diff --git a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/CHANGELOG.md b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/CHANGELOG.md
index 4a28859c3513..10732f2b5d3d 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -32,3 +32,5 @@ CHANGELOG
   `gc_probability`/`gc_divisor` chance of being run. The `gc_maxlifetime` defines
    how long a session can idle for. It is different from cookie lifetime which
    declares how long a cookie can be stored on the remote client.
+ * Removed 'auto_start' configuration parameter from session config. The session will
+   start on demand.
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/DependencyInjection/Configuration.php b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/DependencyInjection/Configuration.php
index 7ffdca13cf97..6bf3156e0935 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/DependencyInjection/Configuration.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/DependencyInjection/Configuration.php
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ private function addSessionSection(ArrayNodeDefinition $rootNode)
                     ->info('session configuration')
                     ->canBeUnset()
                     ->children()
-                        ->booleanNode('auto_start')->defaultFalse()->end()
+                        ->booleanNode('auto_start')->info('DEPRECATED! Session wil start on demand')->end()
                         ->scalarNode('storage_id')->defaultValue('session.storage.native')->end()
                         ->scalarNode('handler_id')->defaultValue('session.handler.native_file')->end()
                         ->scalarNode('name')->end()
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/DependencyInjection/FrameworkExtension.php b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/DependencyInjection/FrameworkExtension.php
index 60bd4e42df7e..5197201e06a0 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/DependencyInjection/FrameworkExtension.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/DependencyInjection/FrameworkExtension.php
@@ -291,13 +291,10 @@ private function registerSessionConfiguration(array $config, ContainerBuilder $c
     {
         $loader->load('session.xml');
 
-        // session
-        $container->getDefinition('session_listener')->addArgument($config['auto_start']);
-
         // session storage
         $container->setAlias('session.storage', $config['storage_id']);
         $options = array();
-        foreach (array('name', 'cookie_lifetime', 'cookie_path', 'cookie_domain', 'cookie_secure', 'cookie_httponly', 'auto_start', 'gc_maxlifetime', 'gc_probability', 'gc_divisor') as $key) {
+        foreach (array('name', 'cookie_lifetime', 'cookie_path', 'cookie_domain', 'cookie_secure', 'cookie_httponly', 'gc_maxlifetime', 'gc_probability', 'gc_divisor') as $key) {
             if (isset($config[$key])) {
                 $options[$key] = $config[$key];
             }
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/EventListener/SessionListener.php b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/EventListener/SessionListener.php
index ad396347d51e..0c0260b243fc 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/EventListener/SessionListener.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/EventListener/SessionListener.php
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ class SessionListener implements EventSubscriberInterface
     public function __construct(ContainerInterface $container, $autoStart = false)
     {
         $this->container = $container;
-        $this->autoStart = $autoStart;
     }
 
     public function onKernelRequest(GetResponseEvent $event)
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/php/deprecated_merge_full.php b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/php/deprecated_merge_full.php
index 5119fbdbabae..07b07fa5520f 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/php/deprecated_merge_full.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/php/deprecated_merge_full.php
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 $container->loadFromExtension('framework', array(
     'secret' => 's3cr3t',
     'session' => array(
-        'auto_start'        => true,
         'storage_id'        => 'session.storage.native',
         'handler_id'        => 'session.handler.native_file',
         'name'              => '_SYMFONY',
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/php/deprecated_merge_partial.php b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/php/deprecated_merge_partial.php
index b15ea893f02f..8706696e58e8 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/php/deprecated_merge_partial.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/php/deprecated_merge_partial.php
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 $container->loadFromExtension('framework', array(
     'secret' => 's3cr3t',
     'session' => array(
-        'auto_start'        => true,
         'storage_id'        => 'session.storage.native',
         'handler_id'        => 'session.handler.native_file',
         'name'              => '_SYMFONY',
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/php/full.php b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/php/full.php
index c9ee3d996e8f..b4c1acc52e09 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/php/full.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/php/full.php
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
         'type'         => 'xml',
     ),
     'session' => array(
-        'auto_start'     => true,
         'storage_id'     => 'session.storage.native',
         'handler_id'     => 'session.handler.native_file',
         'name'           => '_SYMFONY',
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/yml/deprecated_merge_full.yml b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/yml/deprecated_merge_full.yml
index e5ec05fbf632..af6abaf2766d 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/yml/deprecated_merge_full.yml
+++ b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/yml/deprecated_merge_full.yml
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 framework:
     secret: s3cr3t
     session:
-        auto_start:       true
         storage_id:       session.storage.native
         handler_id:       session.handler.native_file
         name:             _SYMFONY
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/yml/deprecated_merge_partial.yml b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/yml/deprecated_merge_partial.yml
index 67ea8bc44ba0..765719c521d9 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/yml/deprecated_merge_partial.yml
+++ b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/yml/deprecated_merge_partial.yml
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 framework:
     secret: s3cr3t
     session:
-        auto_start:       true
         storage_id:       session.storage.native
         handler_id:       session.handler.native_file
         name:             _SYMFONY
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/yml/full.yml b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/yml/full.yml
index 5e97a5585355..f10bb5ccfec4 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/yml/full.yml
+++ b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/Fixtures/yml/full.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ framework:
         resource:     %kernel.root_dir%/config/routing.xml
         type:         xml
     session:
-        auto_start:     true
         storage_id:     session.storage.native
         handler_id:     session.handler.native_file
         name:           _SYMFONY
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/FrameworkExtensionTest.php b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/FrameworkExtensionTest.php
index 548b7e6b3c2e..385ece0c8cba 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/FrameworkExtensionTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/DependencyInjection/FrameworkExtensionTest.php
@@ -77,7 +77,6 @@ public function testSession()
 
         $this->assertTrue($container->hasDefinition('session'), '->registerSessionConfiguration() loads session.xml');
         $this->assertEquals('fr', $container->getParameter('kernel.default_locale'));
-        $this->assertTrue($container->getDefinition('session_listener')->getArgument(1));
         $this->assertEquals('session.storage.native', (string) $container->getAlias('session.storage'));
         $this->assertEquals('session.handler.native_file', (string) $container->getAlias('session.handler'));
 
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/Templating/Helper/SessionHelperTest.php b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/Templating/Helper/SessionHelperTest.php
index 4bd043ed5948..3b9001c61966 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/Templating/Helper/SessionHelperTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/Tests/Templating/Helper/SessionHelperTest.php
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ protected function setUp()
         $this->request = new Request();
 
         $session = new Session(new MockArraySessionStorage());
+        $session->start();
         $session->set('foobar', 'bar');
         $session->getFlashBag()->set('notice', 'bar');