diff --git a/.github/workflows/Build.yml b/.github/workflows/Build.yml
index a1d217d2fb..799a3234a2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/Build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/Build.yml
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ env:
   kphp_root_dir: /home/kitten/kphp
   kphp_polyfills_dir: /home/kitten/kphp/kphp-polyfills
   kphp_build_dir: /home/kitten/kphp/build
-  session_php_script: /home/kitten/kphp/docs/session_test.php
+  test_session_php_script: /home/kitten/kphp/docs/session_test.php
+  test_session_gc_php_script: /home/kitten/kphp/docs/test_session_gc.php
   kphp_snippets_dir: /home/kitten/kphp/kphp-snippets
   kphp_snippets_jobs_dir: /home/kitten/kphp/kphp-snippets/JobWorkers
 
@@ -124,11 +125,11 @@ jobs:
 
     - name: Copy the session_test file
       run: docker exec kphp-build-container-${{matrix.os}} bash -c
-              "cp ${{env.session_php_script}} ${{env.kphp_snippets_dir}}/JobWorkers/"
+              "cp ${{env.test_session_gc_php_script}} ${{env.kphp_snippets_dir}}/JobWorkers/"
 
     - name: Compile the session_test project
       run: docker exec kphp-build-container-${{matrix.os}} bash -c
-              "cd ${{env.kphp_snippets_dir}}/JobWorkers/ && ${{env.kphp_root_dir}}/objs/bin/kphp2cpp --cxx ${{matrix.compiler}} session_test.php -I .. -M server"
+              "cd ${{env.kphp_snippets_dir}}/JobWorkers/ && ${{env.kphp_root_dir}}/objs/bin/kphp2cpp --cxx ${{matrix.compiler}} -I .. -M server test_session_gc_php_script.php"
 
