diff --git a/config.example.yaml b/config.example.yaml
index 0a74554..ceb659a 100644
--- a/config.example.yaml
+++ b/config.example.yaml
@@ -103,6 +103,10 @@ upstream:
 
   # npm registry URL
   npm: "https://registry.npmjs.org"
+  # Always request full npm packuments so served metadata carries publish
+  # times ("time" map) even when cooldown is disabled. Needed by clients that
+  # gate on publish age, e.g. Yarn's npmMinimalAgeGate. Default: false.
+  # npm_full_metadata: true
 
   # Cargo sparse index URL
   cargo: "https://index.crates.io"
diff --git a/docs/configuration.md b/docs/configuration.md
index de88498..5cdc359 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/configuration.md
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ Each upstream used by a built-in package route can be set in YAML or JSON under
 | `upstream.allow_private_hosts` | `PROXY_UPSTREAM_ALLOW_PRIVATE_HOSTS` | `[]` |
 | `upstream.allow_loopback` | `PROXY_UPSTREAM_ALLOW_LOOPBACK` | `false` |
 | `upstream.npm` | `PROXY_UPSTREAM_NPM` | `https://registry.npmjs.org` |
+| `upstream.npm_full_metadata` | `PROXY_UPSTREAM_NPM_FULL_METADATA` | `false` |
 | `upstream.cargo` | `PROXY_UPSTREAM_CARGO` | `https://index.crates.io` |
 | `upstream.cargo_download` | `PROXY_UPSTREAM_CARGO_DOWNLOAD` | `https://static.crates.io/crates` |
 | `upstream.gem` | `PROXY_UPSTREAM_GEM` | `https://rubygems.org` |
diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index 2fbf64f..523ef47 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -316,6 +316,13 @@ type UpstreamConfig struct {
 	// Default: https://registry.npmjs.org
 	NPM string `json:"npm" yaml:"npm"`
 
+	// NPMFullMetadata always requests the full packument (application/json)
+	// from the npm upstream, so served metadata carries the "time" map even
+	// when cooldown is disabled. Clients that gate on publish age (for
+	// example Yarn's npmMinimalAgeGate) need this.
+	// Default: false (the abbreviated format is preferred).
+	NPMFullMetadata bool `json:"npm_full_metadata" yaml:"npm_full_metadata"`
+
 	// Cargo is the upstream cargo index URL.
 	// Default: https://index.crates.io
 	Cargo string `json:"cargo" yaml:"cargo"`
@@ -687,6 +694,7 @@ func (c *Config) LoadFromEnv() {
 	setEnvStringSlice(&c.Upstream.AllowPrivateHosts, "PROXY_UPSTREAM_ALLOW_PRIVATE_HOSTS")
 	setEnvBool(&c.Upstream.AllowLoopback, "PROXY_UPSTREAM_ALLOW_LOOPBACK")
 	setEnvString(&c.Upstream.NPM, "PROXY_UPSTREAM_NPM")
+	setEnvBool(&c.Upstream.NPMFullMetadata, "PROXY_UPSTREAM_NPM_FULL_METADATA")
 	setEnvString(&c.Upstream.Cargo, "PROXY_UPSTREAM_CARGO")
 	setEnvString(&c.Upstream.CargoDownload, "PROXY_UPSTREAM_CARGO_DOWNLOAD")
 	setEnvString(&c.Upstream.Gem, "PROXY_UPSTREAM_GEM")
diff --git a/internal/handler/handler.go b/internal/handler/handler.go
index a4f75bf..82f1153 100644
--- a/internal/handler/handler.go
+++ b/internal/handler/handler.go
@@ -112,8 +112,11 @@ type Proxy struct {
 	MetadataMaxSize     int64
 	GradleReadOnly      bool
 	GradleMaxUploadSize int64
-	DirectServe         bool
-	DirectServeTTL      time.Duration
+	// NPMFullMetadata requests full npm packuments from upstream even when
+	// cooldown is disabled, so served metadata carries publish times.
+	NPMFullMetadata bool
+	DirectServe     bool
+	DirectServeTTL  time.Duration
 	// DirectServeBaseURL, if set, replaces the scheme and host of presigned
 	// URLs so clients receive a public address even when the proxy reaches
 	// storage at an internal one.
diff --git a/internal/handler/npm.go b/internal/handler/npm.go
index b7d96a3..9a1c73a 100644
--- a/internal/handler/npm.go
+++ b/internal/handler/npm.go
@@ -76,8 +76,10 @@ func (h *NPMHandler) handlePackageMetadata(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Reques
 	// Artifactory, which returns 406) can still respond with full metadata.
 	// When cooldown is enabled we must use full metadata exclusively because the
 	// abbreviated format omits the "time" map required for version age filtering.
+	// Operators can also force full metadata so clients that gate on publish
+	// age (for example Yarn's npmMinimalAgeGate) keep working through the proxy.
 	accept := npmAcceptDefault
-	if h.proxy.Cooldown != nil && h.proxy.Cooldown.Enabled() {
+	if h.proxy.NPMFullMetadata || (h.proxy.Cooldown != nil && h.proxy.Cooldown.Enabled()) {
 		accept = contentTypeJSON
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/handler/npm_test.go b/internal/handler/npm_test.go
index 07da9c3..e8c2513 100644
--- a/internal/handler/npm_test.go
+++ b/internal/handler/npm_test.go
@@ -430,6 +430,25 @@ func TestNPMHandlerUsesAbbreviatedMetadata(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Errorf("Accept = %q, want %q (cooldown requires full metadata)", gotAccept, contentTypeJSON)
 		}
 	})
+
+	t.Run("full metadata option uses full metadata without cooldown", func(t *testing.T) {
+		proxy := testProxy()
+		proxy.NPMFullMetadata = true
+
+		h := &NPMHandler{
+			proxy:       proxy,
+			upstreamURL: upstream.URL,
+			proxyURL:    "http://proxy.local",
+		}
+
+		req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/testpkg", nil)
+		w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+		h.handlePackageMetadata(w, req)
+
+		if gotAccept != contentTypeJSON {
+			t.Errorf("Accept = %q, want %q (npm_full_metadata requires full metadata)", gotAccept, contentTypeJSON)
+		}
+	})
 }
 
 func TestNPMHandlerMetadataNotFound(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/internal/server/server.go b/internal/server/server.go
index 541be1c..e2c892a 100644
--- a/internal/server/server.go
+++ b/internal/server/server.go
@@ -227,6 +227,7 @@ func (s *Server) serve(listener net.Listener) error {
 	proxy.MetadataTTL = s.cfg.ParseMetadataTTL()
 	proxy.MetadataMaxSize = s.cfg.ParseMetadataMaxSize()
 	proxy.GradleReadOnly = s.cfg.Gradle.BuildCache.ReadOnly
+	proxy.NPMFullMetadata = s.cfg.Upstream.NPMFullMetadata
 	proxy.GradleMaxUploadSize = s.cfg.ParseGradleBuildCacheMaxUploadSize()
 	proxy.DirectServe = s.cfg.Storage.DirectServe
 	proxy.DirectServeTTL = s.cfg.ParseDirectServeTTL()