diff --git a/django/contrib/messages/storage/cookie.py b/django/contrib/messages/storage/cookie.py
index 619c69249e..8c394d2046 100644
--- a/django/contrib/messages/storage/cookie.py
+++ b/django/contrib/messages/storage/cookie.py
@@ -79,7 +79,9 @@ class CookieStorage(BaseStorage):
         """
         if encoded_data:
             response.set_cookie(self.cookie_name, encoded_data,
-                domain=settings.SESSION_COOKIE_DOMAIN)
+                domain=settings.SESSION_COOKIE_DOMAIN,
+                secure=settings.SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE or None,
+                httponly=settings.SESSION_COOKIE_HTTPONLY or None)
         else:
             response.delete_cookie(self.cookie_name,
                 domain=settings.SESSION_COOKIE_DOMAIN)
diff --git a/django/contrib/messages/tests/test_cookie.py b/django/contrib/messages/tests/test_cookie.py
index 5871ecc773..e57cc33946 100644
--- a/django/contrib/messages/tests/test_cookie.py
+++ b/django/contrib/messages/tests/test_cookie.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ def stored_cookie_messages_count(storage, response):
     return len(data)
 
 
-@override_settings(SESSION_COOKIE_DOMAIN='.example.com')
+@override_settings(SESSION_COOKIE_DOMAIN='.example.com', SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE=True, SESSION_COOKIE_HTTPONLY=True)
 class CookieTest(BaseTests, TestCase):
     storage_class = CookieStorage
 
@@ -56,10 +56,10 @@ class CookieTest(BaseTests, TestCase):
         # Test that the message actually contains what we expect.
         self.assertEqual(list(storage), example_messages)
 
-    def test_domain(self):
+    def test_cookie_setings(self):
         """
-        Ensure that CookieStorage honors SESSION_COOKIE_DOMAIN.
-        Refs #15618.
+        Ensure that CookieStorage honors SESSION_COOKIE_DOMAIN, SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE and SESSION_COOKIE_HTTPONLY
+        Refs #15618 and #20972.
         """
         # Test before the messages have been consumed
         storage = self.get_storage()
@@ -69,8 +69,10 @@ class CookieTest(BaseTests, TestCase):
         self.assertTrue('test' in response.cookies['messages'].value)
         self.assertEqual(response.cookies['messages']['domain'], '.example.com')
         self.assertEqual(response.cookies['messages']['expires'], '')
+        self.assertEqual(response.cookies['messages']['secure'], True)
+        self.assertEqual(response.cookies['messages']['httponly'], True)
 
-        # Test after the messages have been consumed
+        # Test deletion of the cookie (storing with an empty value) after the messages have been consumed
         storage = self.get_storage()
         response = self.get_response()
         storage.add(constants.INFO, 'test')
diff --git a/docs/ref/contrib/messages.txt b/docs/ref/contrib/messages.txt
index 2014c7c183..c1995b6d39 100644
--- a/docs/ref/contrib/messages.txt
+++ b/docs/ref/contrib/messages.txt
@@ -376,3 +376,12 @@ behavior:
 * :setting:`MESSAGE_LEVEL`
 * :setting:`MESSAGE_STORAGE`
 * :setting:`MESSAGE_TAGS`
+
+.. versionadded:: 1.7
+
+For backends that use cookies, the settings for the cookie are taken from
+the session cookie settings:
+
+* :setting:`SESSION_COOKIE_DOMAIN`
+* :setting:`SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE`
+* :setting:`SESSION_COOKIE_HTTPONLY`
diff --git a/docs/ref/settings.txt b/docs/ref/settings.txt
index 2f531803bc..b0bc020f47 100644
--- a/docs/ref/settings.txt
+++ b/docs/ref/settings.txt
@@ -2266,7 +2266,8 @@ See :ref:`message storage backends <message-storage-backends>` for more details.
 The backends that use cookies --
 :class:`~django.contrib.messages.storage.cookie.CookieStorage` and
 :class:`~django.contrib.messages.storage.fallback.FallbackStorage` --
-use the value of :setting:`SESSION_COOKIE_DOMAIN` when setting their cookies.
+use the value of :setting:`SESSION_COOKIE_DOMAIN`, :setting:`SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE`
+and :setting:`SESSION_COOKIE_HTTPONLY` when setting their cookies.
 
 .. setting:: MESSAGE_TAGS
 
@@ -2342,6 +2343,8 @@ standard domain cookies, existing user cookies will be set to the old
 domain. This may result in them being unable to log in as long as these cookies
 persist.
 
+This setting also affects cookies set by :mod:`django.contrib.messages`.
+
 .. setting:: SESSION_COOKIE_HTTPONLY
 
 SESSION_COOKIE_HTTPONLY
@@ -2359,6 +2362,10 @@ consistently by all browsers. However, when it is honored, it can be a
 useful way to mitigate the risk of client side script accessing the
 protected cookie data.
 
+.. versionadded:: 1.7
+
+This setting also affects cookies set by :mod:`django.contrib.messages`.
+
 .. _HTTPOnly: https://www.owasp.org/index.php/HTTPOnly
 
 .. setting:: SESSION_COOKIE_NAME
@@ -2396,6 +2403,10 @@ Whether to use a secure cookie for the session cookie. If this is set to
 ``True``, the cookie will be marked as "secure," which means browsers may
 ensure that the cookie is only sent under an HTTPS connection.
 
+.. versionadded:: 1.7
+
+This setting also affects cookies set by :mod:`django.contrib.messages`.
+
 .. setting:: SESSION_ENGINE
 
 SESSION_ENGINE
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.7.txt b/docs/releases/1.7.txt
index 4c295f58e0..ea4b09d831 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.7.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.7.txt
@@ -214,6 +214,10 @@ Minor features
 * The :ttag:`widthratio` template tag now accepts an "as" parameter to capture
   the result in a variable.
 
+* The backends for :mod:`django.contrib.messages` that use cookies, will now
+  follow the :setting:`SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE` and
+  :setting:`SESSION_COOKIE_HTTPONLY` settings.
+
 Backwards incompatible changes in 1.7
 =====================================