diff --git a/inc/auth.php b/inc/auth.php
index 8fde129aa9..6c4636b2ff 100644
--- a/inc/auth.php
+++ b/inc/auth.php
@@ -528,11 +528,7 @@ function auth_logoff($keepbc = false) {
     $USERINFO = null; //FIXME
 
     $cookieDir = empty($conf['cookiedir']) ? DOKU_REL : $conf['cookiedir'];
-    if(version_compare(PHP_VERSION, '5.2.0', '>')) {
-        setcookie(DOKU_COOKIE, '', time() - 600000, $cookieDir, '', ($conf['securecookie'] && is_ssl()), true);
-    } else {
-        setcookie(DOKU_COOKIE, '', time() - 600000, $cookieDir, '', ($conf['securecookie'] && is_ssl()));
-    }
+    setcookie(DOKU_COOKIE, '', time() - 600000, $cookieDir, '', ($conf['securecookie'] && is_ssl()), true);
 
     if($auth) $auth->logOff();
 }
@@ -1319,11 +1315,8 @@ function auth_setCookie($user, $pass, $sticky) {
     $cookie    = base64_encode($user).'|'.((int) $sticky).'|'.base64_encode($pass);
     $cookieDir = empty($conf['cookiedir']) ? DOKU_REL : $conf['cookiedir'];
     $time      = $sticky ? (time() + 60 * 60 * 24 * 365) : 0; //one year
-    if(version_compare(PHP_VERSION, '5.2.0', '>')) {
-        setcookie(DOKU_COOKIE, $cookie, $time, $cookieDir, '', ($conf['securecookie'] && is_ssl()), true);
-    } else {
-        setcookie(DOKU_COOKIE, $cookie, $time, $cookieDir, '', ($conf['securecookie'] && is_ssl()));
-    }
+    setcookie(DOKU_COOKIE, $cookie, $time, $cookieDir, '', ($conf['securecookie'] && is_ssl()), true);
+
     // set session
     $_SESSION[DOKU_COOKIE]['auth']['user'] = $user;
     $_SESSION[DOKU_COOKIE]['auth']['pass'] = sha1($pass);
diff --git a/inc/init.php b/inc/init.php
index 3e422453d5..9b84659117 100644
--- a/inc/init.php
+++ b/inc/init.php
@@ -140,18 +140,21 @@ function_exists('ob_gzhandler') &&
 }
 
 // init session
-if (!headers_sent() && !defined('NOSESSION')){
-    session_name("DokuWiki");
-    $cookieDir = empty($conf['cookiedir']) ? DOKU_REL : $conf['cookiedir'];
-    if (version_compare(PHP_VERSION, '5.2.0', '>')) {
-        session_set_cookie_params(0,$cookieDir,'',($conf['securecookie'] && is_ssl()),true);
-    }else{
-        session_set_cookie_params(0,$cookieDir,'',($conf['securecookie'] && is_ssl()));
+if(!headers_sent() && !defined('NOSESSION')) {
+    if(!defined('DOKU_SESSION_NAME'))     define ('DOKU_SESSION_NAME', "DokuWiki");
+    if(!defined('DOKU_SESSION_LIFETIME')) define ('DOKU_SESSION_LIFETIME', 0);
+    if(!defined('DOKU_SESSION_PATH')) {
+        $cookieDir = empty($conf['cookiedir']) ? DOKU_REL : $conf['cookiedir'];
+        define ('DOKU_SESSION_PATH', $cookieDir);
     }
+    if(!defined('DOKU_SESSION_DOMAIN'))   define ('DOKU_SESSION_DOMAIN', '');
+
+    session_name(DOKU_SESSION_NAME);
+    session_set_cookie_params(DOKU_SESSION_LIFETIME, DOKU_SESSION_PATH, DOKU_SESSION_DOMAIN, ($conf['securecookie'] && is_ssl()), true);
     session_start();
 
     // load left over messages
-    if(isset($_SESSION[DOKU_COOKIE]['msg'])){
+    if(isset($_SESSION[DOKU_COOKIE]['msg'])) {
         $MSG = $_SESSION[DOKU_COOKIE]['msg'];
         unset($_SESSION[DOKU_COOKIE]['msg']);
     }