diff --git a/api-server/src/server/middleware.json b/api-server/src/server/middleware.json
index 2788a0de62..69a47f4402 100644
--- a/api-server/src/server/middleware.json
+++ b/api-server/src/server/middleware.json
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
     "helmet#noSniff": {},
     "helmet#frameguard": {},
     "./middlewares/csurf": {},
+    "./middlewares/csurf-set-cookie": {},
     "./middlewares/constant-headers": {},
     "./middlewares/csp": {},
     "./middlewares/flash-cheaters": {},
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@
   "files": {},
   "final:after": {
     "./middlewares/sentry-error-handler": {},
+    "./middlewares/csurf-error-handler": {},
     "./middlewares/error-handlers": {},
     "strong-error-handler": {
       "params": {
diff --git a/api-server/src/server/middlewares/csurf-error-handler.js b/api-server/src/server/middlewares/csurf-error-handler.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..290dbb01f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api-server/src/server/middlewares/csurf-error-handler.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+import { csrfOptions } from './csurf.js';
+
+export default function csrfErrorHandler() {
+  return function (err, req, res, next) {
+    if (err.code === 'EBADCSRFTOKEN') {
+      // use the middleware to generate a token. The client sends this back via
+      // a header
+      res.cookie('csrf_token', req.csrfToken(), csrfOptions);
+    }
+    next(err);
+  };
+}
diff --git a/api-server/src/server/middlewares/csurf-set-cookie.js b/api-server/src/server/middlewares/csurf-set-cookie.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..83da1361fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api-server/src/server/middlewares/csurf-set-cookie.js
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import { csrfOptions } from './csurf.js';
+
+export default function setCSRFCookie() {
+  return function (req, res, next) {
+    // not all paths require a CSRF token, so the function may not be available.
+    if (req.csrfToken) {
+      // use the middleware to generate a token. The client sends this back via
+      // a header
+      res.cookie('csrf_token', req.csrfToken(), csrfOptions);
+    }
+    next();
+  };
+}
diff --git a/api-server/src/server/middlewares/csurf.js b/api-server/src/server/middlewares/csurf.js
index 9c790509c5..126f725d57 100644
--- a/api-server/src/server/middlewares/csurf.js
+++ b/api-server/src/server/middlewares/csurf.js
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 import csurf from 'csurf';
 
+export const csrfOptions = {
+  domain: process.env.COOKIE_DOMAIN || 'localhost',
+  sameSite: 'strict',
+  secure: process.env.FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV === 'production'
+};
+
 export default function getCsurf() {
   const protection = csurf({
-    cookie: {
-      domain: process.env.COOKIE_DOMAIN || 'localhost',
-      sameSite: 'strict',
-      secure: process.env.FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV === 'production'
-    }
+    cookie: csrfOptions
   });
   return function csrf(req, res, next) {
     const { path } = req;
@@ -14,8 +16,10 @@ export default function getCsurf() {
       // eslint-disable-next-line max-len
       /^\/hooks\/update-paypal$/.test(path)
     ) {
-      return next();
+      next();
+    } else {
+      // add the middleware
+      protection(req, res, next);
     }
-    return protection(req, res, next);
   };
 }
diff --git a/api-server/src/server/utils/getSetAccessToken.js b/api-server/src/server/utils/getSetAccessToken.js
index 866a69710b..a7ffe8bfa9 100644
--- a/api-server/src/server/utils/getSetAccessToken.js
+++ b/api-server/src/server/utils/getSetAccessToken.js
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ export function removeCookies(req, res) {
   res.clearCookie('access_token', config);
   res.clearCookie('userId', config);
   res.clearCookie('_csrf', config);
+  res.clearCookie('csrf_token', config);
   return;
 }
 
diff --git a/client/gatsby-browser.js b/client/gatsby-browser.js
index 97bb014d75..fe1862a515 100644
--- a/client/gatsby-browser.js
+++ b/client/gatsby-browser.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import React from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 import { Provider } from 'react-redux';
 import { I18nextProvider } from 'react-i18next';
+import cookies from 'browser-cookies';
 
 import i18n from './i18n/config';
 import { createStore } from './src/redux/createStore';
@@ -27,3 +28,9 @@ wrapRootElement.propTypes = {
 export const wrapPageElement = layoutSelector;
 
