diff --git a/services/ponder/src/api/index.ts b/services/ponder/src/api/index.ts
index bb0c19e..a4d98eb 100644
--- a/services/ponder/src/api/index.ts
+++ b/services/ponder/src/api/index.ts
@@ -38,16 +38,6 @@ const responseCache = new Map<string, { body: string; expiresAt: number }>();
 // issuing their own.
 const inFlight = new Map<string, Promise<string | null>>();
 
-// Evict expired entries periodically so the cache stays bounded in memory.
-const evictInterval = setInterval(() => {
-  const now = Date.now();
-  for (const [k, v] of responseCache) {
-    if (v.expiresAt <= now) responseCache.delete(k);
-  }
-}, 30_000);
-// Don't keep the process alive just for eviction.
-(evictInterval as unknown as { unref?: () => void }).unref?.();
-
 async function graphqlCache(c: Context, next: Next): Promise<Response | void> {
   if (c.req.method !== 'GET' && c.req.method !== 'POST') return next();
 
@@ -61,9 +51,13 @@ async function graphqlCache(c: Context, next: Next): Promise<Response | void> {
   const now = Date.now();
 
   // 1. Cache hit – serve immediately, no DB involved.
+  //    Evict lazily: delete the entry if it has already expired.
   const hit = responseCache.get(cacheKey);
-  if (hit && hit.expiresAt > now) {
-    return c.body(hit.body, 200, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+  if (hit) {
+    if (hit.expiresAt > now) {
+      return c.body(hit.body, 200, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+    }
+    responseCache.delete(cacheKey);
   }
 
   // 2. In-flight coalescing – N concurrent identical queries share one DB hit.