diff --git a/lib/Config/Initializer.php b/lib/Config/Initializer.php
index 649e1001c5..d0eafc07e6 100644
--- a/lib/Config/Initializer.php
+++ b/lib/Config/Initializer.php
@@ -156,7 +156,9 @@ class Initializer {
   }
 
   function runQueueSupervisor() {
-    if(php_sapi_name() === 'cli') return;
+    if(php_sapi_name() === 'cli' ||
+      !Env::isPluginActivated()
+    ) return;
     try {
       $supervisor = new Supervisor();
       $supervisor->checkDaemon();
diff --git a/lib/Cron/Daemon.php b/lib/Cron/Daemon.php
index 35607b36ab..c9b1a7b7e4 100644
--- a/lib/Cron/Daemon.php
+++ b/lib/Cron/Daemon.php
@@ -18,58 +18,23 @@ class Daemon {
   function __construct($request_payload = array()) {
     set_time_limit(0);
     ignore_user_abort();
-    $this->daemon = $this->getDaemon();
-    $this->refreshed_token = $this->refreshToken();
+    $this->daemon = Supervisor::getDaemon();
+    $this->token = Security::generateRandomString();
     $this->request_payload = $request_payload;
     $this->timer = microtime(true);
   }
 
-  function start() {
-    if(!isset($this->request_payload['session'])) {
-      $this->abortWithError(__('Missing session ID.'));
-    }
-    $this->manageSession('start');
+  function run() {
     $daemon = $this->daemon;
     if(!$daemon) {
-      $this->saveDaemon(
-        array(
-          'status' => 'starting',
-          'counter' => 0
-        )
-      );
-    }
-    if($daemon['status'] === 'started') {
-      $_SESSION['cron_daemon'] = array(
-        'result' => false,
-        'errors' => array(__('Daemon already running.'))
-      );
-    }
-    if($daemon['status'] === 'starting') {
-      $_SESSION['cron_daemon'] = 'started';
-      $_SESSION['cron_daemon'] = array('result' => true);
-      $this->manageSession('end');
-      $daemon['status'] = 'started';
-      $daemon['token'] = $this->refreshed_token;
-      $this->saveDaemon($daemon);
-      $this->callSelf();
-    }
-    $this->manageSession('end');
-  }
-
-  function run() {
-    $allowed_statuses = array(
-      'stopping',
-      'starting',
-      'started'
-    );
-    if(!$this->daemon || !in_array($this->daemon['status'], $allowed_statuses)) {
-      $this->abortWithError(__('Invalid daemon status.'));
+      $this->abortWithError(__('Daemon does not exist.'));
     }
     if(!isset($this->request_payload['token']) ||
-      $this->request_payload['token'] !== $this->daemon['token']
+      $this->request_payload['token'] !== $daemon['token']
     ) {
-      $this->abortWithError('Invalid token.');
+      $this->abortWithError(__('Invalid or missing token.'));
     }
+    $this->abortIfStopped($daemon);
     try {
       $sending_queue = new SendingQueue($this->timer);
       $sending_queue->process();
@@ -79,54 +44,33 @@ class Daemon {
     if($elapsed_time < 30) {
       sleep(30 - $elapsed_time);
     }
-    // after each execution, read daemon in case its status was modified
-    $daemon = $this->getDaemon();
-
-    if($daemon['status'] === 'stopping') $daemon['status'] = 'stopped';
-    if($daemon['status'] === 'starting') $daemon['status'] = 'started';
-
-    $daemon['token'] = $this->refreshed_token;
+    // after each execution, re-read daemon data in case its status has changed
+    $daemon = Supervisor::getDaemon();
+    // if the token has changed, abort further processing
+    if ($daemon['token'] !== $this->request_payload['token']) {
+      exit;
+    }
     $daemon['counter']++;
-
-    $this->saveDaemon($daemon);
-
-    if($daemon['status'] === 'started') $this->callSelf();
+    $this->abortIfStopped($daemon);
+    if($daemon['status'] === 'starting') {
+      $daemon['status'] = 'started';
+    }
+    $daemon['token'] = $this->token;
+    Supervisor::saveDaemon($daemon);
+    $this->callSelf();
   }
 
