diff --git a/cmd/chfs/main.go b/cmd/chfs/main.go
index 52a7b03..f42cca8 100644
--- a/cmd/chfs/main.go
+++ b/cmd/chfs/main.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"crypto/rand"
+	"encoding/hex"
 	"flag"
 	"log"
 	"net/http"
@@ -124,6 +126,14 @@ func main() {
 	if err := users.Load(mgr, cfg.UserHome); err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
+	jwtSecret := cfg.JWTSecret
+	if jwtSecret == "" {
+		buf := make([]byte, 32)
+		if _, err := rand.Read(buf); err != nil {
+			log.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		jwtSecret = hex.EncodeToString(buf)
+	}
 	for _, a := range mgr.Accounts {
 		if a.Home != "" {
 			if err := store.MkdirAll(a.Home); err != nil {
@@ -131,7 +141,7 @@ func main() {
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	srv := &api.Server{Store: store, Auth: mgr, Sessions: map[string]*auth.Account{}, SessionExpiry: map[string]time.Time{}, SessionTimeout: cfg.SessionTimeout, WebDAVRoot: root, Allow: cfg.Allow, MultiRoot: len(cfg.Path) > 1, RemoveMode: cfg.FileRemove, ImagePreview: cfg.ImagePreview, FolderDownload: cfg.FolderDownload, HTMLTitle: cfg.HTMLTitle, HTMLNotice: cfg.HTMLNotice, Log: opslog.New(cfg.Log), UserStore: users, UserHome: cfg.UserHome}
+	srv := &api.Server{Store: store, Auth: mgr, Sessions: map[string]*auth.Account{}, SessionExpiry: map[string]time.Time{}, SessionTimeout: cfg.SessionTimeout, JWTSecret: jwtSecret, WebDAVRoot: root, Allow: cfg.Allow, MultiRoot: len(cfg.Path) > 1, RemoveMode: cfg.FileRemove, ImagePreview: cfg.ImagePreview, FolderDownload: cfg.FolderDownload, HTMLTitle: cfg.HTMLTitle, HTMLNotice: cfg.HTMLNotice, Log: opslog.New(cfg.Log), UserStore: users, UserHome: cfg.UserHome}
 	addr := ":" + itoa(cfg.Port)
 	log.Printf("chfs-ng listening on %s root=%s removeMode=%d", addr, filepath.Clean(root), cfg.FileRemove)
 	if cfg.SSLCert != "" && cfg.SSLKey != "" {
diff --git a/docs/research/compatibility/config-v1.md b/docs/research/compatibility/config-v1.md
index 50d836a..3c81b9a 100644
--- a/docs/research/compatibility/config-v1.md
+++ b/docs/research/compatibility/config-v1.md
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ image.preview=true
 file.remove=3
 
 Known additional keys from binary/config ecosystem:
-session.timeout
+session.timeout  # login session lifetime in minutes; default 30
+jwt.secret       # optional signing secret; if omitted a random secret is generated per process
 folder.download
 folder.leaf.download
 rule.default
diff --git a/internal/api/server.go b/internal/api/server.go
index 7c71fa7..fb653f9 100644
--- a/internal/api/server.go
+++ b/internal/api/server.go
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ type Server struct {
 	SessionExpiry  map[string]time.Time
 	SessionMu      sync.RWMutex
 	SessionTimeout int
+	JWTSecret      string
 	WebDAVRoot     string
 	WebDAVFS       webdav.FileSystem
 	Allow          string
@@ -113,7 +114,7 @@ func account(r *http.Request, s *Server) *auth.Account {
 	if err != nil {
 		return s.Auth.Guest
 	}
-	username, err := auth.GetAccFromToken(c.Value)
+	username, err := auth.GetAccFromToken(c.Value, s.JWTSecret)
 	if err != nil {
 		return s.Auth.Guest
 	}
@@ -511,18 +512,8 @@ func (s *Server) exist(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 func (s *Server) session(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	if r.Method == http.MethodDelete {
-		jwtValue, _ := r.Cookie("JWT")
-		userValue, _ := r.Cookie("user")
-		jwt := ""
-		user := ""
-		if jwtValue != nil {
-			jwt = jwtValue.Value
-		}
-		if userValue != nil {
-			user = userValue.Value
-		}
-		http.SetCookie(w, &http.Cookie{Name: "JWT", Value: jwt, Path: "/", MaxAge: -1})
-		http.SetCookie(w, &http.Cookie{Name: "user", Value: user, Path: "/", MaxAge: -1})
+		http.SetCookie(w, &http.Cookie{Name: "JWT", Value: "", Path: "/", MaxAge: -1, Expires: time.Unix(1, 0), HttpOnly: true, SameSite: http.SameSiteLaxMode})
+		http.SetCookie(w, &http.Cookie{Name: "user", Value: "", Path: "/", MaxAge: -1, Expires: time.Unix(1, 0), SameSite: http.SameSiteLaxMode})
 		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNoContent)
 		return
 	}
@@ -540,14 +531,19 @@ func (s *Server) session(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		writeJSONError(w, http.StatusNotFound, "user or password is wrong")
 		return
 	}
-	token, err := auth.NewToken(a.Username, s.SessionTimeout)
+	timeout := s.SessionTimeout
+	if timeout <= 0 {
+		timeout = 30
+	}
+	token, err := auth.NewToken(a.Username, timeout, s.JWTSecret)
 	if err != nil {
 		writeJSONError(w, http.StatusInternalServerError, "failed to create token")
 		return
 	}
-	expires := time.Now().Add(365 * 24 * time.Hour)
-	http.SetCookie(w, &http.Cookie{Name: "JWT", Value: token, Path: "/", Expires: expires, HttpOnly: true})
-	http.SetCookie(w, &http.Cookie{Name: "user", Value: a.Username, Path: "/", Expires: expires})
+	expires := time.Now().Add(time.Duration(timeout) * time.Minute)
+	secure := r.TLS != nil
+	http.SetCookie(w, &http.Cookie{Name: "JWT", Value: token, Path: "/", MaxAge: timeout * 60, Expires: expires, HttpOnly: true, Secure: secure, SameSite: http.SameSiteLaxMode})
+	http.SetCookie(w, &http.Cookie{Name: "user", Value: a.Username, Path: "/", MaxAge: timeout * 60, Expires: expires, Secure: secure, SameSite: http.SameSiteLaxMode})
 	w.WriteHeader(http.StatusCreated)
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/auth/auth.go b/internal/auth/auth.go
index ff9f54a..b2b0edf 100644
--- a/internal/auth/auth.go
+++ b/internal/auth/auth.go
@@ -197,16 +197,24 @@ type jwtClaims struct {
 	jwt.StandardClaims
 }
 
