diff --git a/django/test/client.py b/django/test/client.py
index 94fabcf91a..6f3b73dde3 100644
--- a/django/test/client.py
+++ b/django/test/client.py
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ class Client(RequestFactory):
         """
         Obtains the current session variables.
         """
-        if 'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware' in settings.MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES:
+        if 'django.contrib.sessions' in settings.INSTALLED_APPS:
             engine = import_module(settings.SESSION_ENGINE)
             cookie = self.cookies.get(settings.SESSION_COOKIE_NAME, None)
             if cookie:
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@ class Client(RequestFactory):
         """
         user = authenticate(**credentials)
         if user and user.is_active \
-                and 'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware' in settings.MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES:
+                and 'django.contrib.sessions' in settings.INSTALLED_APPS:
             engine = import_module(settings.SESSION_ENGINE)
 
             # Create a fake request to store login details.
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/test_client_regress/models.py b/tests/regressiontests/test_client_regress/models.py
index 60cd9b1ae3..0f98b2c53f 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/test_client_regress/models.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/test_client_regress/models.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ from django.template import (TemplateDoesNotExist, TemplateSyntaxError,
 import django.template.context
 from django.test import Client, TestCase
 from django.test.client import encode_file, RequestFactory
-from django.test.utils import ContextList, override_settings
+from django.test.utils import ContextList
 from django.template.response import SimpleTemplateResponse
 from django.http import HttpResponse
 
@@ -564,18 +564,6 @@ class SessionEngineTests(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(response.context['user'].username, 'testclient')
 
 
-class NoSessionsAppInstalled(SessionEngineTests):
-    """#7836 - Test client can exercise sessions even when 'django.contrib.sessions' isn't installed."""
-
-    # Remove the 'session' contrib app from INSTALLED_APPS
-    @override_settings(INSTALLED_APPS=tuple(filter(lambda a: a!='django.contrib.sessions', settings.INSTALLED_APPS)))
-    def test_session(self):
-        # This request sets a session variable.
-        response = self.client.get('/test_client_regress/set_session/')
-        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
-        self.assertEqual(self.client.session['session_var'], 'YES')
-
-
 class URLEscapingTests(TestCase):
     def test_simple_argument_get(self):
         "Get a view that has a simple string argument"