diff --git a/administrator/components/com_config/model/form/application.xml b/administrator/components/com_config/model/form/application.xml
index de47a993343ee..cfe9c6b1984a7 100644
--- a/administrator/components/com_config/model/form/application.xml
+++ b/administrator/components/com_config/model/form/application.xml
@@ -922,6 +922,20 @@
 			size="5"
 		/>
 
+		<field
+			name="session_redis_persist"
+			type="radio"
+			label="COM_CONFIG_FIELD_REDIS_PERSISTENT_LABEL"
+			description="COM_CONFIG_FIELD_REDIS_PERSISTENT_DESC"
+			class="btn-group btn-group-yesno"
+			default="1"
+			filter="integer"
+			showon="session_handler:redis"
+			>
+			<option value="1">JYES</option>
+			<option value="0">JNO</option>
+		</field>
+
 		<field
 			name="session_redis_server_host"
 			type="text"
@@ -947,6 +961,17 @@
 			size="5"
 		/>
 
+		<field
+			name="session_redis_server_auth"
+			type="password"
+			label="COM_CONFIG_FIELD_REDIS_AUTH_LABEL"
+			description="COM_CONFIG_FIELD_REDIS_AUTH_DESC"
+			filter="raw"
+			showon="session_handler:redis"
+			autocomplete="off"
+			size="30"
+		/>
+
 		<field
 			name="session_redis_server_db"
 			type="number"
diff --git a/libraries/joomla/session/storage/redis.php b/libraries/joomla/session/storage/redis.php
index d17c5e67c2591..f892582af774d 100644
--- a/libraries/joomla/session/storage/redis.php
+++ b/libraries/joomla/session/storage/redis.php
@@ -34,11 +34,19 @@ public function __construct($options = array())
 		$config = JFactory::getConfig();
 
 		$this->_server = array(
-			'host' => $config->get('session_redis_server_host', 'localhost'),
-			'port' => $config->get('session_redis_server_port', 6379),
-			'db'   => (int) $config->get('session_redis_server_db', 0)
+			'host'    => $config->get('session_redis_server_host', 'localhost'),
+			'port'    => $config->get('session_redis_server_port', 6379),
+			'persist' => $config->get('session_redis_persist', true),
+			'auth'    => $config->get('session_redis_server_auth', null),
+			'db'      => (int) $config->get('session_redis_server_db', 0),
 		);
 
+		// If you are trying to connect to a socket file, ignore the supplied port
+		if ($this->_server['host'][0] === '/')
+		{
+			$this->_server['port'] = 0;
+		}
+
 		parent::__construct($options);
 	}
 
@@ -51,17 +59,29 @@ public function __construct($options = array())
 	 */
 	public function register()
 	{
-		if (!empty($this->_server) && isset($this->_server['host']) && isset($this->_server['port']))
+		if (!empty($this->_server) && isset($this->_server['host'], $this->_server['port']))
 		{
 			if (!headers_sent())
 			{
-				$path = $this->_server['host'] . ":" . $this->_server['port'];
+				if ($this->_server['port'] === 0)
+				{
+					$path = 'unix://' . $this->_server['host'];
+				}
+				else
+				{
+					$path = 'tcp://' . $this->_server['host'] . ":" . $this->_server['port'];
+				}
+
+				$persist = isset($this->_server['persist']) ? $this->_server['persist'] : false;
+				$db      = isset($this->_server['db']) ? $this->_server['db'] : 0;
 
-				if (isset($this->_server['db']) && ($this->_server['db'] !== 0))
+				$path .= '?persistent=' . (int) $persist . '&database=' . $db;
+
+				if (!empty($this->_server['auth']))
 				{
-					$path = 'tcp://' . $path . '?database=' . $this->_server['db'];
+					$path .= '&auth=' . $this->_server['auth'];
 				}
-				
+
 				ini_set('session.save_path', $path);
 				ini_set('session.save_handler', 'redis');
 			}
diff --git a/libraries/src/Cache/Storage/RedisStorage.php b/libraries/src/Cache/Storage/RedisStorage.php
index febed02ab33f9..3347d116497d8 100644
--- a/libraries/src/Cache/Storage/RedisStorage.php
+++ b/libraries/src/Cache/Storage/RedisStorage.php
@@ -68,49 +68,47 @@ protected function getConnection()
 			return false;
 		}
 
