diff --git a/app/static/src/app/components/sessions/SessionsPage.vue b/app/static/src/app/components/sessions/SessionsPage.vue
index 6a8580fcb..7fa17b055 100644
--- a/app/static/src/app/components/sessions/SessionsPage.vue
+++ b/app/static/src/app/components/sessions/SessionsPage.vue
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     </div>
     <div class="row mb-3" id="no-current-session" v-if="!currentSession">
         <span>
-          <span class="brand-link clickable" @click="newSession">
+          <span id="start-session" class="brand-link clickable" @click="newSession">
             Start a new session
           </span>
           <span v-if="previousSessions && previousSessions.length" id="load-previous-span">
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ export default defineComponent({
         };
 
         const newSession = () => {
-          store.dispatch(AppStateAction.InitialiseSession, { loadSessionId: "", copySession: false });
+          store.dispatch(AppStateAction.InitialiseSession, { loadSessionId: "", copySession: true });
           router.push("/");
         };
 
diff --git a/app/static/tests/unit/components/sessions/sessionsPage.test.ts b/app/static/tests/unit/components/sessions/sessionsPage.test.ts
index cabbb9318..5ab9e9f46 100644
--- a/app/static/tests/unit/components/sessions/sessionsPage.test.ts
+++ b/app/static/tests/unit/components/sessions/sessionsPage.test.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ describe("SessionsPage", () => {
     const mockDeleteSession = jest.fn();
     const mockSaveUserPreferences = jest.fn();
     const mockLoadUserPreferences = jest.fn();
+    const mockInitialiseSession = jest.fn();
+
+    const mockRouter = {
+        push: jest.fn()
+    };
 
     Object.assign(window.navigator, {
         clipboard: {
@@ -45,7 +50,8 @@ describe("SessionsPage", () => {
             }),
             actions: {
                 [AppStateAction.SaveUserPreferences]: mockSaveUserPreferences,
-                [AppStateAction.LoadUserPreferences]: mockLoadUserPreferences
+                [AppStateAction.LoadUserPreferences]: mockLoadUserPreferences,
+                [AppStateAction.InitialiseSession]: mockInitialiseSession
             } as any,
             modules: {
                 sessions: {
@@ -65,6 +71,9 @@ describe("SessionsPage", () => {
         const options = {
             global: {
                 plugins: [store]
+            },
+            mocks: {
+                $router: mockRouter
             }
         };
 
@@ -164,7 +173,7 @@ describe("SessionsPage", () => {
         expect(wrapper.find("#current-session").exists()).toBe(false);
         const noCurrent = wrapper.find("#no-current-session");
         expect(noCurrent.exists()).toBe(true);
-        expect(noCurrent.findComponent(RouterLink).props("to")).toBe("/");
+        expect(noCurrent.find("span#start-session").text()).toBe("Start a new session");
         expect(noCurrent.find("#load-previous-span").text()).toBe("or load a previous session.");
 
         expect(wrapper.find("#previous-sessions-headers").exists()).toBe(true);
@@ -191,7 +200,7 @@ describe("SessionsPage", () => {
         expect(wrapper.find("#current-session").exists()).toBe(false);
         const noCurrent = wrapper.find("#no-current-session");
         expect(noCurrent.exists()).toBe(true);
-        expect(noCurrent.findComponent(RouterLink).props("to")).toBe("/");
+        expect(noCurrent.find("span#start-session").text()).toBe("Start a new session");
         expect(noCurrent.find("#load-previous-span").exists()).toBe(false);
 
         expect(wrapper.find("#previous-sessions-headers").exists()).toBe(false);
@@ -400,4 +409,11 @@ describe("SessionsPage", () => {
         expect((wrapper.find("input#show-unlabelled-check").element as HTMLInputElement).checked).toBe(false);
         expect((wrapper.find("input#show-duplicates-check").element as HTMLInputElement).checked).toBe(true);
     });
+
+    it("clicking start session initialises session and navigates to app homepage", async () => {
+        const wrapper = getWrapper(sessionsMetadata, undefined);
+        await wrapper.find("span#start-session").trigger("click");
+        expect(mockInitialiseSession).toHaveBeenCalledWith({loadSessionId: "", copySession: true});
+        expect(mockRouter.push).toHaveBeenCalledWith("/");
+    });
 });