     - name: Start the server
       run: docker exec kphp-build-container-${{matrix.os}} bash -c
diff --git a/docs/test_session_gc.php b/docs/test_session_gc.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..02b415332f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/test_session_gc.php
@@ -0,0 +1,249 @@
+<?php
+
+#ifndef KPHP
+spl_autoload_register(function($class) {
+  $rel_filename = trim(str_replace('\\', '/', $class), '/') . '.php';
+  $filename = __DIR__ . '/..' . '/' . $rel_filename;
+  if (file_exists($filename)) {
+    require_once $filename;
+  }
+}, true, true);
+
+// todo require kphp_polyfills or install them using Composer
+// see https://github.com/VKCOM/kphp-polyfills
+// (or don't do this, since job workers just don't work in plain PHP,
+//  and in practice, you should provide local fallback; this demo is focused to be KPHP-only :)
+require_once '/some/where/kphp-polyfills/kphp_polyfills.php';
+#endif
+
+
+class MyRequest extends \JobWorkers\JobWorkerSimple {
+  /** @var false|string */
+  public $session_id;
+
+  /** @var array<mixed> */
+  public $predefined_consts;
+
+  /** @var mixed */
+  public $session_array;
+
+  /** @var bool */
+  public $must_sleep;
+
+  /** @var bool */
+  public $must_call_gc;
+
+  /**
+   * @param array<mixed> $predefined_consts
+   * @param mixed $session_array
+   * @param false|string $id
+   * @param bool $must_sleep
+   * @param bool $must_call_gc
+  */
+  public function __construct($predefined_consts, $session_array, $id, $must_sleep, $must_call_gc) {
+    $this->session_id = $id;
+    $this->predefined_consts = $predefined_consts;
+    $this->session_array = $session_array;
+    $this->must_sleep = $must_sleep;
+    $this->must_call_gc = $must_call_gc;
+  }
+
+  function handleRequest(): ?\KphpJobWorkerResponse {
+    $response = new MyResponse();
+    session_id($this->session_id);
+    
+    $response->start_time = microtime(true);
+    session_start($this->predefined_consts);
+    $response->session_status = (session_status() == 2);
+    $response->end_time = microtime(true);
+    
+    $response->session_id = session_id();
+    if (!$response->session_status) {
+      return $response;
+    }
+    
+    $session_array_before = unserialize(session_encode());
+    session_decode(serialize(array_merge($session_array_before, $this->session_array)));
+    // or: $_SESSION = array_merge($this->session_array, $_SESSION);
+    $response->session_array = unserialize(session_encode());
+    // or: $response->session_array = $_SESSION;
+
+    if ($this->must_sleep) {
+      usleep(10 * 100000);
+    }
+
+    if ($this->must_call_gc) {
+      session_gc();
+    }
+
+    session_commit();
+    
+    return $response;
+  }
+}
+
+class MyResponse implements \KphpJobWorkerResponse {
+  /** @var float */
+  public $start_time;
+
+  /** @var float */
+  public $end_time;
+
+  /** @var bool */
+  public $session_status;
+
+  /** @var string|false */
+  public $session_id;
+
+  /** @var mixed */
+  public $session_array;
+}
+
+
+if (PHP_SAPI !== 'cli' && isset($_SERVER["JOB_ID"])) {
+  handleKphpJobWorkerRequest();
+} else {
+  handleHttpRequest();
+}
+
+function handleHttpRequest() {
+  if (!\JobWorkers\JobLauncher::isEnabled()) {
+    echo "JOB WORKERS DISABLED at server start, use -f 2 --job-workers-ratio 0.5", "\n";
+    return;
+  }
+
+  $timeout = 10.5;
+  $to_write = ["first_message" => "hello"];
+  $session_params = ["save_path" => "/Users/marat/Desktop/sessions/", "gc_maxlifetime" => 0];
+
+  $main_request = new MyRequest($session_params, $to_write, false, false, false);
+  $main_job_id = \JobWorkers\JobLauncher::start($main_request, $timeout);
+
+  $main_response = wait($main_job_id);
+  $session_id = false;
+
+  $is_response = ($main_response instanceof MyResponse);
+  var_dump($is_response);
+
+  if ($main_response instanceof MyResponse) {
+    // echo "Created main session:<br>";
+    // var_dump($main_response->session_status);
+    // var_dump($main_response->session_id);
+    // var_dump($main_response->session_array);
+    $session_id = $main_response->session_id;
+    // echo "<br><br>";
+
+    var_dump($main_response->session_status);
+    var_dump($main_response->session_array == $to_write);
+  } else {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  $session_params["gc_maxlifetime"] = 2000;
+  $add_request = new MyRequest($session_params, ["add_message" => "welcome"], false, false, false);
+  $add_job_id = \JobWorkers\JobLauncher::start($add_request, $timeout);
+
+  $session_params["gc_maxlifetime"] = 1;
