passport.js passport.initialize() middleware not in use

Follow the example to avoid the out-of-order middleware hell that express makes it so easy to enter. Straight from the docs. Note how yours does not match this exactly.

var app = express();
app.use(require('serve-static')(__dirname + '/../../public'));
app.use(require('cookie-parser')());
app.use(require('body-parser').urlencoded({ extended: true }));
app.use(require('express-session')({
  secret: 'keyboard cat',
  resave: true,
  saveUninitialized: true
}));
app.use(passport.initialize());
app.use(passport.session());

Docs

1. cookieParser
2. session
3. passport.initialize
4. passport.session
5. app.router

You

1. passport.initialize
2. passport.session
3. cookieParser
4. session
5. app.router

In my case (same error message) I've forgotten to add the passport initializations at all:

app.configure(function () {
    ...
    app.use(passport.initialize());
    app.use(passport.session());
});

UPDATE: Only working up to express version 3, version 4 does not support app.configure() anymore