diff --git a/src/fmg-components/nav-bar/nav-bar.vue b/src/fmg-components/nav-bar/nav-bar.vue
index 631e5c0e5..6f981f9e0 100644
--- a/src/fmg-components/nav-bar/nav-bar.vue
+++ b/src/fmg-components/nav-bar/nav-bar.vue
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@
 <script>
 import textLink from "@/ux-components/text-link/text-link";
 import buttonMain from "@/ux-components/button-main/button-main";
+import { fmgPageValues } from "@/router/router-constants/fmgPage-values";
+import analyticsMixin from "@/mixins/analytics-mixin";
+import router from "@/router/index.js";
 
 export default {
     name: "navbar",
@@ -94,10 +97,28 @@ export default {
             document.onkeydown = function (e) {
                 return false;
             };
-            this.$emit("ForwardClicked");
+             // check session expired and initSession to recreate cookies
+             if (analyticsMixin.methods.sessionExpired()) {
+                this.routeReturnUser();
+            } else {
+                this.$emit("ForwardClicked");
+            }
         },
         linkClick() {
-            this.$emit("BackClicked");
+             // check session expired and initSession to recreate cookies
+             if (analyticsMixin.methods.sessionExpired()) {
+                this.routeReturnUser();
+            } else {
+                this.$emit("BackClicked");
+            }
+        },
+        routeReturnUser() {
+            analyticsMixin.methods.initSession();
+
+            router.push({
+                path: "/",
+                query: { fmgPage: fmgPageValues.RETURN_USER },
+            });
         },
     },
 };
diff --git a/src/mixins/analytics-mixin.js b/src/mixins/analytics-mixin.js
index 6f7f67c6f..1c70722a1 100644
--- a/src/mixins/analytics-mixin.js
+++ b/src/mixins/analytics-mixin.js
@@ -712,11 +712,8 @@ export default {
             return !areAllSessionCookiesSet();
         },
 
-        async validateSession() {
-            // The noSession function checks the cookies related to analytics logging(sid).  it is not the funnel info cookie.
-            // The sid cookie for analytics will expire every 30 minutes and get recreated in initSession.  If this happens
-            // and we also have the funnel cookie present, that indicates they have an existing session that is now expired
-            // so route them to the return user page.
+        // sessionExpired is true when one of the analytics cookies(sid, dxdev) has expired but we still have the funnelSessionInfo cookie
+        sessionExpired() {
             const fromHeritage = getQuerystringParameter(queryStrings.FROM_HERITAGE) === "true";
             const funnelCookieLastTouched = getFunnelCookie()?.LastTouched;
             if (
@@ -725,11 +722,15 @@ export default {
                 funnelCookieLastTouched !== null &&
                 funnelCookieLastTouched !== undefined
             ) {
-                await this.initSession();
-                router.push({
-                    path: "/",
-                    query: { fmgPage: fmgPageValues.RETURN_USER },
-                });
+                return true;
+            } else {
+                return false;
+            }
+        },
+
+        async validateSession() {
+            // do not init session if it is expired.  let the click event on nav-bar handle session expired logic
+            if (this.sessionExpired()) {
                 return;
             }