diff --git a/livekit-api/livekit/api/access_token.py b/livekit-api/livekit/api/access_token.py
index e6516819..4f4d1658 100644
--- a/livekit-api/livekit/api/access_token.py
+++ b/livekit-api/livekit/api/access_token.py
@@ -233,14 +233,26 @@ def verify(self, token: str, *, verify_signature: bool = True) -> Claims:
         if verify_signature and (not self.api_key or not self.api_secret):
             raise ValueError("api_key and api_secret must be set")
 
-        claims = jwt.decode(
-            token,
-            key=self.api_secret or "",
-            issuer=self.api_key or "",
-            algorithms=["HS256"],
-            leeway=self._leeway.total_seconds(),
-            options={"verify_signature": verify_signature},
-        )
+        # First-party minters always set exp. Without this, a hand-rolled token
+        # with a valid signature and no exp verifies forever (livekit/protocol#1706).
+        if verify_signature:
+            claims = jwt.decode(
+                token,
+                key=self.api_secret or "",
+                issuer=self.api_key or "",
+                algorithms=["HS256"],
+                leeway=self._leeway.total_seconds(),
+                options={"verify_signature": True, "require": ["exp"]},
+            )
+        else:
+            claims = jwt.decode(
+                token,
+                key=self.api_secret or "",
+                issuer=self.api_key or "",
+                algorithms=["HS256"],
+                leeway=self._leeway.total_seconds(),
+                options={"verify_signature": False},
+            )
         video_dict = claims.get("video", dict())
         video_dict = {camel_to_snake(k): v for k, v in video_dict.items()}
         video_dict = {k: v for k, v in video_dict.items() if k in VideoGrants.__dataclass_fields__}
diff --git a/tests/api/test_access_token.py b/tests/api/test_access_token.py
index 85aeb6ce..df5f4678 100644
--- a/tests/api/test_access_token.py
+++ b/tests/api/test_access_token.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
+import calendar
 import datetime
 
+import jwt
 import pytest
 from livekit.api import AccessToken, TokenVerifier, VideoGrants, SIPGrants
 from livekit.protocol.room import RoomConfiguration
@@ -101,3 +103,16 @@ def test_verify_token_expired() -> None:
     )
     with pytest.raises(Exception):
         token_verifier.verify(token)
+
+
+def test_verify_token_missing_exp() -> None:
+    now = calendar.timegm(datetime.datetime.now(datetime.timezone.utc).utctimetuple())
+    token = jwt.encode(
+        {"sub": "test_identity", "iss": TEST_API_KEY, "nbf": now},
+        TEST_API_SECRET,
+        algorithm="HS256",
+    )
+
+    token_verifier = TokenVerifier(TEST_API_KEY, TEST_API_SECRET)
+    with pytest.raises(Exception):
+        token_verifier.verify(token)