-func NewToken(username string, _ int) (string, error) {
-	// CHFS v4 keeps the JWT itself valid for one year. session.timeout is
-	// retained as a compatibility configuration field, but it does not alter
-	// the JWT exp claim in the original implementation.
-	claims := jwtClaims{Acc: username, StandardClaims: jwt.StandardClaims{ExpiresAt: time.Now().Add(365 * 24 * time.Hour).Unix()}}
+func NewToken(username string, timeoutMinutes int, secrets ...string) (string, error) {
+	if timeoutMinutes <= 0 {
+		timeoutMinutes = 30
+	}
+	secret := jwtSecret
+	if len(secrets) > 0 && secrets[0] != "" {
+		secret = secrets[0]
+	}
+	claims := jwtClaims{Acc: username, StandardClaims: jwt.StandardClaims{ExpiresAt: time.Now().Add(time.Duration(timeoutMinutes) * time.Minute).Unix()}}
 	token := jwt.NewWithClaims(jwt.SigningMethodHS256, claims)
-	return token.SignedString([]byte(jwtSecret))
+	return token.SignedString([]byte(secret))
 }
 
-func GetAccFromToken(raw string) (string, error) {
+func GetAccFromToken(raw string, secrets ...string) (string, error) {
+	secret := jwtSecret
+	if len(secrets) > 0 && secrets[0] != "" {
+		secret = secrets[0]
+	}
 	if raw == "" {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("empty token")
 	}
@@ -215,7 +223,7 @@ func GetAccFromToken(raw string) (string, error) {
 		if t.Method != jwt.SigningMethodHS256 {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("unexpected signing method: %s", t.Method.Alg())
 		}
-		return []byte(jwtSecret), nil
+		return []byte(secret), nil
 	})
 	if err != nil || token == nil || !token.Valid {
 		if err == nil {
diff --git a/internal/auth/auth_test.go b/internal/auth/auth_test.go
index d3d19ff..e4183e3 100644
--- a/internal/auth/auth_test.go
+++ b/internal/auth/auth_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,33 @@
 package auth
 
-import "testing"
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	jwt "github.com/golang-jwt/jwt/v4"
+)
+
+func TestTokenUsesConfiguredSecretAndTimeout(t *testing.T) {
+	const secret = "test-secret"
+	before := time.Now().Add(2 * time.Minute).Unix()
+	raw, err := NewToken("alice", 2, secret)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	var claims jwtClaims
+	token, err := jwt.ParseWithClaims(raw, &claims, func(t *jwt.Token) (interface{}, error) {
+		return []byte(secret), nil
+	})
+	if err != nil || !token.Valid {
+		t.Fatalf("token should validate with configured secret: %v", err)
+	}
+	if claims.ExpiresAt < before-1 || claims.ExpiresAt > before+1 {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected expiration: %v", claims.ExpiresAt)
+	}
+	if _, err := GetAccFromToken(raw, "wrong-secret"); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("token validated with wrong secret")
+	}
+}
 
 func TestMatchPath(t *testing.T) {
 	cases := []struct {
diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index 85bce64..d082d89 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	ImagePreview   bool
 	FolderDownload string
 	SessionTimeout int
+	JWTSecret      string
 	HTMLTitle      string
 	HTMLNotice     string
 	UserFile       string
@@ -122,6 +123,8 @@ func Load(path string) (Config, error) {
 			if n, e := strconv.Atoi(val); e == nil && n > 0 {
 				c.SessionTimeout = n
 			}
+		case "jwt.secret":
+			c.JWTSecret = val
 		case "html.title":
 			c.HTMLTitle = val
 		case "html.notice":