diff --git a/scripts/ZoneMinder/lib/ZoneMinder/ConfigData.pm.in b/scripts/ZoneMinder/lib/ZoneMinder/ConfigData.pm.in
index fa7b86079..5378a25d0 100644
--- a/scripts/ZoneMinder/lib/ZoneMinder/ConfigData.pm.in
+++ b/scripts/ZoneMinder/lib/ZoneMinder/ConfigData.pm.in
@@ -3941,6 +3941,13 @@ our @options = (
     type        => $types{string},
     category    => 'mail',
   },
+  {
+    name  =>  'ZM_COOKIE_LIFETIME',
+    default =>  '3600',
+    description => q`The maximum life of a COOKIE used when setting up PHP's session handler.  This will affect how long a session will be valid for since the last request.  Keeping this short helps prevent session hijacking.  Keeping it long allows you to stay logged in longer without refreshing the view.`,
+    type        =>  $types{integer},
+    category    =>  'system',
+  }
 );
 
 our %options_hash = map { ( $_->{name}, $_ ) } @options;
diff --git a/web/includes/auth.php b/web/includes/auth.php
index c74c13b80..e365ecef3 100644
--- a/web/includes/auth.php
+++ b/web/includes/auth.php
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ function userLogin($username='', $password='', $passwordHashed=false) {
     if ( ZM_AUTH_TYPE == 'builtin' ) {
       $_SESSION['passwordHash'] = $user['Password'];
     }
-    session_regenerate_id();
+    zm_session_regenerate_id();
   } else {
     Warning("Login denied for user \"$username\"");
     $_SESSION['loginFailed'] = true;
@@ -107,10 +107,8 @@ function userLogin($username='', $password='', $passwordHashed=false) {
 function userLogout() {
   global $user;
   Info('User "'.$user['Username'].'" logged out');
-  session_start();
-  unset($_SESSION['user']);
   unset($user);
-  session_destroy();
+  zm_session_clear();
 }
 
 function getAuthUser($auth) {
@@ -205,18 +203,6 @@ function canEdit($area, $mid=false) {
   return ( $user[$area] == 'Edit' && ( !$mid || visibleMonitor($mid) ));
 }
 
-function is_session_started() {
-  if ( php_sapi_name() !== 'cli' ) {
-    if ( version_compare(phpversion(), '5.4.0', '>=') ) {
-      return session_status() === PHP_SESSION_ACTIVE ? TRUE : FALSE;
-    } else {
-      return session_id() === '' ? FALSE : TRUE;
-    }
-  } else {
-    Warning("php_sapi_name === 'cli'");
-  }
-  return FALSE;
-}
 
 if ( ZM_OPT_USE_AUTH ) {
   if ( ZM_AUTH_HASH_LOGINS && empty($user) && ! empty($_REQUEST['auth']) ) {
diff --git a/web/includes/session.php b/web/includes/session.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ae102424c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/includes/session.php
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+<?php
+// ZM session start function support timestamp management
+function zm_session_start() {
+  // Make sure use_strict_mode is enabled.
+  // use_strict_mode is mandatory for security reasons.
+  ini_set('session.use_strict_mode', 1);
+
+  $currentCookieParams = session_get_cookie_params(); 
+  $currentCookieParams['lifetime'] = ZM_COOKIE_LIFETIME;
+
+  Logger::Debug('Setting cookie parameters to lifetime('.$currentCookieParams['lifetime'].') path('.$currentCookieParams['path'].') domain ('.$currentCookieParams['domain'].') secure('.$currentCookieParams['secure'].') httpOnly(1)');
+  session_set_cookie_params( 
+    $currentCookieParams['lifetime'],
+    $currentCookieParams['path'],
+    $currentCookieParams['domain'],
+    $currentCookieParams['secure'],
+    true
+  );
+
+  ini_set('session.name', 'ZMSESSID');
+
+  session_start();
+  // Do not allow to use too old session ID
+  if (!empty($_SESSION['last_time']) && $_SESSION['last_time'] < time() - 180) {
+    session_destroy();
+    session_start();
+  }
+}
+
+// My session regenerate id function
+function zm_session_regenerate_id() {
+  // Call session_create_id() while session is active to 
+  // make sure collision free.
+  if ( session_status() != PHP_SESSION_ACTIVE ) {
+    session_start();
+  }
+  // WARNING: Never use confidential strings for prefix!
+  $newid = session_create_id();
+  // Set deleted timestamp. Session data must not be deleted immediately for reasons.
+  $_SESSION['last_time'] = time();
+  // Finish session
+  session_commit();
+  // Make sure to accept user defined session ID
+  // NOTE: You must enable use_strict_mode for normal operations.
+  ini_set('session.use_strict_mode', 0);
+  // Set new custome session ID
+  session_id($newid);
+  // Start with custome session ID
+  session_start();
+}
+
+function is_session_started() {
+  if ( php_sapi_name() !== 'cli' ) {
+    if ( version_compare(phpversion(), '5.4.0', '>=') ) {
+      return session_status() === PHP_SESSION_ACTIVE ? TRUE : FALSE;
+    } else {
+      return session_id() === '' ? FALSE : TRUE;
+    }
+  } else {
+    Warning("php_sapi_name === 'cli'");
+  }
+  return FALSE;
+}
+
+function zm_session_clear() {
+  session_start();
+  $_SESSION = array();
+  if ( ini_get('session.use_cookies') ) {
+    $p = session_get_cookie_params();
+    # Update the cookie to expire in the past.
+    setcookie(session_name(), '', time() - 31536000, $p['path'], $p['domain'], $p['secure'], $p['httponly']);
+  }
+  session_unset();
+  session_destroy();
+}
+?>
diff --git a/web/index.php b/web/index.php
index 5190fad65..736ee4af5 100644
--- a/web/index.php
+++ b/web/index.php
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ if ( false ) {
 }
 
 require_once('includes/config.php');
+require_once('includes/session.php');
 require_once('includes/logger.php');
 require_once('includes/Server.php');
 require_once('includes/Storage.php');
@@ -114,19 +115,7 @@ if ( !file_exists(ZM_SKIN_PATH) )
   Fatal("Invalid skin '$skin'");
 $skinBase[] = $skin;
 
-$currentCookieParams = session_get_cookie_params(); 
-//Logger::Debug('Setting cookie parameters to lifetime('.$currentCookieParams['lifetime'].') path('.$currentCookieParams['path'].') domain ('.$currentCookieParams['domain'].') secure('.$currentCookieParams['secure'].') httpOnly(1)');
-session_set_cookie_params( 
-  $currentCookieParams['lifetime'],
-  $currentCookieParams['path'],
-  $currentCookieParams['domain'],
-  $currentCookieParams['secure'],
-  true
-);
-
-ini_set('session.name', 'ZMSESSID');
-
-session_start();
+zm_session_start();
 
 if ( !isset($_SESSION['skin']) || isset($_REQUEST['skin']) || !isset($_COOKIE['zmSkin']) || $_COOKIE['zmSkin'] != $skin ) {
   $_SESSION['skin'] = $skin;