diff --git a/packages/bridge/src/runtime/app.plugin.mjs b/packages/bridge/src/runtime/app.plugin.mjs
index 7f9fbfbb..4a2828ac 100644
--- a/packages/bridge/src/runtime/app.plugin.mjs
+++ b/packages/bridge/src/runtime/app.plugin.mjs
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ export default async (ctx, inject) => {
 
   if (process.server) {
     nuxtApp.ssrContext = ctx.ssrContext
+    nuxtApp.ssrContext.nuxtApp = nuxtApp
   }
 
   ctx.app.created.push(function () {
diff --git a/packages/bridge/src/runtime/composables/cookie.ts b/packages/bridge/src/runtime/composables/cookie.ts
index 7a6eee29..240912c8 100644
--- a/packages/bridge/src/runtime/composables/cookie.ts
+++ b/packages/bridge/src/runtime/composables/cookie.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
-import { Ref, ref, watch } from 'vue'
-import { parse, serialize, CookieParseOptions, CookieSerializeOptions } from 'cookie-es'
-import { appendHeader } from 'h3'
+import type { Ref } from 'vue'
+import { ref, watch, getCurrentScope, onScopeDispose, customRef, nextTick } from 'vue'
+import { parse, serialize } from 'cookie-es'
+import type { CookieParseOptions, CookieSerializeOptions } from 'cookie-es'
+import { deleteCookie, getCookie, getRequestHeader, setCookie } from 'h3'
 import type { H3Event } from 'h3'
 import destr from 'destr'
+import { isEqual } from 'ohash'
 import { useNuxtApp } from '../nuxt'
 import { useRequestEvent } from './ssr'
 
@@ -12,31 +15,92 @@ export interface CookieOptions<T = any> extends _CookieOptions {
   decode?(value: string): T
   encode?(value: T): string
   default?: () => T
+  watch?: boolean | 'shallow'
+  readonly?: boolean
 }
 
 export interface CookieRef<T> extends Ref<T> {}
 
-const CookieDefaults: CookieOptions<any> = {
+const CookieDefaults = {
   path: '/',
+  watch: true,
   decode: val => destr(decodeURIComponent(val)),
   encode: val => encodeURIComponent(typeof val === 'string' ? val : JSON.stringify(val))
-}
+} satisfies CookieOptions<any>
 
-export function useCookie<T = string> (name: string, _opts?: CookieOptions<T>): CookieRef<T> {
+export function useCookie<T = string | null | undefined> (name: string, _opts?: CookieOptions<T> & { readonly?: false }): CookieRef<T>
+export function useCookie<T = string | null | undefined> (name: string, _opts: CookieOptions<T> & { readonly: true }): Readonly<CookieRef<T>>
+export function useCookie<T = string | null | undefined> (name: string, _opts?: CookieOptions<T>): CookieRef<T> {
   const opts = { ...CookieDefaults, ..._opts }
-  const cookies = readRawCookies(opts)
+  const cookies = readRawCookies(opts) || {}
+
+  let delay: number | undefined
+
+  if (opts.maxAge !== undefined) {
+    delay = opts.maxAge * 1000 // convert to ms for setTimeout
+  } else if (opts.expires) {
+    // getTime() already returns time in ms
+    delay = opts.expires.getTime() - Date.now()
+  }
 
-  const cookie = ref(cookies[name] ?? opts.default?.())
+  const hasExpired = delay !== undefined && delay <= 0
+  const cookieValue = hasExpired ? undefined : (cookies[name] as any) ?? opts.default?.()
+
+  // use a custom ref to expire the cookie on client side otherwise use basic ref
+  const cookie = process.client && delay && !hasExpired
+    ? cookieRef<T | undefined>(cookieValue, delay)
+    : ref<T | undefined>(cookieValue)
+
+  if (process.dev && hasExpired) {
+    console.warn(`[nuxt] not setting cookie \`${name}\` as it has already expired.`)
+  }
 
