diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_backend/all_figures.html b/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_backend/all_figures.html
index f52b75237327..62f04b65c9bf 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_backend/all_figures.html
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_backend/all_figures.html
@@ -24,7 +24,9 @@
           figure_div.id = "figure-div";
           main_div.appendChild(figure_div);
           var websocket_type = mpl.get_websocket_type();
-          var websocket = new websocket_type("{{ ws_uri }}" + fig_id + "/ws");
+          var uri = "{{ ws_uri }}" + fig_id + "/ws";
+          if (window.location.protocol === "https:") uri = uri.replace('ws:', 'wss:')
+          var websocket = new websocket_type(uri);
           var fig = new mpl.figure(fig_id, websocket, mpl_ondownload, figure_div);
 
           fig.focus_on_mouseover = true;
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_backend/single_figure.html b/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_backend/single_figure.html
index 22bd697fbe7d..ceaaab00669f 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_backend/single_figure.html
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_backend/single_figure.html
@@ -19,8 +19,9 @@
       ready(
         function () {
           var websocket_type = mpl.get_websocket_type();
-          var websocket = new websocket_type(
-              "{{ ws_uri }}" + {{ str(fig_id) }} + "/ws");
+          var uri = "{{ ws_uri }}" + {{ str(fig_id) }} + "/ws";
+          if (window.location.protocol === 'https:') uri = uri.replace('ws:', 'wss:')
+          var websocket = new websocket_type(uri);
           var fig = new mpl.figure(
               {{ str(fig_id) }}, websocket, mpl_ondownload,
               document.getElementById("figure"));