diff --git a/web/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/web/context/HttpSessionSecurityContextRepository.java b/web/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/web/context/HttpSessionSecurityContextRepository.java
index a22f7ccaae..2563d1f20e 100644
--- a/web/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/web/context/HttpSessionSecurityContextRepository.java
+++ b/web/src/main/java/org/springframework/security/web/context/HttpSessionSecurityContextRepository.java
@@ -269,8 +269,9 @@ public class HttpSessionSecurityContextRepository implements SecurityContextRepo
                     logger.debug("SecurityContext is empty or contents are anonymous - context will not be stored in HttpSession.");
                 }
 
-                if (httpSession != null) {
+                if (httpSession != null && !contextObject.equals(contextBeforeExecution)) {
                     // SEC-1587 A non-anonymous context may still be in the session
+                    // SEC-1735 remove if the contextBeforeExecution was not anonymous
                     httpSession.removeAttribute(springSecurityContextKey);
                 }
                 return;
diff --git a/web/src/test/java/org/springframework/security/web/context/HttpSessionSecurityContextRepositoryTests.java b/web/src/test/java/org/springframework/security/web/context/HttpSessionSecurityContextRepositoryTests.java
index f06e7bba25..6e9e3e91a3 100644
--- a/web/src/test/java/org/springframework/security/web/context/HttpSessionSecurityContextRepositoryTests.java
+++ b/web/src/test/java/org/springframework/security/web/context/HttpSessionSecurityContextRepositoryTests.java
@@ -203,6 +203,21 @@ public class HttpSessionSecurityContextRepositoryTests {
         assertNull(request.getSession().getAttribute("imTheContext"));
     }
 
+    // SEC-1735
+    @Test
+    public void contextIsNotRemovedFromSessionIfContextBeforeExecutionDefault() throws Exception {
+        HttpSessionSecurityContextRepository repo = new HttpSessionSecurityContextRepository();
+        MockHttpServletRequest request = new MockHttpServletRequest();
+        HttpRequestResponseHolder holder = new HttpRequestResponseHolder(request, new MockHttpServletResponse());
+        repo.loadContext(holder);
+        SecurityContext ctxInSession = SecurityContextHolder.createEmptyContext();
+        ctxInSession.setAuthentication(testToken);
+        request.getSession().setAttribute(SPRING_SECURITY_CONTEXT_KEY, ctxInSession);
+        SecurityContextHolder.getContext().setAuthentication(new AnonymousAuthenticationToken("x","x", AuthorityUtils.createAuthorityList("ROLE_ANONYMOUS")));
+        repo.saveContext(SecurityContextHolder.getContext(), holder.getRequest(), holder.getResponse());
+        assertSame(ctxInSession,request.getSession().getAttribute(SPRING_SECURITY_CONTEXT_KEY));
+    }
+
     @Test
     @SuppressWarnings("deprecation")
     public void sessionDisableUrlRewritingPreventsSessionIdBeingWrittenToUrl() throws Exception {