diff --git a/.schema/config.schema.json b/.schema/config.schema.json
index 5964dc428f4..84c9df2450f 100644
--- a/.schema/config.schema.json
+++ b/.schema/config.schema.json
@@ -855,9 +855,10 @@
       "properties": {
         "lifespan": {
           "title": "Session Lifespan",
-          "description": "Defines how long a session is active. This value is ignored if the \"remember me\" feature is used. If unset (default), the cookie's `Max-Age` will not be set.",
+          "description": "Defines how long a session is active. Once that lifespan has been reached, the user needs to sign in again.",
           "type": "string",
           "pattern": "^[0-9]+(ns|us|ms|s|m|h)$",
+          "default": "24h",
           "examples": [
             "1h",
             "1m",
@@ -871,6 +872,12 @@
               "title": "Session Cookie Domain",
               "description": "Sets the session cookie domain. Useful when dealing with subdomains. Use with care!"
             },
+            "persistent": {
+              "title": "Make Session Cookie Persistent",
+              "description": "If set to true will persist the cookie in the end-user's browser using the `max-age` parameter which is set to the `session.lifespan` value. Persistent cookies are not deleted when the browser is closed (e.g. on reboot or alt+f4).",
+              "type": "boolean",
+              "default": true
+            },
             "path": {
               "title": "Session Cookie Path",
               "description": "Sets the session cookie path. Use with care!",
diff --git a/docs/docs/guides/login-session.mdx b/docs/docs/guides/login-session.mdx
index dbef2442b03..1bdeef83205 100644
--- a/docs/docs/guides/login-session.mdx
+++ b/docs/docs/guides/login-session.mdx
@@ -3,21 +3,32 @@ id: login-session
 title: Login Sessions
 ---
 
-A login session is created when a user signs in. The session is either stored as a cookie or as a token, depending
-on the interaction type.
-
-You can set the cookie's `max-age` value - which effectively sets how long the session is active - by changing
-the ORY Kratos configuration file:
+A login session is created when a user signs in. The session is stored as a cookie or as a token, depending
+on the interaction type. A session is valid for the session lifespan you specify in the ORY Kratos config:
 
 ```yaml title="path/to/kratos/config.yml
 session:
   lifespan: 720h # 30 days
 ```
 
-Once the lifespan is reached, the user needs to sign in again. If `lifespan` is not set, then the cookie's `max-age`
-will also not be set. Please be aware of how `max-age` behaves:
+Per default the session cookie has the `max-age` parameter set to the specified session lifespan.
+You may disable this behavior by setting:
+
+```yaml title="path/to/kratos/config.yml
+session:
+  cookie:
+    persistent: false
+```
 
-- The browser interprets the cookie to be removed when the session ends (e.g. the browser window is closed) if
-`max-age` is not set as part of the `Set-Cookie` header. Please be aware that this behavior is not consistent across
-browsers.
+:::note
+
+The cookie `max-age` parameter behaves as follows:
+
+- The browser interprets the cookie to be removed when the session ends if
+`max-age` is not set as part of the `Set-Cookie` header. A session ends if the browser is terminated due to
+a reboot or when shutting down the browser.
 - The browser keeps the cookie until `max-age` is reached otherwise.
+
+:::
+
+Once the lifespan is reached, the user needs to sign in again.
diff --git a/driver/configuration/provider.go b/driver/configuration/provider.go
index bd54419c139..45ee4d3b0b5 100644
--- a/driver/configuration/provider.go
+++ b/driver/configuration/provider.go
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@ type Provider interface {
 
 	SecretsDefault() [][]byte
 	SecretsSession() [][]byte
-	SessionLifespan() *time.Duration
+	SessionLifespan() time.Duration
+	SessionPersistentCookie() bool
 	SessionSameSiteMode() http.SameSite
 	SessionDomain() string
 	SessionPath() string
diff --git a/driver/configuration/provider_viper.go b/driver/configuration/provider_viper.go
index 175a40713e8..52a58a4a28d 100644
--- a/driver/configuration/provider_viper.go
+++ b/driver/configuration/provider_viper.go
@@ -53,10 +53,11 @@ const (
 	ViperKeyAdminPort     = "serve.admin.port"
 	ViperKeyAdminHost     = "serve.admin.host"
 
