Title: Multiple sessions error
Last modified: January 14, 2019

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# Multiple sessions error

 *  Resolved [therealgilles](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chamois_blanc/)
 * (@chamois_blanc)
 * [7 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multiple-sessions-error/)
 * Hello,
 * I am seeing this error on admin screens:
 * > Another plugin is attempting to start a session with WordPress. WP Session 
   > Manager will not work!
 * When I look at $_SESSION when the error is triggered, it exists but is empty.
   Should the plugin check whether it’s actually being used for something before
   giving up?
 * How do I track down what other plugin is using it?
 * PS: This error is new, right?

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

 *  Plugin Author [Eric Mann](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ericmann/)
 * (@ericmann)
 * [7 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multiple-sessions-error/#post-11088484)
 * Yes, this error message is new.
 * WP Session Manager attempts to replace the session handler used by PHP when it
   stores data. If the session has already been started, then PHP doesn’t allow 
   the plugin to replace the session handler at all. With older versions of PHP,
   this just failed silently. As of PHP 7.2 it’s become a formal warning and is 
   often exposed directly on the site when encountered.
 * See [https://wordpress.org/support/topic/php-7-2-warning-5/](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/php-7-2-warning-5/)
   for the original report that led to the fix.
 * Said another way: If your site is showing this error, then it means WP Session
   Manager _was never really working on your site to begin with_ because another
   system would set up the session first.
 * Regardless of whether or not you’ve actually _populated_ the session, merely 
   calling `session_start()` before WP Session Manager loads will block the PHP 
   from loading or using the custom session handler.
 * > How do I track down what other plugin is using it?
 * Do a scan of the plugins (and your theme!) on your site and look for `session_start()`.
   Whichever code is calling that is likely doing so _outside_ of the `plugins_loaded`
   hook and is beating WP Session Manager to the punch.
    -  This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by [Eric Mann](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ericmann/).
      Reason: Fix formatting
    -  This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by [Eric Mann](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ericmann/).
      Reason: Fix HTML formatting that was broken before :-(
 *  Thread Starter [therealgilles](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chamois_blanc/)
 * (@chamois_blanc)
 * [7 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multiple-sessions-error/#post-11088491)
 * Is the only real fix to change the order plugins are loaded to make sure WP Session
   Manager is loaded earlier?
 *  Plugin Author [Eric Mann](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ericmann/)
 * (@ericmann)
 * [7 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multiple-sessions-error/#post-11088497)
 * Plugins are loaded in order based on their name. So `wp-session-manager` will
   get loaded _after_ `aardvark-fancy-plugin` because of where they fall in the 
   alphabet. Plugins _should_ leverage the `plugins_loaded` hook to ensure they’re
   only triggering business logic once everything’s been pulled into the environment.
 * Some plugin (or even the theme) is calling `session_start()` outside of this 
   hook and running too early.
 *  Thread Starter [therealgilles](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chamois_blanc/)
 * (@chamois_blanc)
 * [7 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multiple-sessions-error/#post-11088592)
 * It looks like it may come from the Custom Sidebars plugin. Let me contact the
   author.

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

The topic ‘Multiple sessions error’ is closed to new replies.

 * ![](https://s.w.org/plugins/geopattern-icon/wp-session-manager_272e38.svg)
 * [WP Session Manager](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-session-manager/)
 * [Frequently Asked Questions](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-session-manager/#faq)
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 * [Unresolved Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wp-session-manager/unresolved/)
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## Tags

 * [admin](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/admin/)
 * [multiple](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/multiple/)

 * 4 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [therealgilles](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chamois_blanc/)
 * Last activity: [7 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/multiple-sessions-error/#post-11088592)
 * Status: resolved