-  function getDaemon() {
-    return Setting::getValue('cron_daemon');
-  }
-
-  function saveDaemon($daemon_data) {
-    $daemon_data['updated_at'] = time();
-
-    return Setting::setValue(
-      'cron_daemon',
-      $daemon_data
-    );
-  }
-
-  function refreshToken() {
-    return Security::generateRandomString();
-  }
-
-  function manageSession($action) {
-    switch($action) {
-      case 'start':
-        if(session_id()) {
-          session_write_close();
-        }
-        session_id($this->request_payload['session']);
-        session_start();
-        break;
-      case 'end':
-        session_write_close();
-        break;
+  function abortIfStopped($daemon) {
+    if($daemon['status'] === 'stopped') exit;
+    if($daemon['status'] === 'stopping') {
+      $daemon['status'] = 'stopped';
+      Supervisor::saveDaemon($daemon);
+      exit;
     }
   }
 
   function callSelf() {
-    $payload = serialize(array('token' => $this->refreshed_token));
+    $payload = serialize(array('token' => $this->token));
     Supervisor::accessRemoteUrl(
       '/?mailpoet-api&section=queue&action=run&request_payload=' .
       base64_encode($payload)
@@ -134,12 +78,7 @@ class Daemon {
     exit;
   }
 
-  function abortWithError($error) {
-    wp_send_json(
-      array(
-        'result' => false,
-        'errors' => array($error)
-      ));
-    exit;
+  function abortWithError($message) {
+    exit('[mailpoet_cron_error:' . base64_encode($message) . ']');
   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/Cron/Supervisor.php b/lib/Cron/Supervisor.php
index 532a7c5e00..cc0aa3b4ec 100644
--- a/lib/Cron/Supervisor.php
+++ b/lib/Cron/Supervisor.php
@@ -1,76 +1,98 @@
 <?php
 namespace MailPoet\Cron;
 
-use MailPoet\Config\Env;
 use MailPoet\Models\Setting;
+use MailPoet\Util\Security;
 
 if(!defined('ABSPATH')) exit;
 
 class Supervisor {
   public $daemon;
+  public $token;
+  public $force_run;
 
-  function __construct($force_start = false) {
-    $this->force_start = $force_start;
-    if(!Env::isPluginActivated()) {
-      throw new \Exception(__('MailPoet is not activated.'));
-    }
-    $this->daemon = $this->getDaemon();
+  function __construct($force_run = false) {
+    $this->daemon = self::getDaemon();
+    $this->token = Security::generateRandomString();
+    $this->force_run = $force_run;
   }
 
   function checkDaemon() {
-    if(!$this->daemon) {
-      return $this->startDaemon();
+    $daemon = $this->daemon;
+    if(!$daemon) {
+      $daemon = $this->createDaemon();
+      return $this->runDaemon($daemon);
     }
-    if(
-      !$this->force_start
-      && isset($this->daemon['status'])
-      && in_array($this->daemon['status'], array('stopped', 'stopping'))
+    // if the daemon is stopped, return its status and do nothing
+    if(!$this->force_run &&
+      isset($daemon['status']) &&
+      $daemon['status'] === 'stopped'
     ) {
-      return $this->daemon['status'];
-    }
+      return $this->formatDaemonStatusMessage($daemon['status']);
 
-    $elapsed_time = time() - (int)$this->daemon['updated_at'];
-
-    if($elapsed_time < 40) {
-      if(!$this->force_start) {
-        return;
-      }
-      if($this->daemon['status'] === 'stopping' ||
-        $this->daemon['status'] === 'starting'
-      ) {
-        return $this->daemon['status'];
-      }
     }
-    $this->daemon['status'] = 'starting';
-    $this->saveDaemon($this->daemon);
-    return $this->startDaemon();
+    $elapsed_time = time() - (int) $daemon['updated_at'];
+    // if it's been less than 40 seconds since last execution and we're not
+    // force-running the daemon, return its status and do nothing
+    if($elapsed_time < 40 && !$this->force_run) {
+      return $this->formatDaemonStatusMessage($daemon['status']);
+    }
+    // if it's been less than 40 seconds since last execution, we are
+    // force-running the daemon and it's either being started or stopped,
+    // return its status and do nothing
+    elseif($elapsed_time < 40 &&
+      $this->force_run &&
+      in_array($daemon['status'], array(
+        'stopping',
+        'starting'
+      ))
+    ) {
+      return $this->formatDaemonStatusMessage($daemon['status']);
+    }
+    // re-create (restart) daemon
+    $this->createDaemon();
+    return $this->runDaemon();
   }
 
