diff --git a/development/idp-local/config/config.php b/development/idp-local/config/config.php
index 7ba190e1..f0eb5350 100644
--- a/development/idp-local/config/config.php
+++ b/development/idp-local/config/config.php
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
 
 $SECURE_COOKIE = Env::get('SECURE_COOKIE', true);
 $SESSION_DURATION = (int)(Env::get('SESSION_DURATION', (60 * 60 * 10))); // 10 hours.
+$SESSION_STORE_TYPE = Env::get('SESSION_STORE_TYPE', 'phpsession');
 $MYSQL_HOST = Env::get('MYSQL_HOST', '');
 $MYSQL_DATABASE = Env::get('MYSQL_DATABASE', '');
 $MYSQL_USER = Env::get('MYSQL_USER', '');
@@ -1326,7 +1327,7 @@
      *
      * The default datastore is 'phpsession'.
      */
-    'store.type'                    => 'sql',
+    'store.type'         => $SESSION_STORE_TYPE,
 
     /*
      * The DSN the sql datastore should connect to.
diff --git a/development/idp2-local/config/config.php b/development/idp2-local/config/config.php
index 7ba190e1..f0eb5350 100644
--- a/development/idp2-local/config/config.php
+++ b/development/idp2-local/config/config.php
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
 
 $SECURE_COOKIE = Env::get('SECURE_COOKIE', true);
 $SESSION_DURATION = (int)(Env::get('SESSION_DURATION', (60 * 60 * 10))); // 10 hours.
+$SESSION_STORE_TYPE = Env::get('SESSION_STORE_TYPE', 'phpsession');
 $MYSQL_HOST = Env::get('MYSQL_HOST', '');
 $MYSQL_DATABASE = Env::get('MYSQL_DATABASE', '');
 $MYSQL_USER = Env::get('MYSQL_USER', '');
@@ -1326,7 +1327,7 @@
      *
      * The default datastore is 'phpsession'.
      */
-    'store.type'                    => 'sql',
+    'store.type'         => $SESSION_STORE_TYPE,
 
     /*
      * The DSN the sql datastore should connect to.
diff --git a/development/idp3-local/config/config.php b/development/idp3-local/config/config.php
index 9817b072..0911a43f 100644
--- a/development/idp3-local/config/config.php
+++ b/development/idp3-local/config/config.php
@@ -646,7 +646,7 @@
      *
      * (This option replaces the old 'session.handler'-option.)
      */
-    'store.type'                    => 'sql',
+    'store.type'                    => 'phpsession',
 
 
     /*
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 865c86de..08e1ca6f 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ services:
       THEME_COLOR_SCHEME: "orange-light_blue"
       HUB_MODE: "true"
 
-  ssp-idp1.local:
+  ssp-idp1.local:  # using a database session store type ("sql")
     build: .
     depends_on:
       - db
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@ services:
       PROFILE_URL_FOR_TESTS: "http://pwmanager.local/module.php/core/authenticate.php?as=ssp-hub"
       SECURE_COOKIE: "false"
       SHOW_SAML_ERRORS: "true"
+      SESSION_STORE_TYPE: "sql"
       MYSQL_HOST: "db"
       MYSQL_DATABASE: "silauth"
       MYSQL_USER: "silauth"
diff --git a/dockerbuild/config/config.php b/dockerbuild/config/config.php
index 9355cc1c..fce86a2b 100644
--- a/dockerbuild/config/config.php
+++ b/dockerbuild/config/config.php
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
 
 $SECURE_COOKIE = Env::get('SECURE_COOKIE', true);
 $SESSION_DURATION = (int)(Env::get('SESSION_DURATION', (60 * 60 * 10))); // 10 hours.
+$SESSION_STORE_TYPE = Env::get('SESSION_STORE_TYPE', 'phpsession');
 $MYSQL_HOST = Env::get('MYSQL_HOST', '');
 $MYSQL_DATABASE = Env::get('MYSQL_DATABASE', '');
 $MYSQL_USER = Env::get('MYSQL_USER', '');
@@ -1336,7 +1337,7 @@
      *
      * The default datastore is 'phpsession'.
      */
-    'store.type'                    => 'sql',
+    'store.type'         => $SESSION_STORE_TYPE,
 
     /*
      * The DSN the sql datastore should connect to.
diff --git a/local.env.dist b/local.env.dist
index 0c36e68b..5198c7f7 100644
--- a/local.env.dist
+++ b/local.env.dist
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ LOGGING_LEVEL=
 # LOGGING_HANDLER default is stderr, or may be one of: syslog, file, errlog, stderr
 LOGGING_HANDLER=
 
-# Session store configuration.
+# Session store configuration. SESSION_STORE_TYPE can be "sql" or "phpsession"
+SESSION_STORE_TYPE=
 SESSION_DURATION=
 MYSQL_HOST=
 MYSQL_DATABASE=