diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ec37fb8da7..6f1ee11031 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 /config/configuration.yml
 /config/database.yml
 /config/email.yml
-#/config/initializers/session_store.rb
+/config/secret_token.yml
 /coverage
 /db/*.db
 /db/*.sqlite3
diff --git a/config/initializers/secret_token.rb b/config/initializers/secret_token.rb
index b9ee1ce96b..7b4b9bd113 100644
--- a/config/initializers/secret_token.rb
+++ b/config/initializers/secret_token.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,26 @@
+require 'yaml'
 # Be sure to restart your server when you modify this file.
 
 # Your secret key for verifying the integrity of signed cookies.
 # If you change this key, all old signed cookies will become invalid!
 # Make sure the secret is at least 30 characters and all random,
 # no regular words or you'll be exposed to dictionary attacks.
-OpenProject::Application.config.secret_token = '95c3dfbae641c113be1eed4b8ff2c3723e33f5df9485aa8784d3e2449aeb7e2d67db29063464e49e4028e41fe7076b4222f00f25ebbd5a553457a5b4804a93e6'
+
+begin
+  secret_token_config = YAML.load_file('config/secret_token.yml')
+  secret_token = secret_token_config['secret_token']
+rescue
+end
+
+OpenProject::Application.config.secret_token = if Rails.env.development? or Rails.env.test?
+  ('x' * 30) # meets minimum requirement of 30 chars long
+else
+  ENV['SECRET_TOKEN'] || secret_token
+end
+
+if OpenProject::Application.config.secret_token.nil?
+  puts "Error: secret_token empty!"
+  puts "Please set it with ENV variable 'SECRET_TOKEN' or "
+  puts "run 'rake generate_secret_token'"
+  exit 1
+end
diff --git a/lib/tasks/ci.rake b/lib/tasks/ci.rake
index 79809ef8ee..92c5499b83 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/ci.rake
+++ b/lib/tasks/ci.rake
@@ -57,8 +57,6 @@ namespace :ci do
         YAML.dump({"test" => database_yml}, f)
       end
 
-      Rake::Task["generate_session_store"].invoke
-
       # Create and migrate the database
       Rake::Task["db:create"].invoke
       Rake::Task["db:migrate"].invoke
diff --git a/lib/tasks/initializers.rake b/lib/tasks/initializers.rake
deleted file mode 100644
index 5a086693d3..0000000000
--- a/lib/tasks/initializers.rake
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,48 +0,0 @@
-#-- encoding: UTF-8
-#-- copyright
-# ChiliProject is a project management system.
-#
-# Copyright (C) 2010-2011 the ChiliProject Team
-#
-# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
-# modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
-# as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
-# of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
-#
-# See doc/COPYRIGHT.rdoc for more details.
-#++
-
-desc 'Generates a configuration file for cookie store sessions.'
-
-file 'config/initializers/session_store.rb' do
-  path = Rails.root.join('config/initializers/session_store.rb').to_s
-  secret = SecureRandom.hex(40)
-  File.open(path, 'w') do |f|
-    f.write <<"EOF"
-# This file was generated by 'rake config/initializers/session_store.rb',
-# and should not be made visible to public.
-# If you have a load-balancing Redmine cluster, you will need to use the
-# same version of this file on each machine. And be sure to restart your
-# server when you modify this file.
-
-# Your secret key for verifying cookie session data integrity. If you
-# change this key, all old sessions will become invalid! Make sure the
-# secret is at least 30 characters and all random, no regular words or
-# you'll be exposed to dictionary attacks.
-ActionController::Base.session = {
-  :key => '_chiliproject_session',
-  #
-  # Uncomment and edit the :session_path below if are hosting your Redmine
-  # at a suburi and don't want the top level path to access the cookies
-  #
-  # See: http://www.redmine.org/issues/3968
-  #
-  # :session_path => '/url_path_to/your/redmine/',
-  :secret => '#{secret}'
-}
-EOF
-  end
-end
-
-desc 'Generates a configuration file for cookie store sessions.'
-task :generate_session_store => ['config/initializers/session_store.rb']
diff --git a/lib/tasks/secret_token.rake b/lib/tasks/secret_token.rake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..886a5c0d8b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/tasks/secret_token.rake
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#-- encoding: UTF-8
+#-- copyright
+# ChiliProject is a project management system.
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2010-2011 the ChiliProject Team
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+# modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+# as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
+# of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# See doc/COPYRIGHT.rdoc for more details.
+#++
+
+desc 'Generates a secret token file.'
+
+file 'config/secret_token.yml' do
+  path = Rails.root.join('config/secret_token.yml').to_s
+  secret = SecureRandom.hex(64)
+  File.open(path, 'w') do |f|
+    f.write <<"EOF"
+secret_token: '#{secret}'
+EOF
+  end
+end
+
+desc 'Generates a secret token file.'
+task :generate_secret_token => ['config/secret_token.yml']