-  function startDaemon() {
-    if(!session_id()) session_start();
-    $sessionId = session_id();
-    session_write_close();
-    $_SESSION['cron_daemon'] = null;
-    $requestPayload = serialize(array('session' => $sessionId));
-    self::accessRemoteUrl(
-      '/?mailpoet-api&section=queue&action=start&request_payload=' .
-      base64_encode($requestPayload)
+  function runDaemon() {
+    $payload = serialize(array('token' => $this->token));
+    $request = self::accessRemoteUrl(
+      '/?mailpoet-api&section=queue&action=run&request_payload=' .
+      base64_encode($payload)
     );
-    session_start();
-    if (!isset($_SESSION['cron_daemon'])) {
-      throw new \Exception(__('Session cannot be read.'));
+    preg_match('/\[(mailpoet_cron_error:.*?)\]/i', $request, $status);
+    $daemon = self::getDaemon();
+    if(!empty($status) || !$daemon) {
+      if(!$daemon) {
+        $message = __('Daemon failed to run.');
+      } else {
+        list(, $message) = explode(':', $status[0]);
+        $message = base64_decode($message);
+      }
+      return $this->formatResult(
+        false,
+        $message
+      );
     }
-    $daemonStatus = $_SESSION['cron_daemon'];
-    unset($_SESSION['daemon']);
-    session_write_close();
-    return $daemonStatus;
+    return $this->formatDaemonStatusMessage($daemon['status']);
   }
 
-  function getDaemon() {
+  function createDaemon() {
+    $daemon = array(
+      'status' => 'starting',
+      'counter' => 0,
+      'token' => $this->token
+    );
+    self::saveDaemon($daemon);
+    return $daemon;
+  }
+
+  static function getDaemon() {
     return Setting::getValue('cron_daemon');
   }
 
-  function saveDaemon($daemon_data) {
+  static function saveDaemon($daemon_data) {
+    $daemon_data['updated_at'] = time();
     return Setting::setValue(
       'cron_daemon',
       $daemon_data
@@ -82,10 +104,11 @@ class Supervisor {
       'timeout' => 1,
       'user-agent' => 'MailPoet (www.mailpoet.com) Cron'
     );
-    wp_remote_get(
+    $result = wp_remote_get(
       self::getSiteUrl() . $url,
       $args
     );
+    return wp_remote_retrieve_body($result);
   }
 
   static function getSiteUrl() {
@@ -101,7 +124,29 @@ class Supervisor {
     // connect to the URL without port
     $fp = @fsockopen($server['host'], $server['port'], $errno, $errstr, 1);
     if($fp) return preg_replace('!(?=:\d+):\d+!', '$1', site_url());
-    // throw an error if all connections fail
+    // throw an error if all connection attempts failed
     throw new \Exception(__('Site URL is unreachable.'));
   }
+
+  private function formatDaemonStatusMessage($status) {
+    return $this->formatResultMessage(
+      true,
+      sprintf(
+        __('Daemon is currently %.'),
+        __($status)
+      )
+    );
+  }
+
+  private function formatResultMessage($result, $message) {
+    $formattedResult = array(
+      'result' => $result
+    );
+    if(!$result) {
+      $formattedResult['errors'] = array($message);
+    } else {
+      $formattedResult['message'] = $message;
+    }
+    return $formattedResult;
+  }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/Router/Cron.php b/lib/Router/Cron.php
index fbef9a80e9..b0a606d303 100644
--- a/lib/Router/Cron.php
+++ b/lib/Router/Cron.php
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 namespace MailPoet\Router;
 
 use Carbon\Carbon;
-use MailPoet\Cron\Daemon;
 use MailPoet\Cron\Supervisor;
 use MailPoet\Models\Setting;
 
@@ -10,23 +9,17 @@ if(!defined('ABSPATH')) exit;
 
 class Cron {
   function start() {
-    $supervisor = new Supervisor($forceStart = true);
-    wp_send_json(
-      array(
-        'result' => $supervisor->checkDaemon() ? true : false
-      )
-    );
+    $supervisor = new Supervisor($force_run = true);
+    wp_send_json($supervisor->checkDaemon());
   }
 
   function stop() {
-    $daemon = new Daemon();
-    if(!$daemon->daemon ||
-      $daemon->daemon['status'] !== 'started'
-    ) {
+    $daemon = Supervisor::getDaemon();
+    if(!$daemon || $daemon['status'] !== 'started') {
       $result = false;
     } else {
-      $daemon->daemon['status'] = 'stopping';
-      $result = $daemon->saveDaemon($daemon->daemon);
+      $daemon['status'] = 'stopping';
+      Supervisor::saveDaemon($daemon);
     }
     wp_send_json(
       array(