   if (process.client) {
-    watch(cookie, () => { writeClientCookie(name, cookie.value, opts as CookieSerializeOptions) })
+    const channel = typeof BroadcastChannel === 'undefined' ? null : new BroadcastChannel(`nuxt:cookies:${name}`)
+    const callback = () => {
+      if (opts.readonly || isEqual(cookie.value, cookies[name])) { return }
+      writeClientCookie(name, cookie.value, opts as CookieSerializeOptions)
+      channel?.postMessage(opts.encode(cookie.value as T))
+    }
+
+    let watchPaused = false
+
+    if (getCurrentScope()) {
+      onScopeDispose(() => {
+        watchPaused = true
+        callback()
+        channel?.close()
+      })
+    }
+
+    if (channel) {
+      channel.onmessage = (event) => {
+        watchPaused = true
+        cookies[name] = cookie.value = opts.decode(event.data)
+        nextTick(() => { watchPaused = false })
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (opts.watch) {
+      watch(cookie, () => {
+        if (watchPaused) { return }
+        callback()
+      },
+      { deep: opts.watch !== 'shallow' })
+    } else {
+      callback()
+    }
   } else if (process.server) {
-    const initialValue = cookie.value
     const nuxtApp = useNuxtApp()
-    nuxtApp.hooks.hookOnce('app:rendered', () => {
-      if (cookie.value !== initialValue) {
-        writeServerCookie(useRequestEvent(nuxtApp), name, cookie.value, opts)
-      }
+    const writeFinalCookieValue = () => {
+      if (opts.readonly || isEqual(cookie.value, cookies[name])) { return }
+      writeServerCookie(useRequestEvent(nuxtApp), name, cookie.value, opts as CookieOptions<any>)
+    }
+
+    const unhook = nuxtApp.hooks.hookOnce('app:rendered', writeFinalCookieValue)
+    nuxtApp.hooks.hookOnce('app:error', () => {
+      unhook() // don't write cookie subsequently when app:rendered is called
+      return writeFinalCookieValue()
     })
   }
 
@@ -45,7 +109,7 @@ export function useCookie<T = string> (name: string, _opts?: CookieOptions<T>):
 
 function readRawCookies (opts: CookieOptions = {}): Record<string, string> {
   if (process.server) {
-    return parse(useRequestEvent()?.req.headers.cookie || '', opts)
+    return parse(getRequestHeader(useRequestEvent(), 'cookie') || '', opts)
   } else if (process.client) {
     return parse(document.cookie, opts)
   }
@@ -66,7 +130,60 @@ function writeClientCookie (name: string, value: any, opts: CookieSerializeOptio
 
 function writeServerCookie (event: H3Event, name: string, value: any, opts: CookieSerializeOptions = {}) {
   if (event) {
-    // TODO: Try to smart join with existing Set-Cookie headers
-    appendHeader(event, 'Set-Cookie', serializeCookie(name, value, opts))
+    // update if value is set
+    if (value !== null && value !== undefined) {
+      return setCookie(event, name, value, opts)
+    }
+
+    // delete if cookie exists in browser and value is null/undefined
+    if (getCookie(event, name) !== undefined) {
+      return deleteCookie(event, name, opts)
+    }
+
+    // else ignore if cookie doesn't exist in browser and value is null/undefined
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * The maximum value allowed on a timeout delay.
+ *
+ * Reference: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/setTimeout#maximum_delay_value
+ */
+const MAX_TIMEOUT_DELAY = 2147483647
+
+// custom ref that will update the value to undefined if the cookie expires
+function cookieRef<T> (value: T | undefined, delay: number) {
+  let timeout: NodeJS.Timeout
+  let elapsed = 0
+  if (getCurrentScope()) {
+    onScopeDispose(() => { clearTimeout(timeout) })
   }
+
+  return customRef((track, trigger) => {
+    function createExpirationTimeout () {
+      clearTimeout(timeout)
+      const timeRemaining = delay - elapsed
+      const timeoutLength = timeRemaining < MAX_TIMEOUT_DELAY ? timeRemaining : MAX_TIMEOUT_DELAY
+      timeout = setTimeout(() => {
+        elapsed += timeoutLength
+        if (elapsed < delay) { return createExpirationTimeout() }
+
+        value = undefined
+        trigger()
+      }, timeoutLength)
+    }
+
+    return {
+      get () {
+        track()
+        return value
+      },
+      set (newValue) {
+        createExpirationTimeout()
+
+        value = newValue
+        trigger()
+      }
+    }
+  })
 }
diff --git a/packages/bridge/src/runtime/composables/ssr.ts b/packages/bridge/src/runtime/composables/ssr.ts
index ec34cd42..03c5ea4c 100644
--- a/packages/bridge/src/runtime/composables/ssr.ts
+++ b/packages/bridge/src/runtime/composables/ssr.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,16 @@
 import type { H3Event } from 'h3'
 import type { NuxtAppCompat } from '@nuxt/bridge-schema'
+import { getRequestHeaders } from 'h3'
 import { useNuxtApp } from '../nuxt'
 
-export function useRequestHeaders<K extends string = string> (include: K[]): Record<K, string>
+export function useRequestHeaders<K extends string = string> (include: K[]): { [key in Lowercase<K>]?: string }
 export function useRequestHeaders (): Readonly<Record<string, string>>
-export function useRequestHeaders (include?) {
+export function useRequestHeaders (include?: any[]) {
   if (process.client) { return {} }
-  const headers: Record<string, string> = useNuxtApp().ssrContext?.event.node.req.headers ?? {}
+  const event = useRequestEvent()
+  const headers = event ? getRequestHeaders(event) : {}
   if (!include) { return headers }
-  return Object.fromEntries(include.filter(key => headers[key]).map(key => [key, headers[key]]))
+  return Object.fromEntries(include.map(key => key.toLowerCase()).filter(key => headers[key]).map(key => [key, headers[key]]))
 }
 
