diff --git a/libraries/plugins/auth/AuthenticationCookie.php b/libraries/plugins/auth/AuthenticationCookie.php
index a052bde059..98d9835e05 100644
--- a/libraries/plugins/auth/AuthenticationCookie.php
+++ b/libraries/plugins/auth/AuthenticationCookie.php
@@ -600,8 +600,7 @@ class AuthenticationCookie extends AuthenticationPlugin
         if (empty($GLOBALS['cfg']['blowfish_secret'])) {
             return $this->_getSessionEncryptionSecret();
         } else {
-            // apply md5() to work around too long secrets (returns 32 characters)
-            return md5($GLOBALS['cfg']['blowfish_secret']);
+            return $GLOBALS['cfg']['blowfish_secret'];
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/test/classes/plugin/auth/AuthenticationCookieTest.php b/test/classes/plugin/auth/AuthenticationCookieTest.php
index ec16b1d07d..538e57907b 100644
--- a/test/classes/plugin/auth/AuthenticationCookieTest.php
+++ b/test/classes/plugin/auth/AuthenticationCookieTest.php
@@ -1053,7 +1053,7 @@ class AuthenticationCookieTest extends PMATestCase
         $result = $method->invoke($this->object, null);
 
         $this->assertEquals(
-            md5('notEmpty'),
+            'notEmpty',
             $result
         );
     }