An intermediary (such as a web reverse proxy), which is located between a web browser and one or more backend applications, manages cookies that are provided by the backend applications and returned to the web browser during a user session. The intermediary decides which cookies should be sent to the browser and which cookies should be stored therein. Preferably, this determination is made in an automated manner by examining the response for any cookie-dependent code (e.g., scripting) included in the response.