600;
+                  if ( tableCacheItem.may_write ) {
+                    ttl = 0;
+                  } else {
+                    res.header('X-Cache-Channel', generateCacheKey(database, tableCacheItem, authenticated));
+                  }
                   res.header('Cache-Control', 'no-cache,max-age='+ttl+',must-revalidate,public');
                 }
 
diff --git a/test/acceptance/app.test.js b/test/acceptance/app.test.js
index 8ffcb1e8..0913af84 100644
--- a/test/acceptance/app.test.js
+++ b/test/acceptance/app.test.js
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ app.setMaxListeners(0);
 
 suite('app.test', function() {
 
-var expected_cache_control = 'no-cache,max-age=3600,must-revalidate,public';
+var expected_cache_control = 'no-cache,max-age=31536000,must-revalidate,public';
+var expected_rw_cache_control = 'no-cache,max-age=0,must-revalidate,public';
 var expected_cache_control_persist = 'public,max-age=31536000';
 
 test('GET /api/v1/sql', function(done){
@@ -114,7 +115,8 @@ test('cache_policy=persist', function(done){
         assert.equal(res.statusCode, 200, res.body);
         // Check cache headers
         // See https://github.com/Vizzuality/CartoDB-SQL-API/issues/43
-        assert.equal(res.headers['x-cache-channel'], 'cartodb_test_user_1_db:untitle_table_4');
+        assert.ok(res.headers.hasOwnProperty('x-cache-channel'));
+        assert.equal(res.headers['x-cache-channel'], '');
         assert.equal(res.headers['cache-control'], expected_cache_control_persist);
         done();
     });
@@ -243,8 +245,8 @@ test('INSERT returns affected rows', function(done){
         assert.equal(out.rows.length, 0);
         // Check cache headers
         // See https://github.com/Vizzuality/CartoDB-SQL-API/issues/43
-        assert.equal(res.headers['x-cache-channel'], 'NONE');
-        assert.equal(res.headers['cache-control'], expected_cache_control);
+        assert.ok(!res.hasOwnProperty('x-cache-channel'));
+        assert.equal(res.headers['cache-control'], expected_rw_cache_control);
         done();
     });
 });
@@ -269,8 +271,8 @@ test('UPDATE returns affected rows', function(done){
         assert.equal(out.rows.length, 0);
         // Check cache headers
         // See https://github.com/Vizzuality/CartoDB-SQL-API/issues/43
-        assert.equal(res.headers['x-cache-channel'], 'NONE');
-        assert.equal(res.headers['cache-control'], expected_cache_control);
+        assert.ok(!res.hasOwnProperty('x-cache-channel'));
+        assert.equal(res.headers['cache-control'], expected_rw_cache_control);
         done();
     });
 });
@@ -295,8 +297,8 @@ test('DELETE returns affected rows', function(done){
         assert.equal(out.rows.length, 0);
         // Check cache headers
         // See https://github.com/Vizzuality/CartoDB-SQL-API/issues/43
-        assert.equal(res.headers['x-cache-channel'], 'NONE');
-        assert.equal(res.headers['cache-control'], expected_cache_control);
+        assert.ok(!res.hasOwnProperty('x-cache-channel'));
+        assert.equal(res.headers['cache-control'], expected_rw_cache_control);
         done();
     });
 });
@@ -422,8 +424,8 @@ test('CREATE TABLE with GET and auth', function(done){
       assert.equal(res.statusCode, 200, res.statusCode + ': ' + res.body);
       // Check cache headers
       // See https://github.com/Vizzuality/CartoDB-SQL-API/issues/43
-      assert.equal(res.headers['x-cache-channel'], 'NONE');
-      assert.equal(res.headers['cache-control'], expected_cache_control);
+      assert.ok(!res.hasOwnProperty('x-cache-channel'));
+      assert.equal(res.headers['cache-control'], expected_rw_cache_control);
       done();
     });
 });
@@ -478,8 +480,8 @@ test('ALTER TABLE with GET and auth', function(done){
       assert.equal(res.statusCode, 200, res.statusCode + ': ' + res.body);
       // Check cache headers
       // See https://github.com/Vizzuality/CartoDB-SQL-API/issues/43
-      assert.equal(res.headers['x-cache-channel'], 'NONE');
-      assert.equal(res.headers['cache-control'], expected_cache_control);
+      assert.ok(!res.hasOwnProperty('x-cache-channel'));
+      assert.equal(res.headers['cache-control'], expected_rw_cache_control);
       done();
     });
 });
@@ -511,8 +513,8 @@ test('TRUNCATE TABLE with GET and auth', function(done){
         method: 'GET'
     },{}, function(res) {
       assert.equal(res.statusCode, 200, res.statusCode + ': ' + res.body);
-      assert.equal(res.headers['x-cache-channel'], 'NONE');
-      assert.equal(res.headers['cache-control'], expected_cache_control);
+      assert.ok(!res.hasOwnProperty('x-cache-channel'));
+      assert.equal(res.headers['cache-control'], expected_rw_cache_control);
       var pbody = JSON.parse(res.body);
       assert.equal(pbody.rows.length, 0);
       assert.response(app, {
@@ -546,8 +548,8 @@ test('DROP TABLE with GET and auth', function(done){
       assert.equal(res.statusCode, 200, res.statusCode + ': ' + res.body);
       // Check cache headers
       // See https://github.com/Vizzuality/CartoDB-SQL-API/issues/43
-      assert.equal(res.headers['x-cache-channel'], 'NONE');
-      assert.equal(res.headers['cache-control'], expected_cache_control);
+      assert.ok(!res.hasOwnProperty('x-cache-channel'));
+      assert.equal(res.headers['cache-control'], expected_rw_cache_control);
       done();
     });
 });
@@ -564,8 +566,8 @@ test('CREATE FUNCTION with GET and auth', function(done){
       assert.equal(res.statusCode, 200, res.statusCode + ': ' + res.body);
       // Check cache headers
       // See https://github.com/Vizzuality/CartoDB-SQL-API/issues/43
-      assert.equal(res.headers['x-cache-channel'], 'NONE');
-      assert.equal(res.headers['cache-control'], expected_cache_control);
+      assert.ok(!res.hasOwnProperty('x-cache-channel'));
+      assert.equal(res.headers['cache-control'], expected_rw_cache_control);
       done();
     });
 });
@@ -582,8 +584,8 @@ test('DROP FUNCTION with GET and auth', function(done){
       assert.equal(res.statusCode, 200, res.statusCode + ': ' + res.body);
       // Check cache headers
       // See https://github.com/Vizzuality/CartoDB-SQL-API/issues/43
-      assert.equal(res.headers['x-cache-channel'], 'NONE');
-      assert.equal(res.headers['cache-control'], expected_cache_control);
+      assert.ok(!res.hasOwnProperty('x-cache-channel'));
+      assert.equal(res.headers['cache-control'], expected_rw_cache_control);
       done();
     });
 });