diff --git a/api.go b/api.go
index ef52078..bf4ccb0 100644
--- a/api.go
+++ b/api.go
@@ -13,13 +13,15 @@ package gorqlite
 
 */
 
-import "bytes"
-import "encoding/json"
-import "errors"
-import "fmt"
-import "io/ioutil"
-import "net/http"
-import "time"
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"net/http"
+	"time"
+)
 
 /* *****************************************************************
 
diff --git a/gorqlite.go b/gorqlite.go
index 89aece3..b529793 100644
--- a/gorqlite.go
+++ b/gorqlite.go
@@ -19,11 +19,15 @@ package gorqlite
 		Open, TraceOn(), TraceOff()
 */
 
-import "crypto/rand"
-import "fmt"
-import "io"
-import "io/ioutil"
-import "strings"
+import (
+	"crypto/rand"
+	"crypto/tls"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"net/http"
+	"strings"
+)
 
 /* *****************************************************************
 
@@ -51,6 +55,8 @@ const (
 	api_WRITE
 )
 
+var InsecureSkipVerify bool
+
 /* *****************************************************************
 
    init()
@@ -112,6 +118,11 @@ func Open(connURL string) (Connection, error) {
 		return conn, err
 	}
 
+	if conn.wantsHTTPS {
+		// allow using self signed certificates
+		http.DefaultTransport.(*http.Transport).TLSClientConfig = &tls.Config{InsecureSkipVerify: InsecureSkipVerify}
+	}
+
 	// call updateClusterInfo() to populate the cluster
 	// also tests the user's default