The recently proposed cognitive-emotional theory of esteem support messages (CETESM) posits that sophisticated esteem support messages enhance state self-esteem by promoting cognitive reattribution and reappraisal of esteem-threatening situations and their effects on the self. To test this hypothesis, participants (N = 234) read a hypothetical situation in which they imagined they had experienced one of two esteem-threatening situations. They then read a conversation in which a helper offered high- or low-quality esteem support messages. Finally, participants completed measures of cognitive reattribution and reappraisal and state self-esteem. Results mostly supported the predicted mediational model, though one message feature failed to predict message ratings, and issues arose in assessing cognitive reattribution.