Wireless traffic management system cache optimization using HTTP headers is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method can include, for example: storing the web content from a web server as cached elements in a local cache on the mobile device and retrieving the cached elements from the local cache to respond to a request made at the mobile device, regardless of expiration indicated in headers of the web content that is cached. The cached elements can be retrieved from the local cache and used to respond to the request at the mobile device even if the expiration in the headers has exceeded, using a tag is used by a proxy server remote from the mobile device to determine if the cached elements for the web content on the local proxy are still valid.