diff --git a/index.php b/index.php
index 1b32c414a36..81d3e782954 100644
--- a/index.php
+++ b/index.php
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@
 
     if ($CFG->forcelogin) {
         require_login();
+    } else {
+        user_accesstime_log();
     }
 
     if ($CFG->rolesactive) { // if already using roles system
diff --git a/lib/datalib.php b/lib/datalib.php
index 287dd63716d..184b0b0e6be 100644
--- a/lib/datalib.php
+++ b/lib/datalib.php
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
  * @package moodlecore
  */
 
+ /// Some constants
+ define('LASTACCESS_UPDATE_SECS', 60); /// Number of seconds to wait before
+                                       /// updating lastaccess information in DB.
 
 /**
  * Escape all dangerous characters in a data record
@@ -1938,52 +1941,100 @@ function add_to_log($courseid, $module, $action, $url='', $info='', $cm=0, $user
         debugging('Error: Could not insert a new entry to the Moodle log', DEBUG_ALL);
     }
 
-/// Store lastaccess times for the current user, do not use in cron and other commandline scripts
-/// only update the lastaccess/timeaccess fields only once every 60s
-    if (!empty($USER->id) && ($userid == $USER->id) && !defined('FULLME')) {
-    /// Only update user and user_lastaccess every 60s, check that in PHP
-        if ($timenow - $USER->lastaccess > 60) {
+}
 
-            if (defined('MDL_PERFDB')) { global $PERF ; $PERF->dbqueries++;};
-        /// Update user record
-            $res = $db->Execute('UPDATE '. $CFG->prefix .'user
-                                    SET lastip=\''. $REMOTE_ADDR .'\', lastaccess=\''. $timenow .'\'
-                                 WHERE id = '. $userid);
-            if (!$res) {
-                debugging('Error: Could not update global user lastaccess information');  // Don't throw an error
-            }
-        /// Remove this record from record cache since it will change
-            if (!empty($CFG->rcache)) {
-                rcache_unset('user', $userid);
-            }
-        /// Update $USER->lastaccess for next checks
-            $USER->lastaccess = $timenow;
+/**
+ * Store user last access times - called when use enters a course or site
+ *
+ * Note: we use ADOdb code directly in this function to save some CPU
+ * cycles here and there. They are simple operations not needing any
+ * of the postprocessing performed by dmllib.php
+ *
+ * @param int $courseid, empty means site
+ * @return void
+ */
+function user_accesstime_log($courseid=0) {
 
-            if ($courseid != SITEID && !empty($courseid)) {
-                if (record_exists('user_lastaccess', 'userid', $userid, 'courseid', $courseid)) {
-                    if (defined('MDL_PERFDB')) { global $PERF ; $PERF->dbqueries++;};
-                    $res = $db->Execute("UPDATE {$CFG->prefix}user_lastaccess
-                                            SET timeaccess=$timenow
-                                          WHERE userid = $userid
-                                            AND courseid = $courseid");
-                    if (!$res) {
-                        debugging('Error: Could not update course user lastacess information');  // Don't throw an error
-                    }
-                } else {
-                    if (defined('MDL_PERFDB')) { global $PERF ; $PERF->dbqueries++;};
-                    $res = $db->Execute("INSERT INTO {$CFG->prefix}user_lastaccess
-                                                ( userid,  courseid,  timeaccess)
-                                         VALUES ($userid, $courseid, $timenow)");
-                    if (!$res) {
-                        debugging('Error: Could not insert course user lastaccess information');  // Don't throw an error
-                    }
+    global $USER, $CFG, $PERF, $db;
+
+    if (!isloggedin() or !empty($USER->realuser)) {
+        // no access tracking
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if (empty($courseid)) {
+        $courseid = SITEID;
+    }
+
+    $timenow = time();
+
+/// Store site lastaccess time for the current user
+    if ($timenow - $USER->lastaccess > LASTACCESS_UPDATE_SECS) {
+    /// Update $USER->lastaccess for next checks
+        $USER->lastaccess = $timenow;
+        if (defined('MDL_PERFDB')) { global $PERF ; $PERF->dbqueries++;};
+
+        $remoteaddr = getremoteaddr();
+        if ($db->Execute("UPDATE {$CFG->prefix}user
+                             SET lastip = '$remoteaddr', lastaccess = $timenow
+                           WHERE id = $USER->id")) {
+        } else {
+            debugging('Error: Could not update global user lastaccess information');  // Don't throw an error
+        }
+    /// Remove this record from record cache since it will change
+        if (!empty($CFG->rcache)) {
+            rcache_unset('user', $USER->id);
+        }
+    }
+
+    if ($courseid == SITEID) {
+    ///  no user_lastaccess for frontpage
+        return;
+    }
+
+/// Store course lastaccess times for the current user
+    if (empty($USER->currentcourseaccess[$courseid]) or ($timenow - $USER->currentcourseaccess[$courseid] > LASTACCESS_UPDATE_SECS)) {
+        if (defined('MDL_PERFDB')) { global $PERF ; $PERF->dbqueries++; };
+
+        $exists = false; // To detect if the user_lastaccess record exists or no
+        if ($rs = $db->Execute("SELECT timeaccess
+                                  FROM {$CFG->prefix}user_lastaccess
+                                 WHERE userid = $USER->id AND courseid = $courseid")) {
+            if (!$rs->EOF) {
+                $exists = true;
+                $lastaccess = reset($rs->fields);
+                if ($timenow - $lastaccess <  LASTACCESS_UPDATE_SECS) {
+                /// no need to update now, it was updated recently in concurrent login ;-)
+                    $rs->Close();
+                    return;
                 }
             }
+            $rs->Close();
+        }
+
+    /// Update course lastaccess for next checks
+        $USER->currentcourseaccess[$courseid] = $timenow;
+        if (defined('MDL_PERFDB')) { global $PERF ; $PERF->dbqueries++; };
+
+        if ($exists) { // user_lastaccess record exists, update it
+            if ($db->Execute("UPDATE {$CFG->prefix}user_lastaccess
+                                 SET timeaccess = $timenow
+                               WHERE userid = $USER->id AND courseid = $courseid")) {
+            } else {
+                debugging('Error: Could not update course user lastacess information');  // Don't throw an error
+            }
+
+        } else { // user lastaccess record doesn't exist, insert it
+            if ($db->Execute("INSERT INTO {$CFG->prefix}user_lastaccess
+                                     (userid, courseid, timeaccess)
+                              VALUES ($USER->id, $courseid, $timenow)")) {
+            } else {
+                debugging('Error: Could not insert course user lastaccess information');  // Don't throw an error
+            }
         }
     }
 }
 
