diff --git a/django_structlog/middlewares/request.py b/django_structlog/middlewares/request.py
index e0ac48d1..59e894a5 100644
--- a/django_structlog/middlewares/request.py
+++ b/django_structlog/middlewares/request.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 from django.core.exceptions import PermissionDenied
 from django.core.signals import got_request_exception
 from django.http import Http404, StreamingHttpResponse
+from django.utils.functional import SimpleLazyObject
 
 from .. import signals
 from ..app_settings import app_settings
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@
 if TYPE_CHECKING:  # pragma: no cover
     from types import TracebackType
 
+    from django.contrib.auth.base_user import AbstractBaseUser
     from django.http import HttpRequest, HttpResponse
 
 logger = structlog.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -209,7 +211,14 @@ def format_request(request: "HttpRequest") -> str:
     @staticmethod
     def bind_user_id(request: "HttpRequest") -> None:
         user_id_field = app_settings.USER_ID_FIELD
-        if hasattr(request, "user") and request.user is not None and user_id_field:
+        if not user_id_field or not hasattr(request, "user"):
+            return
+
+        session_was_accessed = (
+            request.session.accessed if hasattr(request, "session") else None
+        )
+
+        if request.user is not None:
             user_id = None
             if hasattr(request.user, user_id_field):
                 user_id = getattr(request.user, user_id_field)
@@ -217,6 +226,17 @@ def bind_user_id(request: "HttpRequest") -> None:
                     user_id = str(user_id)
             structlog.contextvars.bind_contextvars(user_id=user_id)
 
+        if session_was_accessed is False:
+            """using SessionMiddleware but user was never accessed, must reset accessed state"""
+            user = request.user
+
+            def get_user() -> Any:
+                request.session.accessed = True
+                return user
+
+            request.user = cast("AbstractBaseUser", SimpleLazyObject(get_user))
+            request.session.accessed = False
+
     def process_got_request_exception(
         self, sender: Type[Any], request: "HttpRequest", **kwargs: Any
     ) -> None:
diff --git a/test_app/tests/middlewares/test_request.py b/test_app/tests/middlewares/test_request.py
index d8088b68..d7cfc0b9 100644
--- a/test_app/tests/middlewares/test_request.py
+++ b/test_app/tests/middlewares/test_request.py
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@
 from unittest.mock import AsyncMock, Mock, patch
 
 import structlog
+from django.contrib.auth.middleware import AuthenticationMiddleware
 from django.contrib.auth.models import AnonymousUser, User
+from django.contrib.sessions.middleware import SessionMiddleware
 from django.contrib.sites.models import Site
 from django.contrib.sites.shortcuts import get_current_site
 from django.core.exceptions import PermissionDenied
@@ -236,6 +238,97 @@ class SimpleUser:
         self.assertIn("user_id", record.msg)
         self.assertIsNone(record.msg["user_id"])
 
+    @override_settings(
+        SECRET_KEY="00000000000000000000000000000000",
+    )
+    def test_process_request_session_middleware_without_vary(self) -> None:
+        def get_response(_request: HttpRequest) -> HttpResponse:
+            with self.assertLogs(__name__, logging.INFO) as log_results:
+                self.logger.info("hello")
+            self.log_results = log_results
+            return HttpResponse()
+
+        request = self.factory.get("/foo")
+
+        # simulate SessionMiddleware, AuthenticationMiddleware, and RequestMiddleware called in that order
+        request_middleware = RequestMiddleware(get_response)
+        authentication_middleware = AuthenticationMiddleware(
+            cast(
+                Any,
+                lambda r: request_middleware(r),
+            )
+        )
+        session_middleware = SessionMiddleware(
+            cast(Any, lambda r: authentication_middleware(r))
+        )
+        response = session_middleware(request)
+
+        self.assertEqual(1, len(self.log_results.records))
+        record = self.log_results.records[0]
+        self.assertIsNone(cast(HttpResponse, response).headers.get("Vary"))
+
+        self.assertEqual("INFO", record.levelname)
+
+        self.assertIn("user_id", record.msg)
+        self.assertIsNone(record.msg["user_id"])
+
+    @override_settings(
+        SECRET_KEY="00000000000000000000000000000000",
+    )
+    def test_process_request_session_middleware_with_vary(self) -> None:
+        def get_response(_request: HttpRequest) -> HttpResponse:
+            assert isinstance(
+                request.user, AnonymousUser
+            )  # force evaluate user to trigger session middleware
+            with self.assertLogs(__name__, logging.INFO) as log_results:
+                self.logger.info("hello")
+            self.log_results = log_results
+            return HttpResponse()
+
+        request = self.factory.get("/foo")
+
+        # simulate SessionMiddleware, AuthenticationMiddleware, and RequestMiddleware called in that order
+        request_middleware = RequestMiddleware(get_response)
+        authentication_middleware = AuthenticationMiddleware(
+            cast(Any, lambda r: request_middleware(r))
+        )
+        session_middleware = SessionMiddleware(
+            cast(Any, lambda r: authentication_middleware(r))
+        )
+        response = session_middleware(request)
+
+        self.assertEqual(1, len(self.log_results.records))
+        record = self.log_results.records[0]
+        self.assertIsNotNone(cast(HttpResponse, response).headers.get("Vary"))
+
+        self.assertEqual("INFO", record.levelname)
+
+        self.assertIn("user_id", record.msg)
+        self.assertIsNone(record.msg["user_id"])
+
+    @override_settings(
+        DJANGO_STRUCTLOG_USER_ID_FIELD=None,
+    )
+    def test_process_request_no_user_id_field(self) -> None:
+        def get_response(_request: HttpRequest) -> HttpResponse:
+            with self.assertLogs(__name__, logging.INFO) as log_results:
+                self.logger.info("hello")
+            self.log_results = log_results
+            return HttpResponse()
+
+        request = self.factory.get("/foo")
+
+        middleware = RequestMiddleware(get_response)
+        response = middleware(request)
+        self.assertEqual(200, cast(HttpResponse, response).status_code)
+
+        self.assertEqual(1, len(self.log_results.records))
+        record = self.log_results.records[0]
+
+        self.assertEqual("INFO", record.levelname)
+
+        self.assertNotIn("user_id", record.msg)
+
     def test_log_user_in_request_finished(self) -> None:
         mock_response = Mock()
         mock_response.status_code = 200