diff --git a/themes/hugo-mastodon-comments/static/comments/config.sample.php b/themes/hugo-mastodon-comments/static/comments/config.sample.php
index 1b48359..daec92d 100644
--- a/themes/hugo-mastodon-comments/static/comments/config.sample.php
+++ b/themes/hugo-mastodon-comments/static/comments/config.sample.php
@@ -3,5 +3,6 @@ $config = [
     'mastodon-instance' => 'https://mastodon.social',
     'user-id' => 379833,
     'search-url' => 'https?://fsfe.org', // please use https?:// as schema
-    'threshold' => 300
+    'cache_toots' => 300,
+    'debug' => true
 ];
diff --git a/themes/hugo-mastodon-comments/static/comments/getcomments.php b/themes/hugo-mastodon-comments/static/comments/getcomments.php
index 3a1b563..f1486d8 100644
--- a/themes/hugo-mastodon-comments/static/comments/getcomments.php
+++ b/themes/hugo-mastodon-comments/static/comments/getcomments.php
@@ -7,10 +7,9 @@ $searchurl = $config['search-url'];
 $search = isset($_GET['search']) ? $_GET['search'] : '';
 $debug_on = $config['debug'];
 /* cache files */
+$ctt = $config['cache_toots'];;
 $dbt = "cache-toots.json";
 
-$timestamp = time();
-
 /* Exit if search empty */
 if (empty($search)) {
   debug("No proper search given");
@@ -35,14 +34,25 @@ function write_db($db, $data) {
   file_put_contents($db, $encoded, LOCK_EX);
 }
 /* access data from file */
-function read_db($db, &$data) {
+function read_db($db, &$data, &$cachebreak) {
+  global $ctt;
   // if DB does not exist, create it with empty array
   if (! file_exists($db)) {
     touch($db);
     write_db($db, array());
+    $cachebreak = true;
   }
   $file = file_get_contents($db, true);
-  $data = json_decode($file, true)['toots'];
+  $data = json_decode($file, true);
+
+  debug($data['timestamp']);
+
+  // check if timestamp in cache file too old
+  if (empty($data['timestamp']) || ($data['timestamp'] + $ctt < time())) {
+    $cachebreak = true;
+  }
+
+  $data = $data['toots'];
 }
 
 /* TOOT FUNCTIONS */
@@ -121,36 +131,44 @@ function tootStats($instance, $id, &$result) {
  * START PROGRAM
  ***************/
 
-/* Collect all the toots */
-/* get id of latest cached toot, and set as $min_id */
-read_db($dbt, $toots);
-$toots_cached = $toots;
-if (!empty($toots['0']['id'])) {
-  $min_id_cached = $toots['0']['id'];
-  $min_id = $min_id_cached;
-} else {
-  /* if cached toots do not exist, start from oldest toot */
-  $min_id = "0";
-  $min_id_cached = "0";
-}
+/* check whether the cached file containing all toots is older than max. cache time */
+// this at the same time loads the cached DB, either way
+$cachebreak = false;
+read_db($dbt, $toots, $cachebreak);
 
-/* test whether there are new toots available */
-// Search for toots older than the cached latest toot ID ($min_id)
-$uptodate = false;
-while ($uptodate === false) {
-  $toots = array_merge(collectToots($instance, $uid, $min_id, $searchurl), $toots);
-  $min_id_new = $toots['0']['id']; // the latest ID of the recent search
-
-  if ($min_id_new === $min_id) {
-    // min_id is the latest, let's write the new DB and end this loop
-    $uptodate = true;
-    debug("Toots up-to-date. Rewrite cache DB.");
-    write_db($dbt, $toots);
+if ($cachebreak) {
+  /* Collect all the toots */
+  /* get id of latest cached toot, and set as $min_id */
+  debug("Toots cache oudated. Checking for new toots");
+  if (!empty($toots['0']['id'])) {
+    $min_id_cached = $toots['0']['id'];
+    $min_id = $min_id_cached;
   } else {
-    // next round looks for toots newer than the newly found ID
-    debug("Newer toots than in cache found. Starting another search for new toots");
-    $min_id = $min_id_new;
+    /* if cached toots do not exist, start from oldest toot */
+    $min_id = "0";
+    $min_id_cached = "0";
   }
+
+  /* test whether there are new toots available */
+  // Search for toots older than the cached latest toot ID ($min_id)
+  $uptodate = false;
+  while ($uptodate === false) {
+    $toots = array_merge(collectToots($instance, $uid, $min_id, $searchurl), $toots);
+    $min_id_new = $toots['0']['id']; // the latest ID of the recent search
+
+    if ($min_id_new === $min_id) {
+      // min_id is the latest, let's write the new DB and end this loop
+      $uptodate = true;
+      debug("Toots up-to-date. Rewrite cache DB.");
+      write_db($dbt, $toots);
+    } else {
+      // next round looks for toots newer than the newly found ID
+      debug("Newer toots than in cache found. Starting another search for new toots");
+      $min_id = $min_id_new;
+    }
+  }
+} else {
+  debug("Toots cache is OK");
 }
 
 /* prepare $result array */