diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Operation/Account.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Operation/Account.pm
index a8c85af62..0c03c2317 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Operation/Account.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Operation/Account.pm
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ sub www_deactivateAccountConfirm {
 	my ($u);
         if ($session{user}{userId} < 26) {
                 return WebGUI::Privilege::vitalComponent();
-        } elsif (($session{user}{userId} != 1) and $session{setting}{selfDeactivation}) {
+        } elsif ($session{setting}{selfDeactivation}) {
 		$u = WebGUI::User->new($session{user}{userId});
 		$u->status("Selfdestructed");
 	        WebGUI::Session::end($session{var}{sessionId});
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ sub www_displayAccount {
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------
 sub www_displayLogin {
 	my ($output, $f);
-	if ($session{var}{sessionId}) {
+	if ($session{user}{userId} != 1) {
 		$output .= www_displayAccount();
 	} else {
         	$output .= '<h1>'.WebGUI::International::get(66).'</h1>';
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ sub www_login {
 	}
 
 	if ($success == 1) {
-		WebGUI::Session::start($uid);
+		WebGUI::Session::convertVisitorToUser($session{var}{sessionId},$uid);
 		$u->karma($session{setting}{karmaPerLogin},"Login","Just for logging in.") if ($session{setting}{useKarma});
                 _logLogin($uid,"success");
 		return "";
@@ -450,7 +450,7 @@ sub www_logout {
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------
 sub www_recoverPassword {
 	my ($output, $f);
-        if ($session{var}{sessionId}) {
+        if ($session{user}{userId} != 1) {
                 $output .= www_displayAccount();
         } else {
                 $output .= '<h1>'.WebGUI::International::get(71).'</h1>';
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ sub www_recoverPasswordFinish {
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------
 sub www_updateAccount {
         my ($output, $error, $encryptedPassword, $passwordStatement, $u);
-        if ($session{var}{sessionId}) {
+        if ($session{user}{userId} != 1) {
         	if ($session{form}{identifier1} ne "password") {
 			$error = _hasBadPassword($session{form}{identifier1},$session{form}{identifier2});
         		unless ($error) {
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Session.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Session.pm
index 64d54c13e..ce5822036 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Session.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Session.pm
@@ -208,6 +208,13 @@ sub close {
 	$ENV{PATH_INFO} = "/"; #work around to fix a bug in mod_perl (win32)
 }
 
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+sub convertVisitorToUser {
+	WebGUI::SQL->write("update userSession set userId=$_[1] where sessionId=".quote($_[0]));
+	$session{var}{userId} = $_[1];
+	refreshUserInfo($_[1]);
+}
+
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------
 sub end {
 	WebGUI::SQL->write("delete from userSession where sessionId='$_[0]'",$session{dbh});
@@ -319,7 +326,11 @@ sub open {
 	}
 	###----------------------------
 	### session variables 
-	_setupSessionVars($session{cookie}{wgSession},$session{setting}{sessionTimeout});
+	if ($session{cookie}{wgSession} eq "") {
+		start(1); #setting up a visitor session
+	} else {
+		_setupSessionVars($session{cookie}{wgSession},$session{setting}{sessionTimeout});
+	}
 	###----------------------------
 	### current user's account and profile information (from users and userProfileData tables)
 	_setupUserInfo($session{var}{userId});
@@ -403,8 +414,7 @@ sub start {
 	my ($sessionId);
 	$sessionId = _generateSessionId();
 	WebGUI::SQL->write("insert into userSession values ('$sessionId', ".
-		(time()+$session{setting}{sessionTimeout}).", ".
-		time().", 0, '$ENV{REMOTE_ADDR}', $_[0])",$session{dbh});
+		(time()+$session{setting}{sessionTimeout}).", ".time().", 0, '$ENV{REMOTE_ADDR}', $_[0])");
 	setCookie("wgSession",$sessionId);
 	refreshSessionVars($sessionId);
 }