Auth + redirect

This problem is probably an old one, i'll find a lot of info concerning it, but i don't see the trees through the wood anymore. i'll describe my code : i've a login.php which looks like if(isset($_POST['username']) && $_POST['password']){ ini_set("session.cookie_domain",".kvds.be"); $a = new Auth("DB", $glob_ar['auth_params'], "" , false); $a->start(); if($a->getAuth()) { $redirect_to = $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] . dirname($_SERVER['PHP_SELF']) . "/mainpage.php" ; if( $_SERVER['SERVER_PORT'] == 8043 ) $server = 'https'; else $server = 'http'; session_write_close(); //header("Cache-Control: private"); //header("Location: $server://$redirect_to"); //header("Status: 303"); print "<meta http-equiv=\"refresh\" content=\"0;URL=$server://$redirect_to\">"; // close this session already to write session id cookie, before redirect exit(); }else{ print "<b>You're not allowed to proceed!<br><br>\n"; } } else { // html code for login screen } Then i have that mainpage.php code $a = new Auth("DB", $glob_ar['auth_params'], "" , false); $a->start(); if( $a->getAuth() ){ // setup connection to databaswe $db = DB::connect($glob_ar['dsn_user']); // user is authenticated, create a user object $user = new User($a, $db, true); // compose the mainmenu form $out = ..... print $out; } else { header("Location: login.php"); } I always have to login twice , so the first login doesn't seem to propagate the cookies, i got sent back to the login screen.i also tried with this meta-refresh thing. What's the correct way to handle this ? thanks jef