 export function useRequestEvent (nuxtApp: NuxtAppCompat = useNuxtApp()): H3Event {
diff --git a/packages/bridge/src/runtime/nitro/renderer.ts b/packages/bridge/src/runtime/nitro/renderer.ts
index 71cea2dd..bf51a400 100644
--- a/packages/bridge/src/runtime/nitro/renderer.ts
+++ b/packages/bridge/src/runtime/nitro/renderer.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import type { SSRContext } from 'vue-bundle-renderer/runtime'
 import { H3Event, getQuery } from 'h3'
 import devalue from '@nuxt/devalue'
 import type { RuntimeConfig } from '@nuxt/schema'
+import type { NuxtAppCompat } from '@nuxt/bridge-schema'
 import type { RenderResponse } from 'nitropack'
 // @ts-ignore
 import { useRuntimeConfig, defineRenderHandler, getRouteRules } from '#internal/nitro'
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ interface NuxtSSRContext extends SSRContext {
   nuxt?: any
   payload?: any
   renderMeta?: () => Promise<any>
+  nuxtApp?: NuxtAppCompat
 }
 
 interface RenderResult {
@@ -148,7 +150,8 @@ export default defineRenderHandler(async (event) => {
     error: ssrError,
     redirected: undefined,
     nuxt: undefined as undefined | Record<string, any>, /* Nuxt 2 payload */
-    payload: undefined
+    payload: undefined,
+    nuxtApp: undefined
   }
 
   // Render app
@@ -172,6 +175,8 @@ export default defineRenderHandler(async (event) => {
     throw ssrContext.nuxt.error
   }
 
+  ssrContext.nuxtApp?.hooks.callHook('app:rendered', { ssrContext, renderResult: _rendered })
+
   ssrContext.nuxt = ssrContext.nuxt || {}
 
   if (process.env.NUXT_FULL_STATIC) {
diff --git a/playground/nuxt.config.ts b/playground/nuxt.config.ts
index dfbf7a58..9067f6db 100644
--- a/playground/nuxt.config.ts
+++ b/playground/nuxt.config.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ export default defineNuxtConfig({
       })
     }
   ],
-  plugins: ['~/plugins/setup.js', '~/plugins/store.js'],
+  plugins: ['~/plugins/setup.js', '~/plugins/store.js', '~/plugins/cookie'],
   nitro: {
     routeRules: {
       '/route-rules/spa': { ssr: false }
diff --git a/playground/pages/cookies.vue b/playground/pages/cookies.vue
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..45c67460
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playground/pages/cookies.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+<script setup>
+useCookie('accessed-but-not-used')
+useCookie('accessed-with-default-value', () => 'default')
+useCookie('set').value = 'set'
+useCookie('set-to-null').value = null
+useCookie('set-to-null-with-default', () => 'default').value = null
+// the next set are all sent by browser
+useCookie('browser-accessed-but-not-used')
+useCookie('browser-accessed-with-default-value', () => 'default')
+useCookie('browser-set').value = 'set'
+useCookie('browser-set-to-null').value = null
+useCookie('browser-set-to-null-with-default', () => 'default').value = null
+</script>
+
+<template>
+  <div>
+    <div>cookies testing page</div>
+  </div>
+</template>
diff --git a/playground/plugins/cookie.ts b/playground/plugins/cookie.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8e969548
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playground/plugins/cookie.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+export default defineNuxtPlugin(() => {
+  useCookie('set-in-plugin').value = 'true'
+})
diff --git a/test/bridge.test.ts b/test/bridge.test.ts
index a7798d65..c74b6be3 100644
--- a/test/bridge.test.ts
+++ b/test/bridge.test.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,24 @@ await setup({
   }
 })
 
+describe('nuxt composables', () => {
+  it('sets cookies correctly', async () => {
+    const res = await fetch('/cookies', {
+      headers: {
+        cookie: Object.entries({
+          'browser-accessed-but-not-used': 'provided-by-browser',
+          'browser-accessed-with-default-value': 'provided-by-browser',
+          'browser-set': 'provided-by-browser',
+          'browser-set-to-null': 'provided-by-browser',
+          'browser-set-to-null-with-default': 'provided-by-browser'
+        }).map(([key, value]) => `${key}=${value}`).join('; ')
+      }
+    })
+    const cookies = res.headers.get('set-cookie')
+    expect(cookies).toMatchInlineSnapshot('"set-in-plugin=true; Path=/, set=set; Path=/, browser-set=set; Path=/, browser-set-to-null=; Max-Age=0; Path=/, browser-set-to-null-with-default=; Max-Age=0; Path=/"')
+  })
+})
+
 describe('head tags', () => {
   it('SSR should render tags', async () => {
     const headHtml = await $fetch('/head')