WITHOUT disabling MOD_PHP in Apache

>> Compile module:
yum -y install httpd-devel gcc
mkdir /tmp/fastcgi
cd /tmp/fastcgi
wget https://github.com/whyneus/magneto-ponies/raw/master/mod_fastcgi-SNAP-0910052141.tar.gz
tar -zxf mod_fastcgi*
cd mod_fastcgi-*
make -f Makefile.AP2 top_dir=/usr/lib64/httpd
cp .libs/mod_fastcgi.so /usr/lib64/httpd/modules/

>> Enable the module:
echo "LoadModule fastcgi_module /usr/lib64/httpd/modules/mod_fastcgi.so" > /etc/httpd/conf.d/fastcgi.conf


>> Install php-fpm and create pools like this:
[$USER]
listen = /dev/shm/$USER-php5-fpm.sock
user = $USER
group = $USER
listen.owner = $USER
listen.group = apache
listen.mode = 0666
pm = dynamic
pm.max_children = 35
pm.start_servers = 5
pm.min_spare_servers = 5
pm.max_spare_servers = 25
slowlog = /var/log/php-fpm/$USER-slow.log
php_admin_value[error_log] = /var/log/php-fpm/$USER-error.log
php_admin_flag[log_errors] = on


>> Add this in the VHOST configuration (before the end of </VirtualHost>)
FastCGIExternalServer /dev/shm/$USER-php.fcgi -socket /dev/shm/$USER-php5-fpm.sock -flush -idle-timeout 1800
AddHandler php-fpm .php
Action php-fpm /php.fcgi
Alias /php.fcgi /dev/shm/$USER-php.fcgi
DirectoryIndex index.php
<FilesMatch "\.php$">
    SetHandler php-fpm
</FilesMatch>


>> Double check php.ini for 'session.save_path'. 
session.save_path = "/tmp"
;session.save_path = "/var/lib/php/session"