diff --git a/internal/commands/start.go b/internal/commands/start.go
index 058686db6..89cf4e40c 100644
--- a/internal/commands/start.go
+++ b/internal/commands/start.go
@@ -99,16 +99,16 @@ func startAction(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 			return nil
 		}
 
-		child, err := dctx.Reborn()
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
+		child, contextErr := dctx.Reborn()
+
+		if contextErr != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("daemon context error: %w", contextErr)
 		}
 
 		if child != nil {
 			if writeErr := fs.WriteString(conf.PIDFilename(), strconv.Itoa(child.Pid)); writeErr != nil {
 				log.Error(writeErr)
-				log.Fatalf("failed writing process id to %s", clean.Log(conf.PIDFilename()))
-				return nil
+				return fmt.Errorf("failed writing process id to %s", clean.Log(conf.PIDFilename()))
 			}
 
 			log.Infof("daemon started with process id %v\n", child.Pid)
@@ -116,22 +116,28 @@ func startAction(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Show info if read-only mode is enabled.
 	if conf.ReadOnly() {
 		log.Infof("config: enabled read-only mode")
 	}
 
-	// Start Web server.
+	// Start built-in web server.
 	go server.Start(cctx, conf)
 
-	if count, err := photoprism.RestoreAlbums(conf.AlbumsPath(), false); err != nil {
-		log.Errorf("restore: %s", err)
+	// Restore albums from YAML files.
+	if count, restoreErr := photoprism.RestoreAlbums(conf.AlbumsPath(), false); restoreErr != nil {
+		log.Errorf("restore: %s", restoreErr)
 	} else if count > 0 {
 		log.Infof("%d albums restored", count)
 	}
 
-	// Start background workers.
-	session.Monitor(time.Hour)
+	// Start worker that periodically deletes expired sessions.
+	session.Cleanup(conf.SessionCacheDuration() * 4)
+
+	// Start sync and metadata maintenance background workers.
 	workers.Start(conf)
+
+	// Start auto-indexing background worker.
 	auto.Start(conf)
 
 	// Wait for signal to initiate server shutdown.
@@ -149,8 +155,8 @@ func startAction(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	log.Info("shutting down...")
 	cancel()
 
-	if err := dctx.Release(); err != nil {
-		log.Error(err)
+	if contextErr := dctx.Release(); contextErr != nil {
+		log.Error(contextErr)
 	}
 
 	// Finally, close the DB connection after a short grace period.
diff --git a/internal/session/monitor.go b/internal/session/cleanup.go
similarity index 65%
rename from internal/session/monitor.go
rename to internal/session/cleanup.go
index 154fb178d..f497a14fd 100644
--- a/internal/session/monitor.go
+++ b/internal/session/cleanup.go
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ import (
 
 var stop = make(chan bool, 1)
 
-// MonitorAction deletes expired sessions.
-var MonitorAction = func() {
+// CleanupAction deletes sessions that have expired.
+var CleanupAction = func() {
 	if n := entity.DeleteExpiredSessions(); n > 0 {
 		event.AuditInfo([]string{"deleted %s"}, english.Plural(n, "expired session", "expired sessions"))
 	} else {
@@ -20,12 +20,13 @@ var MonitorAction = func() {
 	}
 }
 
-// Monitor starts a background worker that periodically deletes expired sessions.
-func Monitor(interval time.Duration) {
+// Cleanup starts a background worker that periodically deletes expired sessions.
+func Cleanup(interval time.Duration) {
+	// Immediately delete sessions that have already expired.
+	CleanupAction()
+
+	// Periodically delete expired sessions based on the specified interval.
 	ticker := time.NewTicker(interval)
-
-	MonitorAction()
-
 	go func() {
 		for {
 			select {
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ func Monitor(interval time.Duration) {
 				ticker.Stop()
 				return
 			case <-ticker.C:
-				MonitorAction()
+				CleanupAction()
 			}
 		}
 	}()
diff --git a/internal/session/monitor_test.go b/internal/session/cleanup_test.go
similarity index 52%
rename from internal/session/monitor_test.go
rename to internal/session/cleanup_test.go
index cf18ba347..83b7b1b71 100644
--- a/internal/session/monitor_test.go
+++ b/internal/session/cleanup_test.go
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
-func TestWatch(t *testing.T) {
-	Monitor(time.Minute)
+func TestCleanup(t *testing.T) {
+	Cleanup(time.Minute)
 	Shutdown()
 }
diff --git a/internal/workers/workers.go b/internal/workers/workers.go
index 2a00e16d3..97e0fc128 100644
--- a/internal/workers/workers.go
+++ b/internal/workers/workers.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ import (
 var log = event.Log
 var stop = make(chan bool, 1)
 
-// Start runs the metadata, share & sync background workers at regular intervals.
+// Start runs the sync and metadata maintenance background workers at regular intervals.
 func Start(conf *config.Config) {
 	interval := conf.WakeupInterval()