+  $main_request = new MyRequest($session_params, ["second_message" => "world"], $session_id, true, false);
+  $main_job_id = \JobWorkers\JobLauncher::start($main_request, $timeout);
+  $main_2_request = new MyRequest($session_params, ["third_message" => "buy"], $session_id, false, false);
+  $main_2_job_id = \JobWorkers\JobLauncher::start($main_2_request, $timeout);
+  
+  $new_request = new MyRequest($session_params, ["new_message" => "hi"], false, false, true);
+  $new_job_id = \JobWorkers\JobLauncher::start($new_request, $timeout);
+
+  $add_response = wait($add_job_id);
+  $main_response = wait($main_job_id);
+  $main_2_response = wait($main_2_job_id);
+  $new_response = wait($new_job_id);
+
+  $s_files = scandir($session_params["save_path"]);
+  if ($main_response instanceof MyResponse) {
+    // echo "<br>Opened session:<br>";
+    // var_dump($main_response->session_status);
+    // var_dump($main_response->session_id);
+    // var_dump($main_response->session_array);
+    // echo "<br><br>";
+
+    $to_write["second_message"] = "world";
+    var_dump($main_response->session_status);
+    var_dump($main_response->session_id == $session_id);
+    var_dump($main_response->session_array == $to_write);
+    var_dump(!in_array($main_response->session_id, $s_files));
+  }
+
+  if ($main_2_response instanceof MyResponse) {
+    // echo "<br>Opened session:<br>";
+    // var_dump($main_2_response->session_status);
+    // var_dump($main_2_response->session_id);
+    // var_dump($main_2_response->session_array);
+    // echo "<br><br>";
+
+    $to_write["third_message"] = "buy";
+    var_dump($main_2_response->session_status);
+    var_dump($main_2_response->session_id == $session_id);
+    var_dump($main_2_response->session_array == $to_write);
+    var_dump(!in_array($main_2_response->session_id, $s_files));
+  }
+
+  if ($add_response instanceof MyResponse) {
+    // echo "<br>Opened session:<br>";
+    // var_dump($add_response->session_status);
+    // var_dump($add_response->session_id);
+    // var_dump($add_response->session_array);
+    // echo "<br><br>";
+
+    var_dump($add_response->session_status);
+    var_dump($add_response->session_id != $session_id);
+    var_dump($add_response->session_array == ["add_message" => "welcome"]);
+    var_dump(in_array($add_response->session_id, $s_files));
+  }
+
+  if ($new_response instanceof MyResponse) {
+    // echo "<br>Opened session:<br>";
+    // var_dump($new_response->session_status);
+    // var_dump($new_response->session_id);
+    // var_dump($new_response->session_array);
+    // echo "<br><br>";
+
+    var_dump($new_response->session_status);
+    var_dump($new_response->session_id != $session_id);
+    var_dump($new_response->session_array == ["new_message" => "hi"]);
+    var_dump(in_array($new_response->session_id, $s_files));
+  }
+}
+
+function handleKphpJobWorkerRequest() {
+  $kphp_job_request = kphp_job_worker_fetch_request();
+  if (!$kphp_job_request) {
+    warning("Couldn't fetch a job worker request");
+    return;
+  }
+
+  if ($kphp_job_request instanceof \JobWorkers\JobWorkerSimple) {
+    // simple jobs: they start, finish, and return the result
+    $kphp_job_request->beforeHandle();
+    $response = $kphp_job_request->handleRequest();
+    if ($response === null) {
+      warning("Job request handler returned null for " . get_class($kphp_job_request));
+      return;
+    }
+    kphp_job_worker_store_response($response);
+
+  } else if ($kphp_job_request instanceof \JobWorkers\JobWorkerManualRespond) {
+    // more complicated jobs: they start, send a result in the middle (here get get it) — and continue working
+    $kphp_job_request->beforeHandle();
+    $kphp_job_request->handleRequest();
+    if (!$kphp_job_request->wasResponded()) {
+      warning("Job request handler didn't call respondAndContinueExecution() manually " . get_class($kphp_job_request));
+    }
+
+  } else if ($kphp_job_request instanceof \JobWorkers\JobWorkerNoReply) {
+    // background jobs: they start and never send any result, just continue in the background and finish somewhen
+    $kphp_job_request->beforeHandle();
+    $kphp_job_request->handleRequest();
+
+  } else {
+    warning("Got unexpected job request class: " . get_class($kphp_job_request));
+  }
+}
diff --git a/runtime/sessions.cpp b/runtime/sessions.cpp
index d577d1f429..f2bb752380 100644
--- a/runtime/sessions.cpp
+++ b/runtime/sessions.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "runtime/interface.h"
 #include "runtime/url.h"
 #include "runtime/math_functions.h"
+#include "runtime/exec.h"
 
