diff --git a/components/server/src/auth/generic-auth-provider.ts b/components/server/src/auth/generic-auth-provider.ts
index f9b2ec98022ab5..697a7c560a01fb 100644
--- a/components/server/src/auth/generic-auth-provider.ts
+++ b/components/server/src/auth/generic-auth-provider.ts
@@ -145,11 +145,22 @@ export class GenericAuthProvider implements AuthProvider {
     protected readAuthUserSetup?: (accessToken: string, tokenResponse: object) => Promise<AuthUserSetup>;
 
     authorize(req: express.Request, res: express.Response, next: express.NextFunction, scope?: string[]): void {
-        const handler = passport.authenticate(this.getStrategy() as any, {
-            ...this.defaultStrategyOptions,
-            ...{ scope },
-        });
-        handler(req, res, next);
+        // Before the OAuth process is started, the Gitpod cookie is relaxed ot be sent on cross-site request,
+        // which makes possible to re-establish the session on a callback from the 3rd party service.
+        // Once this callback is handled, the Gitpod cookie is elevated to a `strict` one.
+        this.updateCookieSameSiteValue(req, "lax")
+            .then(() => {
+                const handler = passport.authenticate(this.getStrategy() as any, {
+                    ...this.defaultStrategyOptions,
+                    ...{ scope },
+                });
+                handler(req, res, next);
+            })
+            .catch((err) => {
+                log.error(`(${this.strategyName}) Failed to store session before redirect.`, {
+                    err,
+                });
+            });
     }
 
     protected getStrategy() {
@@ -466,6 +477,16 @@ export class GenericAuthProvider implements AuthProvider {
                     ...defaultLogPayload,
                 });
 
+                try {
+                    // When the OAuth process is done, we want to proceed with a `strict` Gitpod cookie.
+                    // This improves the security model with Browser agents, as cross-site requests whould
+                    // not be containing the Gitpod cookie anymore.
+                    await this.updateCookieSameSiteValue(request, "strict");
+                } catch (error) {
+                    response.redirect(this.getSorryUrl(`Failed to save session. (${error})`));
+                    return;
+                }
+
                 // Complete login
                 const { host, returnTo } = authFlow;
                 await this.loginCompletionHandler.complete(request, response, {
@@ -478,6 +499,19 @@ export class GenericAuthProvider implements AuthProvider {
         }
     }
 
+    protected async updateCookieSameSiteValue(request: express.Request, newValue: "strict" | "lax") {
+        return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+            request.session.cookie.sameSite = newValue;
+            request.session.save((err) => {
+                if (err) {
+                    reject(err);
+                } else {
+                    resolve(undefined);
+                }
+            });
+        });
+    }
+
     protected sendCompletionRedirectWithError(response: express.Response, error: object): void {
         log.info(`(${this.strategyName}) Send completion redirect with error`, { error });
 
diff --git a/components/server/src/session-handler.ts b/components/server/src/session-handler.ts
index 30e6612720a63d..b3f9d18a6cd988 100644
--- a/components/server/src/session-handler.ts
+++ b/components/server/src/session-handler.ts
@@ -27,10 +27,10 @@ export class SessionHandlerProvider {
     public init() {
         const options: SessionOptions = {} as SessionOptions;
         options.cookie = this.getCookieOptions(this.config);
-        (options.genid = function (req: any) {
+        options.genid = function (req: any) {
             return uuidv4(); // use UUIDs for session IDs
-        }),
-            (options.name = SessionHandlerProvider.getCookieName(this.config));
+        };
+        options.name = SessionHandlerProvider.getCookieName(this.config);
         // options.proxy = true    // TODO SSL Proxy
         options.resave = true; // TODO Check with store! See docu
         options.rolling = true; // default, new cookie and maxAge
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ export class SessionHandlerProvider {
             httpOnly: true, // default
             secure: false, // default, TODO SSL! Config proxy
             maxAge: config.session.maxAgeMs, // configured in Helm chart, defaults to 3 days.
-            sameSite: "lax", // default: true. "Lax" needed for OAuth.
+            sameSite: "strict",
         };
     }