diff --git a/src/quart/app.py b/src/quart/app.py
index bb2e42c..2e2b883 100644
--- a/src/quart/app.py
+++ b/src/quart/app.py
@@ -1690,8 +1690,13 @@ async def process_response(
                     ResponseTypes, await self.ensure_async(function)(response)
                 )
 
-        session_ = ctx.session
-        if not self.session_interface.is_null_session(session_):
+        # Use _session, not the session property: the property sets
+        # session.accessed = True, which would force Vary: Cookie on every
+        # response (including views that never touched the session).
+        session_ = ctx._session
+        if session_ is not None and not self.session_interface.is_null_session(
+            session_
+        ):
             await self.ensure_async(self.session_interface.save_session)(
                 self, session_, response
             )
@@ -1720,8 +1725,10 @@ async def postprocess_websocket(
                     ResponseTypes, await self.ensure_async(function)(response)
                 )
 
-        session_ = ctx.session
-        if not self.session_interface.is_null_session(session_):
+        session_ = ctx._session
+        if session_ is not None and not self.session_interface.is_null_session(
+            session_
+        ):
             await self.session_interface.save_session(self, session_, response)
         return response
 
diff --git a/tests/test_sessions.py b/tests/test_sessions.py
index 130b0e6..08ab3ad 100644
--- a/tests/test_sessions.py
+++ b/tests/test_sessions.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 from hypercorn.typing import HTTPScope
 from werkzeug.datastructures import Headers
 
+from quart import session
 from quart.app import Quart
 from quart.sessions import SecureCookieSession
 from quart.sessions import SecureCookieSessionInterface
@@ -84,3 +85,25 @@ async def test_secure_cookie_session_interface_save_session_no_access() -> None:
     response = await _save_session(session)
     assert response.headers.get("Set-Cookie") is None
     assert response.headers.get("Vary") is None
+
+
+async def test_process_response_does_not_mark_session_accessed() -> None:
+    """Views that never touch the session must not get Vary: Cookie (#480)."""
+    app = Quart(__name__)
+    app.secret_key = "secret"
+
+    @app.route("/")
+    async def index() -> str:
+        return "ok"
+
+    @app.route("/touch")
+    async def touch() -> str:
+        session["x"] = 1
+        return "ok"
+
+    test_client = app.test_client()
+    response = await test_client.get("/")
+    assert response.headers.get("Vary") is None
+
+    response = await test_client.get("/touch")
+    assert response.headers.get("Vary") == "Cookie"