-
 /**
  * Select all log records based on SQL criteria
  *
diff --git a/lib/moodlelib.php b/lib/moodlelib.php
index 4e19a143fb7..ddb5d4fb31d 100644
--- a/lib/moodlelib.php
+++ b/lib/moodlelib.php
@@ -1874,7 +1874,6 @@ function require_login($courseorid=0, $autologinguest=true, $cm=null) {
         }
     }
 
-
 /// check whether the user should be changing password (but only if it is REALLY them)
     if (get_user_preferences('auth_forcepasswordchange') && empty($USER->realuser)) {
         $userauth = get_auth_plugin($USER->auth);
@@ -1951,6 +1950,7 @@ function require_login($courseorid=0, $autologinguest=true, $cm=null) {
             && !has_capability('moodle/course:viewhiddenactivities', $COURSE->context)) {
             redirect($CFG->wwwroot, get_string('activityiscurrentlyhidden'));
         }
+        user_accesstime_log($COURSE->id); /// Access granted, update lastaccess times
         return;
 
     } else {
@@ -1982,6 +1982,7 @@ function require_login($courseorid=0, $autologinguest=true, $cm=null) {
         if (has_capability('moodle/legacy:guest', $COURSE->context, NULL, false)) {
             if (has_capability('moodle/site:doanything', $sysctx)) {
                 // administrators must be able to access any course - even if somebody gives them guest access
+                user_accesstime_log($COURSE->id); /// Access granted, update lastaccess times
                 return;
             }
 
@@ -1997,12 +1998,14 @@ function require_login($courseorid=0, $autologinguest=true, $cm=null) {
                                  get_string('activityiscurrentlyhidden'));
                     }
 
+                    user_accesstime_log($COURSE->id); /// Access granted, update lastaccess times
                     return;   // User is allowed to see this course
 
                     break;
 
                 case 2:    /// Guests allowed with key
                     if (!empty($USER->enrolkey[$COURSE->id])) {   // Set by enrol/manual/enrol.php
+                        user_accesstime_log($COURSE->id); /// Access granted, update lastaccess times
                         return true;
                     }
                     //  otherwise drop through to logic below (--> enrol.php)
@@ -2038,6 +2041,7 @@ function require_login($courseorid=0, $autologinguest=true, $cm=null) {
             if (!empty($cm) and !$cm->visible and !has_capability('moodle/course:viewhiddenactivities', $COURSE->context)) { 
                 redirect($CFG->wwwroot.'/course/view.php?id='.$cm->course, get_string('activityiscurrentlyhidden'));
             }
+            user_accesstime_log($COURSE->id); /// Access granted, update lastaccess times
             return;   // User is allowed to see this course
 
         }
@@ -2122,6 +2126,7 @@ function require_course_login($courseorid, $autologinguest=true, $cm=null) {
     } else if ((is_object($courseorid) and $courseorid->id == SITEID)
           or (!is_object($courseorid) and $courseorid == SITEID)) {
         //login for SITE not required
+        user_accesstime_log(SITEID);
         return;
 
     } else {
@@ -3288,6 +3293,8 @@ function get_complete_user_data($field, $value, $mnethostid=null) {
 
     $user->preference = get_user_preferences(null, null, $user->id);
 
+    $user->lastcourseaccess    = array(); // during last session
+    $user->currentcourseaccess = array(); // during current session
     if ($lastaccesses = get_records('user_lastaccess', 'userid', $user->id)) {
         foreach ($lastaccesses as $lastaccess) {
             $user->lastcourseaccess[$lastaccess->courseid] = $lastaccess->timeaccess;