-		$app = \JFactory::getApplication();
+		$config = \JFactory::getConfig();
 
-		$this->_persistent = $app->get('redis_persist', true);
+		$this->_persistent = $config->get('redis_persist', true);
 
 		$server = array(
-			'host' => $app->get('redis_server_host', 'localhost'),
-			'port' => $app->get('redis_server_port', 6379),
-			'auth' => $app->get('redis_server_auth', null),
-			'db'   => (int) $app->get('redis_server_db', null),
+			'host' => $config->get('redis_server_host', 'localhost'),
+			'port' => $config->get('redis_server_port', 6379),
+			'auth' => $config->get('redis_server_auth', null),
+			'db'   => (int) $config->get('redis_server_db', null),
 		);
 
+		// If you are trying to connect to a socket file, ignore the supplied port
+		if ($server['host'][0] === '/')
+		{
+			$server['port'] = 0;
+		}
+
 		static::$_redis = new \Redis;
 
-		if ($this->_persistent)
+		try
 		{
-			try
+			if ($this->_persistent)
 			{
 				$connection = static::$_redis->pconnect($server['host'], $server['port']);
-				$auth       = (!empty($server['auth'])) ? static::$_redis->auth($server['auth']) : true;
 			}
-			catch (\RedisException $e)
+			else
 			{
-				Log::add($e->getMessage(), Log::DEBUG);
+				$connection = static::$_redis->connect($server['host'], $server['port']);
 			}
 		}
-		else
+		catch (\RedisException $e)
 		{
-			try
-			{
-				$connection = static::$_redis->connect($server['host'], $server['port']);
-				$auth       = (!empty($server['auth'])) ? static::$_redis->auth($server['auth']) : true;
-			}
-			catch (\RedisException $e)
-			{
-				Log::add($e->getMessage(), Log::DEBUG);
-			}
+			Log::add($e->getMessage(), Log::DEBUG);
 		}
 
 		if ($connection == false)
 		{
 			static::$_redis = null;
 
-			if ($app->isClient('administrator'))
+			// Because the application instance may not be available on cli script, use it only if needed
+			if (\JFactory::getApplication()->isClient('administrator'))
 			{
 				\JError::raiseWarning(500, 'Redis connection failed');
 			}
@@ -118,9 +116,22 @@ protected function getConnection()
 			return false;
 		}
 
-		if ($auth == false)
+		try
+		{
+			$auth = $server['auth'] ? static::$_redis->auth($server['auth']) : true;
+		}
+		catch (\RedisException $e)
+		{
+			$auth = false;
+			Log::add($e->getMessage(), Log::DEBUG);
+		}
+
+		if ($auth === false)
 		{
-			if ($app->isClient('administrator'))
+			static::$_redis = null;
+
+			// Because the application instance may not be available on cli script, use it only if needed
+			if (\JFactory::getApplication()->isClient('administrator'))
 			{
 				\JError::raiseWarning(500, 'Redis authentication failed');
 			}
@@ -134,7 +145,8 @@ protected function getConnection()
 		{
 			static::$_redis = null;
 
-			if ($app->isClient('administrator'))
+			// Because the application instance may not be available on cli script, use it only if needed
+			if (\JFactory::getApplication()->isClient('administrator'))
 			{
 				\JError::raiseWarning(500, 'Redis failed to select database');
 			}
@@ -150,7 +162,8 @@ protected function getConnection()
 		{
 			static::$_redis = null;
 
-			if ($app->isClient('administrator'))
+			// Because the application instance may not be available on cli script, use it only if needed
+			if (\JFactory::getApplication()->isClient('administrator'))
 			{
 				\JError::raiseWarning(500, 'Redis ping failed');
 			}