 namespace sessions {
 
@@ -240,6 +241,9 @@ static bool session_open() {
 	int ret_gc_lifetime = get_tag(get_sparam(S_PATH).to_string().c_str(), S_LIFETIME, NULL, 0);
 	if (is_new or ret_ctime < 0) {
 		// add the creation data to metadata of file
+		int is_session = 1;
+		set_tag(get_sparam(S_PATH).to_string().c_str(), "is_session", &is_session, sizeof(int));
+
 		int ctime = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::seconds>(std::chrono::system_clock::now().time_since_epoch()).count();
 		set_tag(get_sparam(S_PATH).to_string().c_str(), S_CTIME, &ctime, sizeof(int));
 	}
@@ -409,6 +413,15 @@ static int session_gc(const bool &immediate = false) {
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	// reset the fd before changing the session directory
+	close_safe(get_sparam(S_FD).to_int());
+	
+	fprintf(stderr, "\n\tScan the session dir:\n\t");
+	for (const auto &filename : s_list.as_array()) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "%s, ", filename.get_value().to_string().c_str());
+	}
+	fprintf(stderr, "\n\n");
+
 	struct flock lock;
 	lock.l_type = F_UNLCK;
 	lock.l_whence = SEEK_SET;
@@ -419,29 +432,76 @@ static int session_gc(const bool &immediate = false) {
 	int result = 0;
 	for (auto s = s_list.as_array().begin(); s != s_list.as_array().end(); ++s) {
 		string path = s.get_value().to_string();
-		if (path == string(".") or path == string("..")) {
+		if (path[0] == '.') {
 			continue;
 		}
 		path = string(get_sparam(S_DIR).to_string()).append(path);
 		if (path == get_sparam(S_PATH).to_string()) {
 			continue;
 		}
+
+		{ // filter session files from others
+			int is_session, ret_is_session = get_tag(path.c_str(), "is_session", &is_session, sizeof(int));
+			if (ret_is_session < 0) {
+				continue;
+			}
+		}
+
+		{ // lsof processes
+			string cmd = string("lsof +D ").append(get_sparam(S_DIR).to_string());
+			fprintf(stderr, "lsof cmd: %s\n", cmd.c_str());
+			mixed lsof_result;
+			int64_t lsof_code;
+			f$exec(cmd, lsof_result, lsof_code);
+			fprintf(stderr, "lsof return code is %d\nlsof result:\n", static_cast<int>(lsof_code));
+			if (lsof_result.is_array()) {
+				for (const auto &it : lsof_result.as_array()) {
+					fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", it.get_value().to_string().c_str());
+				}
+			}
+		}
 		
-		int fd;
-		if ((fd = open(path.c_str(), O_RDWR, 0777)) < 0) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "\n\tOpening the session file %s\n", s.get_value().to_string().c_str());
+		int fd = open(path.c_str(), O_RDWR, 0777);
+		if (fd < 0) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "\tFailed to open the session file %s\n", s.get_value().to_string().c_str());
 			php_warning("Failed to open file on path: %s", path.c_str());
 			continue;
 		}
+		fprintf(stderr, "\tOpened the session file %s\n", s.get_value().to_string().c_str());
 
+		fprintf(stderr, "\tUnlocking the session file %s\n", s.get_value().to_string().c_str());
 		if (fcntl(fd, F_SETLK, &lock) < 0) {
+			close_safe(fd);
 			continue;
 		}
+		fprintf(stderr, "\tUnlocked the session file %s\n", s.get_value().to_string().c_str());
 
+		close_safe(fd);
 		if (session_expired(path)) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "\tThe session %s is expired, call unlink()\n\n", s.get_value().to_string().c_str());
 			f$unlink(path);
 			++result;
 		}
 	}
+
+	lock.l_type = F_WRLCK;
+	lock.l_pid = getpid();
+	set_sparam(S_FD, open_safe(get_sparam(S_PATH).to_string().c_str(), O_RDWR, 0666));
+	if (get_sparam(S_FD).to_int() < 0) {
+		php_warning("Failed to reopen the file %s after session_gc()", get_sparam(S_PATH).to_string().c_str());
+		session_abort();
+	} else {
+		fcntl(get_sparam(S_FD).to_int(), F_SETLKW, &lock);
+	}
+
+	fprintf(stderr, "\n\tScan the session dir after gc():\n\t");
+	s_list = f$scandir(get_sparam(S_DIR).to_string());
+	for (const auto &filename : s_list.as_array()) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "%s, ", filename.get_value().to_string().c_str());
+	}
+	fprintf(stderr, "\n\n");
+
 	return result;
 }