diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index 1de2e595..f7fae687 100755
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 ---
-
 openwisp2_python: python3
 ansible_python_interpreter: /usr/bin/python3
 openwisp2_network_topology: false
@@ -72,6 +71,7 @@ openwisp2_redis_install: true
 openwisp2_redis_host: localhost
 openwisp2_redis_port: 6379
 openwisp2_redis_cache_url: "redis://{{ openwisp2_redis_host }}:{{ openwisp2_redis_port }}/1"
+openwisp2_redis_sessions_url: "redis://{{ openwisp2_redis_host }}:{{ openwisp2_redis_port }}/4"
 openwisp2_influxdb_install: true
 openwisp2_timeseries_database:
   backend: "openwisp_monitoring.db.backends.influxdb"
diff --git a/docs/user/role-variables.rst b/docs/user/role-variables.rst
index b88a5950..0809cad9 100644
--- a/docs/user/role-variables.rst
+++ b/docs/user/role-variables.rst
@@ -241,6 +241,7 @@ take a look at `the default values of these variables
         openwisp2_redis_host: localhost
         openwisp2_redis_port: 6379
         openwisp2_redis_cache_url: "redis://{{ openwisp2_redis_host }}:{{ openwisp2_redis_port }}/1"
+        openwisp2_redis_sessions_url: "redis://{{ openwisp2_redis_host }}:{{ openwisp2_redis_port }}/4"
         # the following options are required to configure influxdb which is used in openwisp-monitoring
         openwisp2_influxdb_install: true
         openwisp2_timeseries_database:
diff --git a/templates/openwisp2/settings.py b/templates/openwisp2/settings.py
index 861cf35b..f39a4c54 100644
--- a/templates/openwisp2/settings.py
+++ b/templates/openwisp2/settings.py
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@
     "default": {
         "BACKEND": "channels_redis.core.RedisChannelLayer",
         "CONFIG": {
-            "hosts": [("{{ openwisp2_redis_host }}", {{ openwisp2_redis_port }})],
+            "hosts": [f"redis://{{ openwisp2_redis_host }}:{{ openwisp2_redis_port }}/0"],
             "group_expiry": {{ openwisp2_daphne_websocket_timeout }},
         },
     },
@@ -358,11 +358,18 @@
         "OPTIONS": {
             "CLIENT_CLASS": "django_redis.client.DefaultClient",
         },
-    }
+    },
+    "sessions": {
+        "BACKEND": "django_redis.cache.RedisCache",
+        "LOCATION": "{{ openwisp2_redis_sessions_url }}",
+        "OPTIONS": {
+            "CLIENT_CLASS": "django_redis.client.DefaultClient",
+        },
+    },
 }
 
 SESSION_ENGINE = "django.contrib.sessions.backends.cache"
-SESSION_CACHE_ALIAS = "default"
+SESSION_CACHE_ALIAS = "sessions"
 SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE = True
 CSRF_COOKIE_SECURE = True