diff --git a/docs/upgrades/upgrade_4.7.0-4.8.0.sql b/docs/upgrades/upgrade_4.7.0-4.8.0.sql
index 3f9738503..85231f60e 100644
--- a/docs/upgrades/upgrade_4.7.0-4.8.0.sql
+++ b/docs/upgrades/upgrade_4.7.0-4.8.0.sql
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ alter table Article drop column alignImage;
 INSERT INTO template VALUES (1,'Default Article','<tmpl_if image>\r\n  <table width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\"><tr><td class=\"content\">\r\n  <img src=\"<tmpl_var image>\" align=\"right\" border=\"0\">\r\n</tmpl_if>\r\n\r\n<tmpl_if description>\r\n  <tmpl_var description><p/>\r\n</tmpl_if>\r\n\r\n<tmpl_if link.url>\r\n  <tmpl_if link.title>\r\n    <p><a href=\"<tmpl_var linkUrl>\"><tmpl_var linkTitle></a>\r\n  </tmpl_if>\r\n</tmpl_if>\r\n\r\n<tmpl_var attachment.box>\r\n\r\n<tmpl_if image>\r\n  </td></tr></table>\r\n</tmpl_if>\r\n\r\n<tmpl_if allowDiscussion>\r\n  <p><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"2\" cellpadding=\"1\" border=\"0\">\r\n  <tr><td align=\"center\" width=\"50%\" class=\"tableMenu\"><a href=\"<tmpl_var replies.URL>\"><tmpl_var replies.label> (<tmpl_var replies.count>)</a></td>\r\n  <td align=\"center\" width=\"50%\" class=\"tableMenu\"><a href=\"<tmpl_var post.url>\"><tmpl_var post.label></a></td></tr>\r\n  </table>\r\n</tmpl_if>\r\n','Article');
 INSERT INTO template VALUES (2,'Center Image','<tmpl_if image>\r\n  <div align=\"center\"><img src=\"<tmpl_var image>\" border=\"0\"></div>\r\n</tmpl_if>\r\n\r\n<tmpl_if description>\r\n  <tmpl_var description><p/>\r\n</tmpl_if>\r\n\r\n<tmpl_if link.url>\r\n  <tmpl_if link.title>\r\n    <p><a href=\"<tmpl_var linkUrl>\"><tmpl_var linkTitle></a>\r\n  </tmpl_if>\r\n</tmpl_if>\r\n\r\n<tmpl_var attachment.box>\r\n\r\n\r\n<tmpl_if allowDiscussion>\r\n  <p><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"2\" cellpadding=\"1\" border=\"0\">\r\n  <tr><td align=\"center\" width=\"50%\" class=\"tableMenu\"><a href=\"<tmpl_var replies.URL>\"><tmpl_var replies.label> (<tmpl_var replies.count>)</a></td>\r\n  <td align=\"center\" width=\"50%\" class=\"tableMenu\"><a href=\"<tmpl_var post.url>\"><tmpl_var post.label></a></td></tr>\r\n  </table>\r\n</tmpl_if>\r\n','Article');
 INSERT INTO template VALUES (3,'Left Align Image','<tmpl_if image>\r\n  <table width=\"100%\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\"><tr><td class=\"content\">\r\n  <img src=\"<tmpl_var image>\" align=\"left\" border=\"0\">\r\n</tmpl_if>\r\n\r\n<tmpl_if description>\r\n  <tmpl_var description><p/>\r\n</tmpl_if>\r\n\r\n<tmpl_if link.url>\r\n  <tmpl_if link.title>\r\n    <p><a href=\"<tmpl_var linkUrl>\"><tmpl_var linkTitle></a>\r\n  </tmpl_if>\r\n</tmpl_if>\r\n\r\n<tmpl_var attachment.box>\r\n\r\n<tmpl_if image>\r\n  </td></tr></table>\r\n</tmpl_if>\r\n\r\n<tmpl_if allowDiscussion>\r\n  <p><table width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"2\" cellpadding=\"1\" border=\"0\">\r\n  <tr><td align=\"center\" width=\"50%\" class=\"tableMenu\"><a href=\"<tmpl_var replies.URL>\"><tmpl_var replies.label> (<tmpl_var replies.count>)</a></td>\r\n  <td align=\"center\" width=\"50%\" class=\"tableMenu\"><a href=\"<tmpl_var post.url>\"><tmpl_var post.label></a></td></tr>\r\n  </table>\r\n</tmpl_if>\r\n','Article');
+create table userSessionScratch (sessionId varchar(60), name varchar(35), value varchar(255));
 
 
 
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Session.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Session.pm
index a04e8ebe0..e03a3a4db 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Session.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Session.pm
@@ -251,6 +251,10 @@ sub open {
 	### session variables (from userSession table)
 	$session{var} = _getSessionVars($session{cookie}{wgSession},$session{dbh},$session{setting}{sessionTimeout});
 	###----------------------------
+	### session scratch variables (from userSessionScratch table)
+	$session{scratch} = WebGUI::SQL->buildHashRef("select name,value from userSessionScratch 
+		where sessionId=".quote($session{var}{sessionId}));
+	###----------------------------
 	### current user's account and profile information (from users and userProfileData tables)
 	$session{user} = _getUserInfo($session{var}{userId},$session{dbh});
 	if ($session{env}{MOD_PERL}) {
@@ -298,6 +302,26 @@ sub setCookie {
 	push @{$session{header}{cookie}}, $session{cgi}->cookie(-name=>$_[0], -value=>$_[1], -expires=>'+10y', -path=>'/');
 }
 
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+=head2 setScratch ( name, value )
+
+ Sets a scratch variable for this user session.
+
+=cut
+
+sub setScratch {
+	return "" unless ($session{var}{sessionId});
+	if ($session{scratch}{$_[0]}) {
+		WebGUI::SQL->write("update userSessionScratch set value=".quote($_[1])."
+			where sessionId=".quote($session{var}{sessionId})." and name=".quote($_[0]));
+	} else {
+		WebGUI::SQL->write("insert into userSessionScratch (sessionId,name,value) values 
+			(".quote($session{var}{sessionId}).", ".quote($_[0]).", ".quote($_[1]).")");
+	}
+	$session{scratch}{$_[0]} = $_[1];
+}
+
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------
 sub start {
 	my ($sessionId);
diff --git a/sbin/Hourly/DeleteExpiredSessions.pm b/sbin/Hourly/DeleteExpiredSessions.pm
index b8c40062e..b8c61889d 100644
--- a/sbin/Hourly/DeleteExpiredSessions.pm
+++ b/sbin/Hourly/DeleteExpiredSessions.pm
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@ use WebGUI::SQL;
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------
 sub process {
+	my $sth = WebGUI::SQL->read("select sessionId from userSession where expires<".time());
+	while (my ($sessionId) = $sth->array) {
+		WebGUI::SQL->write("delete from userSessionScratch where sessionId=".quote($sessionId));
+	}
+	$sth->finish;
 	WebGUI::SQL->write("delete from userSession where expires<".time());
 }