diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 94ad0077..62d763d2 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.PHONY: clean-pyc test
+.PHONY: clean-pyc test upload-docs
 
 all: clean-pyc test
 
diff --git a/docs/api.rst b/docs/api.rst
index d285dbfd..3961dc99 100644
--- a/docs/api.rst
+++ b/docs/api.rst
@@ -174,6 +174,13 @@ To access the current session you can use the :class:`session` object:
           # so mark it as modified yourself
           session.modified = True
 
+    .. attribute:: permanent
+
+       If set to `True` the session life for
+       :attr:`~flask.Flask.permanent_session_lifetime` seconds.  The
+       default is 31 days.  If set to `False` (which is the default) the
+       session will be deleted when the user closes the browser.
+
 
 Application Globals
 -------------------
diff --git a/flask.py b/flask.py
index 216f9af8..32b690ca 100644
--- a/flask.py
+++ b/flask.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ from __future__ import with_statement
 import os
 import sys
 import types
+from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 
 from jinja2 import Environment, PackageLoader, FileSystemLoader
 from werkzeug import Request as RequestBase, Response as ResponseBase, \
@@ -86,7 +87,20 @@ class _RequestGlobals(object):
     pass
 
 
-class _NullSession(SecureCookie):
+class Session(SecureCookie):
+    """Expands the session for support for switching between permanent
+    and non-permanent sessions.
+    """
+
+    def _get_permanent(self):
+        return self.get('_permanent', False)
+    def _set_permanent(self, value):
+        self['_permanent'] = bool(value)
+    permanent = property(_get_permanent, _set_permanent)
+    del _get_permanent, _set_permanent
+
+
+class _NullSession(Session):
     """Class used to generate nicer error messages if sessions are not
     available.  Will still allow read-only access to the empty session
     but fail on setting.
@@ -317,6 +331,11 @@ class Flask(object):
     #: The secure cookie uses this for the name of the session cookie
     session_cookie_name = 'session'
 
+    #: A :class:`~datetime.timedelta` which is used to set the expiration
+    #: date of a permanent session.  The default is 31 days which makes a
+    #: permanent session survive for roughly one month.
+    permanent_session_lifetime = timedelta(days=31)
+
     #: options that are passed directly to the Jinja2 environment
     jinja_options = ImmutableDict(
         autoescape=True,
@@ -493,8 +512,8 @@ class Flask(object):
         """
         key = self.secret_key
         if key is not None:
-            return SecureCookie.load_cookie(request, self.session_cookie_name,
-                                            secret_key=key)
+            return Session.load_cookie(request, self.session_cookie_name,
+                                       secret_key=key)
 
     def save_session(self, session, response):
         """Saves the session if it needs updates.  For the default
@@ -505,7 +524,11 @@ class Flask(object):
                         object)
         :param response: an instance of :attr:`response_class`
         """
-        session.save_cookie(response, self.session_cookie_name)
+        expires = None
+        if session.permanent:
+            expires = datetime.utcnow() + self.permanent_session_lifetime
+        session.save_cookie(response, self.session_cookie_name,
+                            expires=expires, httponly=True)
 
     def add_url_rule(self, rule, endpoint, view_func=None, **options):
         """Connects a URL rule.  Works exactly like the :meth:`route`
diff --git a/tests/flask_tests.py b/tests/flask_tests.py
index b976015a..1759f8b9 100644
--- a/tests/flask_tests.py
+++ b/tests/flask_tests.py
@@ -11,11 +11,14 @@
 """
 from __future__ import with_statement
 import os
+import re
 import sys
 import flask
 import unittest
 import tempfile
 import warnings
+from datetime import datetime
+from werkzeug import parse_date
 
 
 example_path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..', 'examples')
@@ -118,6 +121,30 @@ class BasicFunctionalityTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
             expect_exception(flask.session.__setitem__, 'foo', 42)
             expect_exception(flask.session.pop, 'foo')
 
+    def test_session_expiration(self):
+        permanent = True
+        app = flask.Flask(__name__)
+        app.secret_key = 'testkey'
+        @app.route('/')
+        def index():
+            flask.session['test'] = 42
+            flask.session.permanent = permanent
+            return ''
+        rv = app.test_client().get('/')
+        assert 'set-cookie' in rv.headers
+        match = re.search(r'\bexpires=([^;]+)', rv.headers['set-cookie'])
+        expires = parse_date(match.group())
+        expected = datetime.utcnow() + app.permanent_session_lifetime
+        assert expires.year == expected.year
+        assert expires.month == expected.month
+        assert expires.day == expected.day
+
+        permanent = False
+        rv = app.test_client().get('/')
+        assert 'set-cookie' in rv.headers
+        match = re.search(r'\bexpires=([^;]+)', rv.headers['set-cookie'])
+        assert match is None
+
     def test_flashes(self):
         app = flask.Flask(__name__)
         app.secret_key = 'testkey'