diff --git a/cms/envs/aws.py b/cms/envs/aws.py
index 0068221147a716502579178e99b5dd0f2598aeca..3bd110ff1062ddb20ced7727644997d441993896 100644
--- a/cms/envs/aws.py
+++ b/cms/envs/aws.py
@@ -168,6 +168,12 @@ if ENV_TOKENS.get('SESSION_COOKIE_NAME', None):
 EDXMKTG_LOGGED_IN_COOKIE_NAME = ENV_TOKENS.get('EDXMKTG_LOGGED_IN_COOKIE_NAME', EDXMKTG_LOGGED_IN_COOKIE_NAME)
 EDXMKTG_USER_INFO_COOKIE_NAME = ENV_TOKENS.get('EDXMKTG_USER_INFO_COOKIE_NAME', EDXMKTG_USER_INFO_COOKIE_NAME)
 
+# Determines whether the CSRF token can be transported on
+# unencrypted channels. It is set to False here for backward compatibility,
+# but it is highly recommended that this is True for environments accessed
+# by end users.
+CSRF_COOKIE_SECURE = ENV_TOKENS.get('CSRF_COOKIE_SECURE', False)
+
 #Email overrides
 DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL = ENV_TOKENS.get('DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL', DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL)
 DEFAULT_FEEDBACK_EMAIL = ENV_TOKENS.get('DEFAULT_FEEDBACK_EMAIL', DEFAULT_FEEDBACK_EMAIL)
diff --git a/cms/envs/common.py b/cms/envs/common.py
index d1459204068736c302bef56976e7e8163d7b6468..7bb4d9663fd049802ee2f4366ca2b84ad2cb7ed2 100644
--- a/cms/envs/common.py
+++ b/cms/envs/common.py
@@ -298,7 +298,9 @@ from lms.envs.common import (
 
 # Forwards-compatibility with Django 1.7
 CSRF_COOKIE_AGE = 60 * 60 * 24 * 7 * 52
-
+# It is highly recommended that you override this in any environment accessed by
+# end users
+CSRF_COOKIE_SECURE = False
 
 #################### CAPA External Code Evaluation #############################
 XQUEUE_INTERFACE = {