diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e2a09c9..ef2a955 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /.project
 /.idea
+/*.iml
 /release
 /jiralert
 /jiralert*.tar.gz
diff --git a/cmd/jiralert/main.go b/cmd/jiralert/main.go
index b00c017..5dd13d1 100644
--- a/cmd/jiralert/main.go
+++ b/cmd/jiralert/main.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"runtime"
@@ -83,6 +84,10 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
+	// We re-use the HTTP client here. Otherwise, in case of cookie-based auth, we might get banned by JIRA for creating
+	// many new sessions.
+	var jiraHTTPClient = createHTTPClient(config, logger)
+
 	http.HandleFunc("/alert", func(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
 		level.Debug(logger).Log("msg", "handling /alert webhook request")
 		defer func() { _ = req.Body.Close() }()
@@ -101,12 +106,7 @@ func main() {
 		}
 		level.Debug(logger).Log("msg", "  matched receiver", "receiver", conf.Name)
 
-		// TODO: Consider reusing notifiers or just jira clients to reuse connections.
-		tp := jira.BasicAuthTransport{
-			Username: conf.User,
-			Password: string(conf.Password),
-		}
-		client, err := jira.NewClient(tp.Client(), conf.APIURL)
+		client, err := jira.NewClient(jiraHTTPClient, conf.APIURL)
 		if err != nil {
 			errorHandler(w, http.StatusInternalServerError, err, conf.Name, &data, logger)
 			return
@@ -114,12 +114,22 @@ func main() {
 
 		if retry, err := notify.NewReceiver(logger, conf, tmpl, client.Issue).Notify(&data, *hashJiraLabel); err != nil {
 			var status int
+
+			if errors.Is(err, notify.ErrUnauthorized) && config.Defaults.SessionCookie {
+				level.Info(logger).Log("msg", "refreshing session cookie")
+				jiraHTTPClient = createHTTPClient(config, logger)
+
+				// Next time, we start with a fresh session!
+				retry = true
+			}
+
 			if retry {
 				// Instruct Alertmanager to retry.
 				status = http.StatusServiceUnavailable
 			} else {
 				status = http.StatusInternalServerError
 			}
+
 			errorHandler(w, status, err, conf.Name, &data, logger)
 			return
 		}
@@ -187,3 +197,22 @@ func setupLogger(lvl string, fmt string) (logger log.Logger) {
 	logger = log.With(logger, "ts", log.DefaultTimestampUTC, "caller", log.DefaultCaller)
 	return
 }
+
+func createHTTPClient(config *config.Config, logger log.Logger) *http.Client {
+	if config.Defaults.SessionCookie {
+		level.Debug(logger).Log("msg", "creating new HTTP client using cookie auth")
+		tp := jira.CookieAuthTransport{
+			Username: config.Defaults.User,
+			Password: string(config.Defaults.Password),
+			AuthURL:  config.Defaults.APIURL + "/rest/auth/1/session",
+		}
+		return tp.Client()
+	}
+
+	level.Debug(logger).Log("msg", "creating new HTTP client using basic auth")
+	tp := jira.BasicAuthTransport{
+		Username: config.Defaults.User,
+		Password: string(config.Defaults.Password),
+	}
+	return tp.Client()
+}
diff --git a/examples/jiralert.yml b/examples/jiralert.yml
index 1ec7563..681cfcb 100644
--- a/examples/jiralert.yml
+++ b/examples/jiralert.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ defaults:
   api_url: https://jiralert.atlassian.net
   user: jiralert
   password: 'JIRAlert'
+  session_cookie: false
 
   # The type of JIRA issue to create. Required.
   issue_type: Bug
diff --git a/pkg/config/config.go b/pkg/config/config.go
index 7359bc7..56fcfe1 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -94,9 +94,10 @@ type ReceiverConfig struct {
 	Name string `yaml:"name" json:"name"`
 
 	// API access fields
-	APIURL   string `yaml:"api_url" json:"api_url"`
-	User     string `yaml:"user" json:"user"`
-	Password Secret `yaml:"password" json:"password"`
+	APIURL        string `yaml:"api_url" json:"api_url"`
+	User          string `yaml:"user" json:"user"`
+	Password      Secret `yaml:"password" json:"password"`
+	SessionCookie bool   `yaml:"session_cookie" json:"session_cookie"`
 
 	// Required issue fields
 	Project     string `yaml:"project" json:"project"`
diff --git a/pkg/config/config_test.go b/pkg/config/config_test.go
index f6d741e..ce8ccb0 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config_test.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config_test.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ defaults:
   api_url: https://jiralert.atlassian.net
   user: jiralert
   password: 'JIRAlert'
+  session_cookie: false
 
   # The type of JIRA issue to create. Required.
   issue_type: Bug
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ receivers:
     # Overrides default.
     issue_type: Task
     # JIRA components. Optional.
-    components: [ 'Operations' ]
+    components: ['Operations']
     # Standard or custom field values to set on created issue. Optional.
     #
     # See https://developer.atlassian.com/server/jira/platform/jira-rest-api-examples/#setting-custom-field-data-for-other-field-types for further examples.
@@ -68,9 +69,9 @@ receivers:
       # TextField
       customfield_10001: "Random text"
       # SelectList
-      customfield_10002: { "value": "red" }
+      customfield_10002: {"value": "red"}
       # MultiSelect
-      customfield_10003: [{"value": "red" }, {"value": "blue" }, {"value": "green" }]
+      customfield_10003: [{"value": "red"}, {"value": "blue"}, {"value": "green"}]
 
 # File containing template definitions. Required.
 template: jiralert.tmpl
diff --git a/pkg/notify/notify.go b/pkg/notify/notify.go
index 0cd7da3..c9fb21d 100644
--- a/pkg/notify/notify.go
+++ b/pkg/notify/notify.go
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ type Receiver struct {
 	timeNow func() time.Time
 }
 
+var ErrUnauthorized = errors.New("JIRA returned HTTP status 401 Unauthorized")
+
 // NewReceiver creates a Receiver using the provided configuration, template and jiraIssueService.
 func NewReceiver(logger log.Logger, c *config.ReceiverConfig, t *template.Template, client jiraIssueService) *Receiver {
 	return &Receiver{logger: logger, conf: c, tmpl: t, client: client, timeNow: time.Now}
@@ -385,8 +387,16 @@ func handleJiraErrResponse(api string, resp *jira.Response, err error, logger lo
 	if resp != nil && resp.StatusCode/100 != 2 {
 		retry := resp.StatusCode == 500 || resp.StatusCode == 503
 		body, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
-		// go-jira error message is not particularly helpful, replace it
-		return retry, errors.Errorf("JIRA request %s returned status %s, body %q", resp.Request.URL, resp.Status, string(body))
+
+		var responseErr error
+		if resp.StatusCode == 401 {
+			responseErr = ErrUnauthorized
+		} else {
+			// go-jira error message is not particularly helpful, replace it
+			responseErr = errors.Errorf("JIRA request %s returned status %s, body %q", resp.Request.URL, resp.Status, string(body))
+		}
+
+		return retry, responseErr
 	}
 	return false, errors.Wrapf(err, "JIRA request %s failed", api)
 }