diff --git a/extensions/vertx-http/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/vertx/http/runtime/security/PersistentLoginManager.java b/extensions/vertx-http/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/vertx/http/runtime/security/PersistentLoginManager.java
index 70c947bca258b..7127ec41e25d5 100644
--- a/extensions/vertx-http/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/vertx/http/runtime/security/PersistentLoginManager.java
+++ b/extensions/vertx-http/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/vertx/http/runtime/security/PersistentLoginManager.java
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
 package io.quarkus.vertx.http.runtime.security;
 
+import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
 import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 import java.security.MessageDigest;
+import java.security.SecureRandom;
 import java.util.Base64;
 
 import javax.crypto.Cipher;
 import javax.crypto.KeyGenerator;
 import javax.crypto.SecretKey;
+import javax.crypto.spec.GCMParameterSpec;
 import javax.crypto.spec.SecretKeySpec;
 
 import org.jboss.logging.Logger;
@@ -25,10 +28,13 @@
 public class PersistentLoginManager {
 
     private static final Logger log = Logger.getLogger(PersistentLoginManager.class);
+    private static final String ENC_ALGORITHM = "AES/GCM/NoPadding";
+    private static final int ENC_TAG_LENGTH = 128;
 
     private final SecretKey secretKey;
     private final String cookieName;
     private final long timeoutMillis;
+    private final SecureRandom secureRandom = new SecureRandom();
 
     public PersistentLoginManager(String encryptionKey, String cookieName, long timeoutMillis) {
         try {
@@ -56,9 +62,15 @@ public RestoreResult restore(RoutingContext context) {
         }
         String val = existing.getValue();
         try {
-            Cipher cipher = Cipher.getInstance("AES/ECB/PKCS5Padding");
-            cipher.init(Cipher.DECRYPT_MODE, secretKey);
-            String result = new String(cipher.doFinal(Base64.getDecoder().decode(val)), StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+            Cipher cipher = Cipher.getInstance(ENC_ALGORITHM);
+            ByteBuffer byteBuffer = ByteBuffer.wrap(Base64.getDecoder().decode(val.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8)));
+            int ivLength = byteBuffer.get();
+            byte[] iv = new byte[ivLength];
+            byteBuffer.get(iv);
+            byte[] encrypted = new byte[byteBuffer.remaining()];
+            byteBuffer.get(encrypted);
+            cipher.init(Cipher.DECRYPT_MODE, secretKey, new GCMParameterSpec(ENC_TAG_LENGTH, iv));
+            String result = new String(cipher.doFinal(encrypted));
             int sep = result.indexOf(":");
             if (sep == -1) {
                 return null;
@@ -81,18 +93,21 @@ public void save(SecurityIdentity identity, RoutingContext context, RestoreResul
             }
         }
         try {
-            Cipher cipher = Cipher.getInstance("AES/ECB/PKCS5Padding");
-
+            Cipher cipher = Cipher.getInstance(ENC_ALGORITHM);
+            byte[] iv = new byte[12];
+            secureRandom.nextBytes(iv);
+            cipher.init(Cipher.ENCRYPT_MODE, secretKey, new GCMParameterSpec(ENC_TAG_LENGTH, iv));
             StringBuilder contents = new StringBuilder();
-            //TODO: do we need random padding?
             long timeout = System.currentTimeMillis() + timeoutMillis;
             contents.append(timeout);
             contents.append(":");
             contents.append(identity.getPrincipal().getName());
-
-            cipher.init(Cipher.ENCRYPT_MODE, secretKey);
-            String cookieValue = Base64.getEncoder()
-                    .encodeToString(cipher.doFinal(contents.toString().getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8)));
+            byte[] encrypted = cipher.doFinal(contents.toString().getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8));
+            ByteBuffer message = ByteBuffer.allocate(1 + iv.length + encrypted.length);
+            message.put((byte) iv.length);
+            message.put(iv);
+            message.put(encrypted);
+            String cookieValue = Base64.getEncoder().encodeToString(message.array());
             context.addCookie(Cookie.cookie(cookieName, cookieValue).setPath("/"));
         } catch (Exception e) {
             throw new RuntimeException(e);