diff --git a/ganttzk/src/main/resources/web/ganttz/zul/plannerLayout.zul b/ganttzk/src/main/resources/web/ganttz/zul/plannerLayout.zul
index cda703cfa..01f39149f 100644
--- a/ganttzk/src/main/resources/web/ganttz/zul/plannerLayout.zul
+++ b/ganttzk/src/main/resources/web/ganttz/zul/plannerLayout.zul
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ planner = self;
         </zscript>
 
         <hbox align="center" id="toolbar">
+            <!-- 30 seconds timer, to keep alive page -->
+            <timer repeats="true" running="true" delay="30000" onTimer=""/>
 
             <separator />
 
diff --git a/ganttzk/src/main/resources/web/ganttz/zul/resourcesLoadLayout.zul b/ganttzk/src/main/resources/web/ganttz/zul/resourcesLoadLayout.zul
index 09bdba896..4c8dfabfc 100644
--- a/ganttzk/src/main/resources/web/ganttz/zul/resourcesLoadLayout.zul
+++ b/ganttzk/src/main/resources/web/ganttz/zul/resourcesLoadLayout.zul
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ resourcesLoadPanel = self;
 ]]>
 </zscript>
 
-
+    <timer repeats="true" running="true" delay="30000" onTimer=""/>
     <borderlayout sclass="resourcesloadlayout" width="auto" height="100%">
        <north height="30px" border="0" sclass="toolbar-box">
        <hbox align="center" id="toolbar">
diff --git a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/zk.xml b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/zk.xml
index 1b7a30675..dcc4cea44 100644
--- a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/zk.xml
+++ b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/zk.xml
@@ -3,9 +3,16 @@
         <log-base></log-base>
     </log>
 
+    <desktop-config>
+        <!-- seconds it takes between requests for a desktop to be invalidated -->
+        <!-- a timer is introduced to avoid invalidation of pages still open -->
+        <desktop-timeout>60</desktop-timeout>
+    </desktop-config>
+
     <session-config>
-        <!-- 1 hour for timeout-->
-        <session-timeout>3600</session-timeout>
+        <!-- 0 implies default from web.xml  -->
+        <session-timeout>0</session-timeout>
+        <timer-keep-alive>true</timer-keep-alive>
     </session-config>
     <error-page>
         <exception-type>java.lang.Throwable
diff --git a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/webapp/common/layout/template.zul b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/webapp/common/layout/template.zul
index ba094a61f..835412ce9 100644
--- a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/webapp/common/layout/template.zul
+++ b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/webapp/common/layout/template.zul
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ signature="java.lang.Boolean isDefaultPasswordsControl()"?>
 
 <div xmlns:n="http://www.zkoss.org/2005/zk/native" apply="${templateCtrl}" height="100%">
 
+<timer repeats="true" running="true" delay="30000" onTimer=""/>
 <borderlayout height="100%" width="100%" >
 <north border="none">
 <n:div>
@@ -69,7 +70,6 @@ signature="java.lang.Boolean isDefaultPasswordsControl()"?>
   </n:tr>
 </n:table>
 
-
       <n:div class="user-area">
           <n:table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
             <n:tr>
diff --git a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/webapp/limitingresources/limitingResourcesLayout.zul b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/webapp/limitingresources/limitingResourcesLayout.zul
index 08e4414df..08e10178e 100644
--- a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/webapp/limitingresources/limitingResourcesLayout.zul
+++ b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/webapp/limitingresources/limitingResourcesLayout.zul
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
         editController = editTaskController;
     ]]>
     </zscript>
-
+    <timer repeats="true" running="true" delay="30000" onTimer=""/>
     <borderlayout sclass="resourcesloadlayout" width="auto">
 
         <!-- Top control button bar -->