diff --git a/cake/libs/cake_session.php b/cake/libs/cake_session.php
index 97fb04571f6..ddefa4506f9 100644
--- a/cake/libs/cake_session.php
+++ b/cake/libs/cake_session.php
@@ -114,14 +114,6 @@ class CakeSession extends Object {
  */
 	var $id = null;
 
-/**
- * Session Started
- *
- * @var boolean
- * @access protected
- */
-	var $_started = false;
-
 /**
  * Hostname
  *
@@ -216,7 +208,7 @@ function start() {
 			session_write_close();
 		}
 		$this->__initSession();
-		$this->_started = $this->__startSession();
+		$this->__startSession();
 		return $this->started();
 	}
 
@@ -227,7 +219,7 @@ function start() {
  * @return boolean True if session has been started.
  */
 	function started() {
-		if (isset($_SESSION) && $this->_started) {
+		if (isset($_SESSION) && session_id()) {
 			return true;
 		}
 		return false;
@@ -795,5 +787,5 @@ function __gc($expires = null) {
 
 		$return = $model->deleteAll(array($model->alias . ".expires <" => $expires), false, false);
 		return $return;
-	 }
+	}
 }
diff --git a/cake/tests/cases/libs/cake_session.test.php b/cake/tests/cases/libs/cake_session.test.php
index b58700bc3a5..c80eb3c26c3 100644
--- a/cake/tests/cases/libs/cake_session.test.php
+++ b/cake/tests/cases/libs/cake_session.test.php
@@ -170,6 +170,10 @@ function testStarted() {
 		$_SESSION = null;
 		$this->assertFalse($this->Session->started());
 		$this->assertTrue($this->Session->start());
+
+		$session = new CakeSession(null, false);
+		$this->assertTrue($session->started());
+		unset($session);
 	}
 
 /**