diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpFoundation/Session/Storage/NativeSessionStorage.php b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpFoundation/Session/Storage/NativeSessionStorage.php
index c8156ea7c5..fd03dc8447 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpFoundation/Session/Storage/NativeSessionStorage.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpFoundation/Session/Storage/NativeSessionStorage.php
@@ -195,6 +195,16 @@ class NativeSessionStorage implements SessionStorageInterface
      */
     public function regenerate($destroy = false, $lifetime = null)
     {
+        // Cannot regenerate the session ID for non-active sessions.
+        if (PHP_VERSION_ID >= 50400 && \PHP_SESSION_ACTIVE !== session_status()) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        // Check if session ID exists in PHP 5.3
+        if (PHP_VERSION_ID < 50400 && '' === session_id()) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
         if (null !== $lifetime) {
             ini_set('session.cookie_lifetime', $lifetime);
         }
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpFoundation/Tests/Session/Storage/NativeSessionStorageTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpFoundation/Tests/Session/Storage/NativeSessionStorageTest.php
index c8743aba94..531b6a3713 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpFoundation/Tests/Session/Storage/NativeSessionStorageTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpFoundation/Tests/Session/Storage/NativeSessionStorageTest.php
@@ -130,6 +130,13 @@ class NativeSessionStorageTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
         $this->assertEquals(42, $_SESSION['_sf2_attributes']['lucky']);
     }
 
+    public function testRegenerationFailureDoesNotFlagStorageAsStarted()
+    {
+        $storage = $this->getStorage();
+        $this->assertFalse($storage->regenerate());
+        $this->assertFalse($storage->isStarted());
+    }
+
     public function testDefaultSessionCacheLimiter()
     {
         $this->iniSet('session.cache_limiter', 'nocache');