diff --git a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/ipythonqt.py b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/ipythonqt.py
index 2df4231..04d413c 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/ipythonqt.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/ipythonqt.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ from IPython.zmq.ipkernel import (
     aliases as ipkernel_aliases,
     IPKernelApp
 )
+from IPython.zmq.session import Session
 from IPython.zmq.zmqshell import ZMQInteractiveShell
 
 
@@ -214,7 +215,7 @@ aliases.update(dict(
 class IPythonQtConsoleApp(BaseIPythonApplication):
     name = 'ipython-qtconsole'
     default_config_file_name='ipython_config.py'
-    classes = [IPKernelApp, IPythonWidget, ZMQInteractiveShell, ProfileDir]
+    classes = [IPKernelApp, IPythonWidget, ZMQInteractiveShell, ProfileDir, Session]
     flags = Dict(flags)
     aliases = Dict(aliases)
 
@@ -289,7 +290,8 @@ class IPythonQtConsoleApp(BaseIPythonApplication):
                                 shell_address=(self.ip, self.shell_port),
                                 sub_address=(self.ip, self.iopub_port),
                                 stdin_address=(self.ip, self.stdin_port),
-                                hb_address=(self.ip, self.hb_port)
+                                hb_address=(self.ip, self.hb_port),
+                                config=self.config
         )
         # start the kernel
         if not self.existing:
diff --git a/IPython/zmq/ipkernel.py b/IPython/zmq/ipkernel.py
index 2d8a3e0..2db33fb 100755
--- a/IPython/zmq/ipkernel.py
+++ b/IPython/zmq/ipkernel.py
@@ -590,7 +590,7 @@ class IPKernelApp(KernelApp, InteractiveShellApp):
 
     aliases = Dict(aliases)
     flags = Dict(flags)
-    classes = [Kernel, ZMQInteractiveShell, ProfileDir]
+    classes = [Kernel, ZMQInteractiveShell, ProfileDir, Session]
     # configurables
     pylab = CaselessStrEnum(['tk', 'qt', 'wx', 'gtk', 'osx', 'inline', 'auto'],
         config=True,
diff --git a/IPython/zmq/kernelapp.py b/IPython/zmq/kernelapp.py
index fdb1b07..a732968 100644
--- a/IPython/zmq/kernelapp.py
+++ b/IPython/zmq/kernelapp.py
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ class KernelApp(BaseIPythonApplication):
     name='pykernel'
     aliases = Dict(kernel_aliases)
     flags = Dict(kernel_flags)
-
+    classes = [Session]
     # the kernel class, as an importstring
     kernel_class = Unicode('IPython.zmq.pykernel.Kernel')
     kernel = Any()
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ class KernelApp(BaseIPythonApplication):
 
     def init_session(self):
         """create our session object"""
-        self.session = Session(username=u'kernel')
+        self.session = Session(config=self.config, username=u'kernel')
 
     def init_io(self):
         """redirects stdout/stderr, and installs a display hook"""
diff --git a/IPython/zmq/kernelmanager.py b/IPython/zmq/kernelmanager.py
index 6a35efc..0101ee2 100644
--- a/IPython/zmq/kernelmanager.py
+++ b/IPython/zmq/kernelmanager.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ from zmq import POLLIN, POLLOUT, POLLERR
 from zmq.eventloop import ioloop
 
 # Local imports.
+from IPython.config.loader import Config
 from IPython.utils import io
 from IPython.utils.localinterfaces import LOCALHOST, LOCAL_IPS
 from IPython.utils.traitlets import HasTraits, Any, Instance, Type, TCPAddress
@@ -676,11 +677,16 @@ class KernelManager(HasTraits):
     The REP channel is for the kernel to request stdin (raw_input) from the
     frontend.
     """
+    # config object for passing to child configurables
+    config = Instance(Config)
+    
     # The PyZMQ Context to use for communication with the kernel.
-    context = Instance(zmq.Context,(),{})
+    context = Instance(zmq.Context)
+    def _context_default(self):
+        return zmq.Context.instance()
 
     # The Session to use for communication with the kernel.
-    session = Instance(Session,(),{})
+    session = Instance(Session)
 
     # The kernel process with which the KernelManager is communicating.
     kernel = Instance(Popen)
@@ -706,8 +712,10 @@ class KernelManager(HasTraits):
 
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         super(KernelManager, self).__init__(**kwargs)
+        if self.session is None:
+            self.session = Session(config=self.config)
         # Uncomment this to try closing the context.
-        # atexit.register(self.context.close)
+        # atexit.register(self.context.term)
 
     #--------------------------------------------------------------------------
     # Channel management methods: