diff --git a/lib/setup.php b/lib/setup.php
index 364341c1e50..4106b9e9e38 100644
--- a/lib/setup.php
+++ b/lib/setup.php
@@ -308,12 +308,11 @@ $CFG->httpswwwroot = $CFG->wwwroot;
         if (! isset($_SESSION['SESSION'])) {
             $_SESSION['SESSION'] = new object;
             $_SESSION['SESSION']->session_test = random_string(10);
-            if (empty($_COOKIE['MoodleSessionTest'.$CFG->sessioncookie])) {
-                setcookie('MoodleSessionTest'.$CFG->sessioncookie, $_SESSION['SESSION']->session_test, 0, '/');
-                $_COOKIE['MoodleSessionTest'.$CFG->sessioncookie] = $_SESSION['SESSION']->session_test;
-            } else {
-                $_COOKIE['MoodleSessionTest'.$CFG->sessioncookie] = 'error!!';
+            if (!empty($_COOKIE['MoodleSessionTest'.$CFG->sessioncookie])) {
+                define('SESSION_HAS_TIMED_OUT', 'true');
             }
+            setcookie('MoodleSessionTest'.$CFG->sessioncookie, $_SESSION['SESSION']->session_test, 0, '/');
+            $_COOKIE['MoodleSessionTest'.$CFG->sessioncookie] = $_SESSION['SESSION']->session_test;
         }
         if (! isset($_SESSION['USER']))    {
             $_SESSION['USER']    = new object;