diff --git a/docs/api/wuttaweb/db.rst b/docs/api/wuttaweb/db.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b90e227
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/api/wuttaweb/db.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+
+``wuttaweb.db``
+===============
+
+.. automodule:: wuttaweb.db
+   :members:
diff --git a/docs/api/wuttaweb/index.rst b/docs/api/wuttaweb/index.rst
index 2e49d4b..1e8ab57 100644
--- a/docs/api/wuttaweb/index.rst
+++ b/docs/api/wuttaweb/index.rst
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
    :maxdepth: 1
 
    app
+   db
    handler
    helpers
    menus
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 985bef5..baa0fed 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ dependencies = [
         "waitress",
         "WebHelpers2",
         "WuttJamaican[db]>=0.7.0",
+        "zope.sqlalchemy>=1.5",
 ]
 
 
diff --git a/src/wuttaweb/app.py b/src/wuttaweb/app.py
index 18b07fb..506bacc 100644
--- a/src/wuttaweb/app.py
+++ b/src/wuttaweb/app.py
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ from wuttjamaican.conf import make_config
 
 from pyramid.config import Configurator
 
+import wuttaweb.db
+
 
 class WebAppProvider(AppProvider):
     """
@@ -83,17 +85,21 @@ def make_wutta_config(settings):
 
     If this config file path cannot be discovered, an error is raised.
     """
-    # initialize config and embed in settings dict, to make
-    # available for web requests later
+    # validate config file path
     path = settings.get('wutta.config')
     if not path or not os.path.exists(path):
         raise ValueError("Please set 'wutta.config' in [app:main] "
                          "section of config to the path of your "
                          "config file.  Lame, but necessary.")
 
+    # make config per usual, add to settings
     wutta_config = make_config(path)
-
     settings['wutta_config'] = wutta_config
+
+    # configure database sessions
+    if hasattr(wutta_config, 'appdb_engine'):
+        wuttaweb.db.Session.configure(bind=wutta_config.appdb_engine)
+
     return wutta_config
 
 
diff --git a/src/wuttaweb/db.py b/src/wuttaweb/db.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..32d2418
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/wuttaweb/db.py
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8; -*-
+################################################################################
+#
+#  wuttaweb -- Web App for Wutta Framework
+#  Copyright © 2024 Lance Edgar
+#
+#  This file is part of Wutta Framework.
+#
+#  Wutta Framework is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+#  under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free
+#  Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any
+#  later version.
+#
+#  Wutta Framework is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+#  WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+#  FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License for
+#  more details.
+#
+#  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with
+#  Wutta Framework.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+################################################################################
+"""
+Database sessions for web app
+
+The web app uses a different database session than other
+(e.g. console) apps.  The web session is "registered" to the HTTP
+request/response life cycle (aka. transaction) such that the session
+is automatically rolled back on error, and automatically committed if
+the response is finalized without error.
+
+.. class:: Session
+
+   Primary database session class for the web app.
+
+   Note that you often do not need to "instantiate" this session, and
+   can instead call methods directly on the class::
+
+      from wuttaweb.db import Session
+
+      users = Session.query(model.User).all()
+
+   However in certain cases you may still want/need to instantiate it,
+   e.g. when passing a "true/normal" session to other logic.  But you
+   can always call instance methods as well::
+
+      from wuttaweb.db import Session
+      from some_place import some_func
+
+      session = Session()
+
+      # nb. assuming func does not expect a "web" session per se, pass instance
+      some_func(session)
+
+      # nb. these behave the same (instance vs. class method)
+      users = session.query(model.User).all()
+      users = Session.query(model.User).all()
+"""
+
+from sqlalchemy import orm
+from zope.sqlalchemy.datamanager import register
+
+
+Session = orm.scoped_session(orm.sessionmaker())
+
+register(Session)