diff --git a/inc/class-cli-command.php b/inc/class-cli-command.php
index 6d0a1625..411db60d 100644
--- a/inc/class-cli-command.php
+++ b/inc/class-cli-command.php
@@ -79,6 +79,21 @@ public function delete( $args, $assoc_args ) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Run session garbage collection.
+	 *
+	 * @subcommand gc
+	 */
+	public function gc( $args, $assoc_args ) {
+		if ( ! PANTHEON_SESSIONS_ENABLED ) {
+			WP_CLI::error( 'Pantheon Sessions is currently disabled.' );
+		}
+
+		$pantheon_session = \Pantheon_Sessions::get_instance();
+		$pantheon_session->garbage_collection();
+		WP_CLI::success( 'Session garbage collection complete.' );
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Set id as primary key in the Native PHP Sessions plugin table.
 	 *
diff --git a/inc/class-session.php b/inc/class-session.php
index 71325312..e76be7d5 100644
--- a/inc/class-session.php
+++ b/inc/class-session.php
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ public static function create_for_sid( $sid ) {
 		$insert_data = [
 			'session_id' => $sid,
 			'user_id'    => (int) get_current_user_id(),
+			'datetime'   => gmdate( 'Y-m-d H:i:s' ),
 		];
 		if ( function_exists( 'is_ssl' ) && is_ssl() ) {
 			$insert_data['secure_session_id'] = $sid;
diff --git a/pantheon-sessions.php b/pantheon-sessions.php
index d701092f..f0689917 100644
--- a/pantheon-sessions.php
+++ b/pantheon-sessions.php
@@ -60,10 +60,6 @@ private function load() {
 			return;
 		}
 
-		if ( defined( 'DOING_CRON' ) && DOING_CRON ) {
-			return;
-		}
-
 		$this->define_constants();
 		$this->require_files();
 
@@ -74,12 +70,30 @@ private function load() {
 			$this->set_ini_values();
 			add_action( 'set_logged_in_cookie', [ __CLASS__, 'action_set_logged_in_cookie' ], 10, 4 );
 			add_action( 'clear_auth_cookie', [ __CLASS__, 'action_clear_auth_cookie' ] );
+
+			if ( ! wp_next_scheduled( 'pantheon_sessions_gc' ) ) {
+				wp_schedule_event( time(), 'hourly', 'pantheon_sessions_gc' );
+			}
+			add_action( 'pantheon_sessions_gc', [ $this, 'garbage_collection' ] );
 		}
 
 		add_action( 'admin_enqueue_scripts', [ $this, 'enqueue_scripts' ] );
 		add_action( 'wp_ajax_dismiss_notice', [ $this, 'dismiss_notice' ] );
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Runs the garbage collection process.
+	 *
+	 * @param int $maxlifetime Maximum lifetime in seconds.
+	 */
+	public function garbage_collection( $maxlifetime = null ) {
+		if ( null === $maxlifetime ) {
+			$maxlifetime = (int) ini_get( 'session.gc_maxlifetime' );
+		}
+		$handler = new \Pantheon_Sessions\Session_Handler();
+		$handler->gc( $maxlifetime );
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Enqueue scripts
 	 */
@@ -240,7 +254,7 @@ private function setup_database() {
 			`session_id` varchar(128) NOT NULL DEFAULT '' COMMENT 'A session ID. The value is generated by plugin''s session handlers.',
 			`secure_session_id` varchar(128) NOT NULL DEFAULT '' COMMENT 'Secure session ID. The value is generated by plugin''s session handlers.',
 			`ip_address` varchar(128) NOT NULL DEFAULT '' COMMENT 'The IP address that last used this session ID.',
-			`datetime` datetime DEFAULT NULL COMMENT 'The datetime value when this session last requested a page. Old records are purged by PHP automatically.',
+			`datetime` datetime DEFAULT NULL COMMENT 'The datetime value when this session was last written to.',
 			`data` mediumblob COMMENT 'The serialized contents of \$_SESSION, an array of name/value pairs that persists across page requests by this session ID. Plugin loads \$_SESSION from here at the start of each request and saves it at the end.',
 			KEY `session_id` (`session_id`),
 			KEY `secure_session_id` (`secure_session_id`)
diff --git a/readme.txt b/readme.txt
index 1ce2b7be..1ad2d1ea 100644
--- a/readme.txt
+++ b/readme.txt
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ Adds a WP-CLI command to add an index to the sessions table if one does not exis
 == Changelog ==
 
 = 1.4.6-dev =
+* Run session garbage collection hourly through WordPress scheduled task. Create WP-CLI command to run GC manually
 
 = 1.4.5 (December 2025) =
 * Compatibility: Supports Wordpress 6.9
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/test-sessions.php b/tests/phpunit/test-sessions.php
index 354e8336..1efa9a9b 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/test-sessions.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/test-sessions.php
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ public function setUp(): void {
 		if ( ! Session::get_by_sid( session_id() ) ) {
 			Session::create_for_sid( session_id() );
 		}
+
 		parent::setUp();
 	}
 
@@ -126,23 +127,21 @@ public function test_session_sync_user_id_login_logout() {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Ensures the garbage collection function wroks as expected.
+	 * Ensures the garbage collection function works as expected.
 	 */
 	public function test_session_garbage_collection() {
-		$this->markTestSkipped( 'ini_set() never works once headers have been set' );
-
 		global $wpdb;
 		$_SESSION['foo'] = 'bar';
 		session_commit();
 		$this->assertEquals( 1, $wpdb->get_var( "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM $wpdb->pantheon_sessions" ) );
-		$current_val = ini_get( 'session.gc_maxlifetime' );
-		ini_set( 'session.gc_maxlifetime', 100000000 );
-		_pantheon_session_garbage_collection( ini_get( 'session.gc_maxlifetime' ) );
+
+		// Should NOT delete the session with a very long lifetime.
+		Pantheon_Sessions()->garbage_collection( 100000000 );
 		$this->assertEquals( 1, $wpdb->get_var( "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM $wpdb->pantheon_sessions" ) );
-		ini_set( 'session.gc_maxlifetime', 0 );
-		_pantheon_session_garbage_collection( ini_get( 'session.gc_maxlifetime' ) );
+
+		// Should delete the session with a lifetime of 0.
+		Pantheon_Sessions()->garbage_collection( 0 );
 		$this->assertEquals( 0, $wpdb->get_var( "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM $wpdb->pantheon_sessions" ) );
-		ini_set( 'session.gc_maxlifetime', $current_val );
 	}
 
 	/**