diff --git a/docs/config.rst b/docs/config.rst
index c1854c8e..2e2833f9 100644
--- a/docs/config.rst
+++ b/docs/config.rst
@@ -210,12 +210,14 @@ The following configuration values are used internally by Flask:
 
 .. py:data:: SESSION_COOKIE_SAMESITE
 
-    Browser will only send cookies to the domain that created them.
-    There are two possible values for the same-site attribute: "Strict" and "Lax"
-    If set to "None", the samesite flag is not set.
+    Restrict how cookies are sent with requests from external sites. Can
+    be set to ``'Lax'`` (recommended) or ``'Strict'``.
+    See :ref:`security-cookie`.
 
     Default: ``None``
 
+    .. versionadded:: 1.0
+
 .. py:data:: PERMANENT_SESSION_LIFETIME
 
     If ``session.permanent`` is true, the cookie's expiration will be set this
@@ -369,13 +371,15 @@ The following configuration values are used internally by Flask:
    ``LOGGER_HANDLER_POLICY``, ``EXPLAIN_TEMPLATE_LOADING``
 
 .. versionchanged:: 1.0
-
     ``LOGGER_NAME`` and ``LOGGER_HANDLER_POLICY`` were removed. See
     :ref:`logging` for information about configuration.
 
     Added :data:`ENV` to reflect the :envvar:`FLASK_ENV` environment
     variable.
 
+    Added :data:`SESSION_COOKIE_SAMESITE` to control the session
+    cookie's ``SameSite`` option.
+
 
 Configuring from Files
 ----------------------
diff --git a/docs/security.rst b/docs/security.rst
index b68e909e..44c095ac 100644
--- a/docs/security.rst
+++ b/docs/security.rst
@@ -184,6 +184,9 @@ contains the same data. ::
 
 - https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Headers/X-XSS-Protection
 
+
+.. _security-cookie:
+
 Set-Cookie options
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
@@ -194,19 +197,21 @@ They can be set on other cookies too.
 - ``Secure`` limits cookies to HTTPS traffic only.
 - ``HttpOnly`` protects the contents of cookies from being read with
   JavaScript.
-- ``SameSite`` ensures that cookies can only be requested from the same
-  domain that created them. There are two possible values for the same-site
-  attribute: "Strict" and "Lax"
+- ``SameSite`` restricts how cookies are sent with requests from
+  external sites. Can be set to ``'Lax'`` (recommended) or ``'Strict'``.
+  ``Lax`` prevents sending cookies with CSRF-prone requests from
+  external sites, such as submitting a form. ``Strict`` prevents sending
+  cookies with all external requests, including following regular links.
 
 ::
 
     app.config.update(
         SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE=True,
         SESSION_COOKIE_HTTPONLY=True,
-        SESSION_COOKIE_SAMESITE='Strict'
+        SESSION_COOKIE_SAMESITE='Lax',
     )
 
-   response.set_cookie('username', 'flask', secure=True, httponly=True, samesite='Strict')
+    response.set_cookie('username', 'flask', secure=True, httponly=True, samesite='Lax')
 
 Specifying ``Expires`` or ``Max-Age`` options, will remove the cookie after
 the given time, or the current time plus the age, respectively. If neither
@@ -239,6 +244,9 @@ values (or any values that need secure signatures).
 - https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Cookies
 - https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Headers/Set-Cookie
 
+.. _samesite_support: https://caniuse.com/#feat=same-site-cookie-attribute
+
+
 HTTP Public Key Pinning (HPKP)
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
diff --git a/flask/sessions.py b/flask/sessions.py
index eb028027..621f3f5e 100644
--- a/flask/sessions.py
+++ b/flask/sessions.py
@@ -250,9 +250,9 @@ class SessionInterface(object):
         return app.config['SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE']
 
     def get_cookie_samesite(self, app):
-        """Returns "Strict", "Lax" or None if the cookie should use
-        samesite attribute.  This currently just returns the value of
-        the ``SESSION_COOKIE_SAMESITE`` setting.
+        """Return ``'Strict'`` or ``'Lax'`` if the cookie should use the
+        ``SameSite`` attribute. This currently just returns the value of
+        the :data:`SESSION_COOKIE_SAMESITE` setting.
         """
         return app.config['SESSION_COOKIE_SAMESITE']
 
diff --git a/tests/test_basic.py b/tests/test_basic.py
index b0397ee6..0e55b52e 100644
--- a/tests/test_basic.py
+++ b/tests/test_basic.py
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ def test_session_using_session_settings(app, client):
         SESSION_COOKIE_DOMAIN='.example.com',
         SESSION_COOKIE_HTTPONLY=False,
         SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE=True,
-        SESSION_COOKIE_SAMESITE='Strict',
+        SESSION_COOKIE_SAMESITE='Lax',
         SESSION_COOKIE_PATH='/'
     )
 
@@ -338,41 +338,32 @@ def test_session_using_session_settings(app, client):
 
 
 def test_session_using_samesite_attribute(app, client):
-    app.config.update(
-        SERVER_NAME='www.example.com:8080',
-        APPLICATION_ROOT='/test',
-        SESSION_COOKIE_DOMAIN='.example.com',
-        SESSION_COOKIE_HTTPONLY=False,
-        SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE=True,
-        SESSION_COOKIE_SAMESITE='anyvalue',
-        SESSION_COOKIE_PATH='/'
-    )
-
     @app.route('/')
     def index():
         flask.session['testing'] = 42
         return 'Hello World'
 
-    # assert excption when samesite is not set to 'Strict', 'Lax' or None
+    app.config.update(SESSION_COOKIE_SAMESITE='invalid')
+
     with pytest.raises(ValueError):
-        rv = client.get('/', 'http://www.example.com:8080/test/')
+        client.get('/')
 
-    # assert the samesite flag is not set in the cookie, when set to None
     app.config.update(SESSION_COOKIE_SAMESITE=None)
-    rv = client.get('/', 'http://www.example.com:8080/test/')
+    rv = client.get('/')
     cookie = rv.headers['set-cookie'].lower()
     assert 'samesite' not in cookie
 
     app.config.update(SESSION_COOKIE_SAMESITE='Strict')
-    rv = client.get('/', 'http://www.example.com:8080/test/')
+    rv = client.get('/')
     cookie = rv.headers['set-cookie'].lower()
     assert 'samesite=strict' in cookie
 
     app.config.update(SESSION_COOKIE_SAMESITE='Lax')
-    rv = client.get('/', 'http://www.example.com:8080/test/')
+    rv = client.get('/')
     cookie = rv.headers['set-cookie'].lower()
     assert 'samesite=lax' in cookie
 
+
 def test_session_localhost_warning(recwarn, app, client):
     app.config.update(
         SERVER_NAME='localhost:5000',