diff --git a/framework/yii/web/Session.php b/framework/yii/web/Session.php
index 7c9284b..6996edb 100644
--- a/framework/yii/web/Session.php
+++ b/framework/yii/web/Session.php
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ use yii\base\InvalidParamException;
  *
  * @property array $allFlashes Flash messages (key => message). This property is read-only.
  * @property array $cookieParams The session cookie parameters. This property is read-only.
- * @property SessionHandlerInterface $handler an object providing persistance methods implementation.
  * @property integer $count The number of session variables. This property is read-only.
  * @property string $flash The key identifying the flash message. Note that flash messages and normal session
  * variables share the same name space. If you have a normal session variable using the same name, its value will
@@ -82,15 +81,15 @@ class Session extends Component implements \IteratorAggregate, \ArrayAccess, \Co
 	 */
 	public $flashVar = '__flash';
 	/**
+	 * @var \SessionHandlerInterface|array an object implementing the SessionHandlerInterface or a configuration array. If set, will be used to provide persistency instead of build-in methods.
+	 */
+	public $handler;
+	/**
 	 * @var array parameter-value pairs to override default session cookie parameters that are used for session_set_cookie_params() function
 	 * Array may have the following possible keys: 'lifetime', 'path', 'domain', 'secure', 'httpOnly'
 	 * @see http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.session-set-cookie-params.php
 	 */
 	private $_cookieParams = ['httpOnly' => true];
-	/**
-	 * @var \SessionHandlerInterface|array an object implementing the SessionHandlerInterface or a configuration array. If set, will be used to provide persistency instead of build-in methods.
-	 */
-	private $_handler;
 
 	/**
 	 * Initializes the application component.
@@ -118,27 +117,6 @@ class Session extends Component implements \IteratorAggregate, \ArrayAccess, \Co
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * @param array|\SessionHandlerInterface $handler handler instance or its array configuration, it will be used to
-	 * provide persistance method implementations.
-	 * @throws InvalidConfigException on invalid argument.
-	 */
-	public function setHandler($handler)
-	{
-		$this->_handler = is_object($handler) ? $handler : Yii::createObject($this->_handler);
-		if (!$this->handler instanceof \SessionHandlerInterface) {
-			throw new InvalidConfigException('"' . get_class($this) . '::handler" must implement the SessionHandlerInterface.');
-		}
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * @return SessionHandlerInterface handler instance.
-	 */
-	public function getHandler()
-	{
-		return $this->_handler;
-	}
-
-	/**
 	 * Starts the session.
 	 */
 	public function open()
@@ -147,8 +125,14 @@ class Session extends Component implements \IteratorAggregate, \ArrayAccess, \Co
 			return;
 		}
 
-		if ($this->getHandler() !== null) {
-			@session_set_save_handler($this->getHandler(), false);
+		if ($this->handler !== null) {
+			if (!is_object($this->handler)) {
+				$this->handler = Yii::createObject($this->handler);
+			}
+			if (!$this->handler instanceof \SessionHandlerInterface) {
+				throw new InvalidConfigException('"' . get_class($this) . '::handler" must implement the SessionHandlerInterface.');
+			}
+			@session_set_save_handler($this->handler, false);
 		} elseif ($this->getUseCustomStorage()) {
 			@session_set_save_handler(
 				[$this, 'openSession'],