diff --git a/app/routes.py b/app/routes.py
index 1105e8d..d643b15 100644
--- a/app/routes.py
+++ b/app/routes.py
@@ -48,6 +48,14 @@ def get_search_name(tbm):
 def auth_required(f):
     @wraps(f)
     def decorated(*args, **kwargs):
+        # do not ask password if cookies already present
+        if (
+            valid_user_session(session)
+            and 'cookies_disabled' not in request.args
+            and session['auth']
+        ):
+            return f(*args, **kwargs)
+
         auth = request.authorization
 
         # Skip if username/password not set
@@ -57,6 +65,7 @@ def auth_required(f):
                 auth
                 and whoogle_user == auth.username
                 and whoogle_pass == auth.password):
+            session['auth'] = True
             return f(*args, **kwargs)
         else:
             return make_response('Not logged in', 401, {
@@ -140,6 +149,7 @@ def before_request_func():
         session['config'] = default_config
         session['uuid'] = str(uuid.uuid4())
         session['key'] = app.enc_key
+        session['auth'] = False
 
     # Establish config values per user session
     g.user_config = Config(**session['config'])
diff --git a/app/utils/session.py b/app/utils/session.py
index 8e1156b..5bac42b 100644
--- a/app/utils/session.py
+++ b/app/utils/session.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from cryptography.fernet import Fernet
 from flask import current_app as app
 
-REQUIRED_SESSION_VALUES = ['uuid', 'config', 'key']
+REQUIRED_SESSION_VALUES = ['uuid', 'config', 'key', 'auth']
 
 
 def generate_key() -> bytes:
diff --git a/test/conftest.py b/test/conftest.py
index a91a803..cec3def 100644
--- a/test/conftest.py
+++ b/test/conftest.py
@@ -20,4 +20,5 @@ def client():
             session['uuid'] = 'test'
             session['key'] = app.enc_key
             session['config'] = {}
+            session['auth'] = False
         yield client