diff --git a/core/server/services/auth/session/express-session.js b/core/server/services/auth/session/express-session.js
index d8361b8868..9186250597 100644
--- a/core/server/services/auth/session/express-session.js
+++ b/core/server/services/auth/session/express-session.js
@@ -9,25 +9,33 @@ const urlUtils = require('../../../../shared/url-utils');
 const SessionStore = require('./store');
 const sessionStore = new SessionStore(models.Session);
 
-const expressSessionMiddleware = session({
-    store: sessionStore,
-    secret: settingsCache.get('session_secret'),
-    resave: false,
-    saveUninitialized: false,
-    name: 'ghost-admin-api-session',
-    cookie: {
-        maxAge: constants.SIX_MONTH_MS,
-        httpOnly: true,
-        path: urlUtils.getSubdir() + '/ghost',
-        sameSite: 'lax',
-        secure: urlUtils.isSSL(config.get('url'))
+let unoExpressSessionMiddleware;
+
+function getExpressSessionMiddleware() {
+    if (!unoExpressSessionMiddleware) {
+        unoExpressSessionMiddleware = session({
+            store: sessionStore,
+            secret: settingsCache.get('session_secret'),
+            resave: false,
+            saveUninitialized: false,
+            name: 'ghost-admin-api-session',
+            cookie: {
+                maxAge: constants.SIX_MONTH_MS,
+                httpOnly: true,
+                path: urlUtils.getSubdir() + '/ghost',
+                sameSite: 'lax',
+                secure: urlUtils.isSSL(config.get('url'))
+            }
+        });
     }
-});
+    return unoExpressSessionMiddleware;
+}
 
 module.exports.getSession = async function getSession(req, res) {
     if (req.session) {
         return req.session;
     }
+    const expressSessionMiddleware = getExpressSessionMiddleware();
     return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
         expressSessionMiddleware(req, res, function (err) {
             if (err) {