-	ViperKeySessionLifespan = "session.lifespan"
-	ViperKeySessionSameSite = "session.cookie.same_site"
-	ViperKeySessionDomain   = "session.cookie.domain"
-	ViperKeySessionPath     = "session.cookie.path"
+	ViperKeySessionLifespan         = "session.lifespan"
+	ViperKeySessionSameSite         = "session.cookie.same_site"
+	ViperKeySessionDomain           = "session.cookie.domain"
+	ViperKeySessionPath             = "session.cookie.path"
+	ViperKeySessionPersistentCookie = "session.cookie.persistent"
 
 	ViperKeySelfServiceStrategyConfig = "selfservice.strategies"
 
@@ -380,13 +381,12 @@ func (p *ViperProvider) SelfServiceFlowRecoveryUI() *url.URL {
 }
 
 // SessionLifespan returns nil when the value is not set.
-func (p *ViperProvider) SessionLifespan() *time.Duration {
-	if viper.Get(ViperKeySessionLifespan) == nil {
-		return nil
-	}
+func (p *ViperProvider) SessionLifespan() time.Duration {
+	return viperx.GetDuration(p.l, ViperKeySessionLifespan, time.Hour*24)
+}
 
-	d := viper.GetDuration(ViperKeySessionLifespan)
-	return &d
+func (p *ViperProvider) SessionPersistentCookie() bool {
+	return viper.GetBool(ViperKeySessionPersistentCookie)
 }
 
 func (p *ViperProvider) SelfServiceBrowserWhitelistedReturnToDomains() (us []url.URL) {
diff --git a/session/manager_http.go b/session/manager_http.go
index cdb85f3bb6d..9905551de35 100644
--- a/session/manager_http.go
+++ b/session/manager_http.go
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ type (
 		x.CSRFProvider
 	}
 	managerHTTPConfiguration interface {
-		SessionLifespan() *time.Duration
+		SessionPersistentCookie() bool
+		SessionLifespan() time.Duration
 		SecretsSession() [][]byte
 		SessionSameSiteMode() http.SameSite
 		SessionDomain() string
@@ -65,14 +66,17 @@ func (s *ManagerHTTP) SaveToRequest(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter,
 	if s.c.SessionDomain() != "" {
 		cookie.Options.Domain = s.c.SessionDomain()
 	}
+
 	if s.c.SessionPath() != "" {
 		cookie.Options.Path = s.c.SessionPath()
 	}
+
 	if s.c.SessionSameSiteMode() != 0 {
 		cookie.Options.SameSite = s.c.SessionSameSiteMode()
 	}
 
-	if s.c.SessionLifespan() != nil {
+	cookie.Options.MaxAge = 0
+	if s.c.SessionPersistentCookie() {
 		cookie.Options.MaxAge = int(s.c.SessionLifespan().Seconds())
 	}
 
diff --git a/session/session.go b/session/session.go
index 2658c438227..f804adf2d21 100644
--- a/session/session.go
+++ b/session/session.go
@@ -39,16 +39,11 @@ func (s Session) TableName() string {
 }
 
 func NewSession(i *identity.Identity, c interface {
-	SessionLifespan() *time.Duration
+	SessionLifespan() time.Duration
 }, authenticatedAt time.Time) *Session {
-	ttl := time.Hour * 6
-	if c.SessionLifespan() != nil {
-		ttl = *c.SessionLifespan()
-	}
-
 	return &Session{
 		ID:              x.NewUUID(),
-		ExpiresAt:       authenticatedAt.Add(ttl),
+		ExpiresAt:       authenticatedAt.Add(c.SessionLifespan()),
 		AuthenticatedAt: authenticatedAt,
 		IssuedAt:        time.Now().UTC(),
 		Identity:        i,