diff --git a/certomancer/registry/pki_arch.py b/certomancer/registry/pki_arch.py
index 79a82f6..31ab095 100644
--- a/certomancer/registry/pki_arch.py
+++ b/certomancer/registry/pki_arch.py
@@ -1156,6 +1156,7 @@ def summon_responder(
                 issuer_cert_label=issuer_cert_label,
                 is_aa_responder=info.is_aa_responder,
             ),
+            validity=info.validity_period,
             response_extensions=extra_extensions,
         )
 
diff --git a/certomancer/registry/svc_config/ocsp.py b/certomancer/registry/svc_config/ocsp.py
index c7bb7c4..b18df85 100644
--- a/certomancer/registry/svc_config/ocsp.py
+++ b/certomancer/registry/svc_config/ocsp.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
-from datetime import datetime
+from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, List, Optional, Tuple
 
 from asn1crypto import ocsp, x509
@@ -76,6 +76,12 @@ class OCSPResponderServiceInfo(ServiceInfo):
     or regular certificates.
     """
 
+    validity_period: Optional[timedelta] = timedelta(minutes=10)
+    """
+    Validity period for the OCSP response (i.e. time until ``nextUpdate``).
+    Defaults to ten minutes. ``None`` implies no ``nextUpdate``.
+    """
+
     @classmethod
     def process_entries(cls, config_dict):
         try:
@@ -83,6 +89,15 @@ def process_entries(cls, config_dict):
         except KeyError:
             pass
 
+        try:
+            period_kwargs = config_dict['validity_period']
+            if not period_kwargs:
+                config_dict['validity_period'] = None
+            else:
+                config_dict['validity_period'] = timedelta(**period_kwargs)
+        except KeyError:
+            pass
+
         parse_extension_settings(config_dict, 'ocsp_extensions')
 
     def resolve_issuer_cert(self, arch: 'PKIArchitecture') -> CertLabel:
diff --git a/certomancer/services.py b/certomancer/services.py
index 40fffa5..4335ecb 100644
--- a/certomancer/services.py
+++ b/certomancer/services.py
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ def __init__(
         signature_algo: algos.SignedDigestAlgorithm,
         at_time: datetime,
         revinfo_interface: RevocationInfoInterface,
-        validity: timedelta = timedelta(minutes=10),
+        validity: Optional[timedelta] = timedelta(minutes=10),
         response_extensions: Optional[List[ocsp.ResponseDataExtension]] = None,
     ):
         self.responder_cert = responder_cert
@@ -380,16 +380,15 @@ def format_single_ocsp_response(
             cid, self.at_time
         )
 
-        single_resp = ocsp.SingleResponse(
-            {
-                'cert_id': cid,
-                'cert_status': cert_status,
-                'this_update': self.at_time,
-                'next_update': self.at_time + self.validity,
-                'single_extensions': exts or None,
-            }
-        )
-        return single_resp
+        response_data = {
+            'cert_id': cid,
+            'cert_status': cert_status,
+            'this_update': self.at_time,
+            'single_extensions': exts or None,
+        }
+        if self.validity is not None:
+            response_data['next_update'] = self.at_time + self.validity
+        return ocsp.SingleResponse(response_data)
 
     def build_ocsp_response(self, req: ocsp.OCSPRequest) -> ocsp.OCSPResponse:
         nonce_asn1 = req.nonce_value
diff --git a/tests/data/full-service-config.yml b/tests/data/full-service-config.yml
index 528fcb7..07e30d4 100644
--- a/tests/data/full-service-config.yml
+++ b/tests/data/full-service-config.yml
@@ -163,6 +163,11 @@ services:
       for-issuer: interm
       responder-cert: interm-ocsp
       signing-key: interm-ocsp
+    interm2:
+      for-issuer: interm
+      responder-cert: interm-ocsp
+      signing-key: interm-ocsp
+      validity-period: {}
   crl-repo:
     root:
       for-issuer: root
diff --git a/tests/data/with-services.yml b/tests/data/with-services.yml
index 8dfec23..dda5588 100644
--- a/tests/data/with-services.yml
+++ b/tests/data/with-services.yml
@@ -95,3 +95,4 @@ pki-architectures:
           responder-cert: role-aa
           signing-key: aa
           is-aa-responder: true
+          validity-period: {minutes: 2}
diff --git a/tests/test_services.py b/tests/test_services.py
index 63707d9..1a3e79a 100644
--- a/tests/test_services.py
+++ b/tests/test_services.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import importlib
 import itertools
 from collections import namedtuple
-from datetime import datetime
+from datetime import datetime, timedelta, timezone
 
 import pytest
 import pytz
@@ -210,6 +210,27 @@ def test_ocsp(requests_mock, time, expected):
         assert status == expected
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "time, expected", [('2020-11-05', 'good'), ('2020-12-05', 'revoked')]
+)
+def test_ocsp_without_nextupdate(requests_mock, time, expected):
+    setup = RSA_SETUP
+    setup.illusionist.register(requests_mock)
+    with open('tests/data/signer2-ocsp-req.der', 'rb') as req_in:
+        req_data = req_in.read()
+    with freeze_time(time):
+        response = requests.post(
+            "http://test.test/testing-ca/ocsp/interm2", data=req_data
+        )
+        resp: ocsp.OCSPResponse = ocsp.OCSPResponse.load(response.content)
+        assert resp['response_status'].native == 'successful'
+
+        rdata = resp['response_bytes']['response'].parsed['tbs_response_data']
+        status = rdata['responses'][0]['cert_status'].name
+        assert rdata['responses'][0]['next_update'].native is None
+        assert status == expected
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "time, expected", [('2020-11-05', 'good'), ('2020-12-05', 'revoked')]
 )
@@ -236,6 +257,9 @@ def test_aa_ocsp(requests_mock, time, expected):
         rdata = resp['response_bytes']['response'].parsed['tbs_response_data']
         status = rdata['responses'][0]['cert_status'].name
         assert status == expected
+        this_update = rdata['responses'][0]['this_update'].native
+        next_update = rdata['responses'][0]['next_update'].native
+        assert next_update == this_update + timedelta(minutes=2)
 
 
 @freeze_time('2020-11-01')