 export const disableCorePrefetching = () => true;
+
+export const onClientEntry = () => {
+  // purge the _csrf cookie, rather than relying what the browser decides a
+  // Session duration is
+  cookies.erase('_csrf');
+};
diff --git a/client/package-lock.json b/client/package-lock.json
index bc2c2c733b..ecff36892e 100644
--- a/client/package-lock.json
+++ b/client/package-lock.json
@@ -7131,16 +7131,6 @@
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/crypto-random-string/-/crypto-random-string-2.0.0.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-v1plID3y9r/lPhviJ1wrXpLeyUIGAZ2SHNYTEapm7/8A9nLPoyvVp3RK/EPFqn5kEznyWgYZNsRtYYIWbuG8KA=="
     },
-    "csrf": {
-      "version": "3.1.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/csrf/-/csrf-3.1.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-uTqEnCvWRk042asU6JtapDTcJeeailFy4ydOQS28bj1hcLnYRiqi8SsD2jS412AY1I/4qdOwWZun774iqywf9w==",
-      "requires": {
-        "rndm": "1.2.0",
-        "tsscmp": "1.0.6",
-        "uid-safe": "2.1.5"
-      }
-    },
     "css": {
       "version": "3.0.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/css/-/css-3.0.0.tgz",
@@ -20956,11 +20946,6 @@
         "ret": "~0.1.10"
       }
     },
-    "random-bytes": {
-      "version": "1.0.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/random-bytes/-/random-bytes-1.0.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha1-T2ih3Arli9P7lYSMMDJNt11kNgs="
-    },
     "randombytes": {
       "version": "2.1.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/randombytes/-/randombytes-2.1.0.tgz",
@@ -22376,11 +22361,6 @@
         "inherits": "^2.0.1"
       }
     },
-    "rndm": {
-      "version": "1.2.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/rndm/-/rndm-1.2.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha1-8z/pz7Urv9UgqhgyO8ZdsRCht2w="
-    },
     "rst-selector-parser": {
       "version": "2.2.3",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/rst-selector-parser/-/rst-selector-parser-2.2.3.tgz",
@@ -24443,11 +24423,6 @@
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/tslib/-/tslib-1.14.1.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-Xni35NKzjgMrwevysHTCArtLDpPvye8zV/0E4EyYn43P7/7qvQwPh9BGkHewbMulVntbigmcT7rdX3BNo9wRJg=="
     },
-    "tsscmp": {
-      "version": "1.0.6",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/tsscmp/-/tsscmp-1.0.6.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-LxhtAkPDTkVCMQjt2h6eBVY28KCjikZqZfMcC15YBeNjkgUpdCfBu5HoiOTDu86v6smE8yOjyEktJ8hlbANHQA=="
-    },
     "tsutils": {
       "version": "3.19.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/tsutils/-/tsutils-3.19.1.tgz",
@@ -24547,14 +24522,6 @@
         "typescript-compare": "^0.0.2"
       }
     },
-    "uid-safe": {
-      "version": "2.1.5",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/uid-safe/-/uid-safe-2.1.5.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-KPHm4VL5dDXKz01UuEd88Df+KzynaohSL9fBh096KWAxSKZQDI2uBrVqtvRM4rwrIrRRKsdLNML/lnaaVSRioA==",
-      "requires": {
-        "random-bytes": "~1.0.0"
-      }
-    },
     "unbox-primitive": {
       "version": "1.0.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/unbox-primitive/-/unbox-primitive-1.0.0.tgz",
diff --git a/client/package.json b/client/package.json
index f44ff1a80f..bd672162d9 100644
--- a/client/package.json
+++ b/client/package.json
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@
     "buffer": "6.0.3",
     "chai": "4.3.4",
     "crypto-browserify": "3.12.0",
-    "csrf": "3.1.0",
     "date-fns": "2.21.3",
     "enzyme": "3.11.0",
     "enzyme-adapter-react-16": "1.15.6",
diff --git a/client/src/utils/ajax.js b/client/src/utils/ajax.js
index d9fb422c02..386fa38074 100644
--- a/client/src/utils/ajax.js
+++ b/client/src/utils/ajax.js
@@ -1,22 +1,20 @@
 import envData from '../../../config/env.json';
 import axios from 'axios';
-import Tokens from 'csrf';
 import cookies from 'browser-cookies';
 
 const { apiLocation } = envData;
 
 const base = apiLocation;
-const tokens = new Tokens();
 
 axios.defaults.withCredentials = true;
 
-// _csrf is passed to the client as a cookie. Tokens are sent back to the server
-// via headers:
+// csrf_token is passed to the client as a cookie. The client must send
+// this back as a header.
 function setCSRFTokens() {
-  const _csrf = typeof window !== 'undefined' && cookies.get('_csrf');
-  if (!_csrf) return;
-  axios.defaults.headers.post['CSRF-Token'] = tokens.create(_csrf);
-  axios.defaults.headers.put['CSRF-Token'] = tokens.create(_csrf);
+  const csrfToken = typeof window !== 'undefined' && cookies.get('csrf_token');
+  if (!csrfToken) return;
+  axios.defaults.headers.post['CSRF-Token'] = csrfToken;
+  axios.defaults.headers.put['CSRF-Token'] = csrfToken;
 }
 
 function get(path) {