diff --git a/zerver/lib/sessions.py b/zerver/lib/sessions.py
index a6aaff6ad0..1c47973c17 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/sessions.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/sessions.py
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
 import logging
 
+from datetime import timedelta
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.contrib.auth import SESSION_KEY, get_user_model
 from django.contrib.sessions.models import Session
 from django.utils.timezone import now as timezone_now
 from importlib import import_module
-from typing import List, Mapping, Optional
+from typing import Any, List, Mapping, Optional
 
 from zerver.models import Realm, UserProfile, get_user_profile_by_id
+from zerver.lib.timestamp import datetime_to_timestamp, timestamp_to_datetime
 
 session_engine = import_module(settings.SESSION_ENGINE)
 
@@ -53,3 +55,26 @@ def delete_all_deactivated_user_sessions() -> None:
         if not user_profile.is_active or user_profile.realm.deactivated:
             logging.info("Deactivating session for deactivated user %s" % (user_profile.id,))
             delete_session(session)
+
+def set_expirable_session_var(session: Session, var_name: str, var_value: Any, expiry_seconds: int) -> None:
+    expire_at = datetime_to_timestamp(timezone_now() + timedelta(seconds=expiry_seconds))
+    session[var_name] = {'value': var_value, 'expire_at': expire_at}
+
+def get_expirable_session_var(session: Session, var_name: str, default_value: Any=None,
+                              delete: bool=False) -> Any:
+    if var_name not in session:
+        return default_value
+
+    try:
+        value, expire_at = (session[var_name]['value'], session[var_name]['expire_at'])
+    except (KeyError, TypeError) as e:
+        logging.warning("get_expirable_session_var: Variable {}: {}".format(var_name, e))
+        return default_value
+
+    if timestamp_to_datetime(expire_at) < timezone_now():
+        del session[var_name]
+        return default_value
+
+    if delete:
+        del session[var_name]
+    return value
diff --git a/zerver/tests/test_sessions.py b/zerver/tests/test_sessions.py
index 6f16483178..87a1b5e667 100644
--- a/zerver/tests/test_sessions.py
+++ b/zerver/tests/test_sessions.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+from datetime import timedelta
+from django.utils.timezone import now as timezone_now
 from typing import Any, Callable
 
 from zerver.lib.sessions import (
@@ -7,6 +9,8 @@ from zerver.lib.sessions import (
     delete_realm_user_sessions,
     delete_all_user_sessions,
     delete_all_deactivated_user_sessions,
+    get_expirable_session_var,
+    set_expirable_session_var,
 )
 
 from zerver.models import (
@@ -15,6 +19,7 @@ from zerver.models import (
 
 from zerver.lib.test_classes import ZulipTestCase
 
+import mock
 
 class TestSessions(ZulipTestCase):
 
@@ -93,3 +98,35 @@ class TestSessions(ZulipTestCase):
         delete_all_deactivated_user_sessions()
         result = self.client_get("/")
         self.assertEqual('/login/', result.url)
+
+class TestExpirableSessionVars(ZulipTestCase):
+    def setUp(self) -> None:
+        self.session = self.client.session
+        super().setUp()
+
+    def test_set_and_get_basic(self) -> None:
+        start_time = timezone_now()
+        with mock.patch('zerver.lib.sessions.timezone_now', return_value=start_time):
+            set_expirable_session_var(self.session, 'test_set_and_get_basic', 'some_value', expiry_seconds=10)
+            value = get_expirable_session_var(self.session, 'test_set_and_get_basic')
+            self.assertEqual(value, 'some_value')
+        with mock.patch('zerver.lib.sessions.timezone_now', return_value=start_time + timedelta(seconds=11)):
+            value = get_expirable_session_var(self.session, 'test_set_and_get_basic')
+            self.assertEqual(value, None)
+
+    def test_set_and_get_with_delete(self) -> None:
+        set_expirable_session_var(self.session, 'test_set_and_get_with_delete', 'some_value', expiry_seconds=10)
+        value = get_expirable_session_var(self.session, 'test_set_and_get_with_delete', delete=True)
+        self.assertEqual(value, 'some_value')
+        self.assertEqual(get_expirable_session_var(self.session, 'test_set_and_get_with_delete'), None)
+
+    def test_get_var_not_set(self) -> None:
+        value = get_expirable_session_var(self.session, 'test_get_var_not_set', default_value='default')
+        self.assertEqual(value, 'default')
+
+    def test_get_var_is_not_expirable(self) -> None:
+        self.session["test_get_var_is_not_expirable"] = 0
+        with mock.patch('zerver.lib.sessions.logging.warning') as mock_warn:
+            value = get_expirable_session_var(self.session, 'test_get_var_is_not_expirable', default_value='default')
+            self.assertEqual(value, 'default')
+            mock_warn.assert_called_once()