diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 3e323945..2578d682 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -5,3 +5,5 @@ node_modules
 dist
 .vscode
 package-lock.json
+tests/resources/cert.pem
+tests/resources/key.pem
diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 677d9abc..d4c49dda 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ install:
   - pip3 install .
   - pip3 install pytest
 script:
+  - openssl req -x509 -newkey rsa:4096 -keyout ./tests/resources/key.pem -out ./tests/resources/cert.pem -days 365 -nodes -subj /CN=localhost
   - JUPYTER_TOKEN=secret jupyter-notebook --config=./tests/resources/jupyter_server_config.py &
   - sleep 5
   - pytest -v
diff --git a/jupyter_server_proxy/__init__.py b/jupyter_server_proxy/__init__.py
index 986b3ee1..043f4aad 100644
--- a/jupyter_server_proxy/__init__.py
+++ b/jupyter_server_proxy/__init__.py
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-import ssl
-
 from .handlers import setup_handlers, SuperviseAndProxyHandler
 from .config import ServerProxy, make_handlers, get_entrypoint_server_processes, make_server_process
 from notebook.utils import url_path_join as ujoin
@@ -30,19 +28,8 @@ def load_jupyter_server_extension(nbapp):
     server_handlers = make_handlers(base_url, server_proccesses)
     nbapp.web_app.add_handlers('.*', server_handlers)
 
-    # Configure SSL support
-    ssl_options = None
-    if serverproxy.https:
-        ssl_context = ssl.create_default_context(ssl.Purpose.SERVER_AUTH, cafile=serverproxy.cafile)
-        if serverproxy.certfile or serverproxy.keyfile:
-            ssl_context.load_cert_chain(serverproxy.certfile, serverproxy.keyfile or None)
-        else:
-            ssl_context.load_default_certs()
-        ssl_context.check_hostname = serverproxy.check_hostname
-        ssl_options = ssl_context
-
     # Set up default handler
-    setup_handlers(nbapp.web_app, serverproxy.host_whitelist, ssl_options)
+    setup_handlers(nbapp.web_app, serverproxy.host_whitelist)
 
     launcher_entries = []
     icons = {}
diff --git a/jupyter_server_proxy/config.py b/jupyter_server_proxy/config.py
index a81a9564..30e74a1a 100644
--- a/jupyter_server_proxy/config.py
+++ b/jupyter_server_proxy/config.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 Traitlets based configuration for jupyter_server_proxy
 """
 from notebook.utils import url_path_join as ujoin
+import ssl
 from traitlets import Bool, Dict, List, Unicode, Union, default
 from traitlets.config import Configurable
 from .handlers import SuperviseAndProxyHandler, AddSlashHandler
@@ -15,7 +16,7 @@
 except ImportError:
     from .utils import Callable
 
-def _make_serverproxy_handler(name, command, environment, timeout, absolute_url, port, mappath):
+def _make_serverproxy_handler(name, command, environment, timeout, absolute_url, port, mappath, ssl_options):
     """
     Create a SuperviseAndProxyHandler subclass with given parameters
     """
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
             self.absolute_url = absolute_url
             self.requested_port = port
             self.mappath = mappath
+            self.ssl_options = ssl_options
 
         @property
         def process_args(self):
@@ -90,6 +92,7 @@ def make_handlers(base_url, server_processes):
             sp.absolute_url,
             sp.port,
             sp.mappath,
+            sp.ssl_options,
         )
         handlers.append((
             ujoin(base_url, sp.name, r'(.*)'), handler, dict(state={}),
@@ -101,7 +104,23 @@ def make_handlers(base_url, server_processes):
 
 LauncherEntry = namedtuple('LauncherEntry', ['enabled', 'icon_path', 'title'])
 ServerProcess = namedtuple('ServerProcess', [
-    'name', 'command', 'environment', 'timeout', 'absolute_url', 'port', 'mappath', 'launcher_entry'])
+    'name', 'command', 'environment', 'timeout', 'absolute_url', 'port', 'mappath', 'ssl_options', 'launcher_entry'])
+
+
+def _create_ssl_options(config):
+    # Configure SSL support
+    ssl_options = None
+    if config.get('https', False):
+        ssl_context = ssl.create_default_context(ssl.Purpose.SERVER_AUTH, cafile=config.get('cafile'))
+        certfile = config.get('certfile')
+        keyfile = config.get('keyfile')
+        if certfile or keyfile:
+            ssl_context.load_cert_chain(certfile, keyfile)
+        else:
+            ssl_context.load_default_certs()
+        ssl_context.check_hostname = config.get('check_hostname', False)
+        ssl_options = ssl_context
+    return ssl_options
 
 def make_server_process(name, server_process_config):
     le = server_process_config.get('launcher_entry', {})
@@ -113,6 +132,7 @@ def make_server_process(name, server_process_config):
         absolute_url=server_process_config.get('absolute_url', False),
         port=server_process_config.get('port', 0),
         mappath=server_process_config.get('mappath', {}),
+        ssl_options=_create_ssl_options(server_process_config),
         launcher_entry=LauncherEntry(
             enabled=le.get('enabled', True),
             icon_path=le.get('icon_path'),
diff --git a/jupyter_server_proxy/handlers.py b/jupyter_server_proxy/handlers.py
index ac54cfa1..e26688ca 100644
--- a/jupyter_server_proxy/handlers.py
+++ b/jupyter_server_proxy/handlers.py
@@ -471,16 +471,19 @@ def get_timeout(self):
         return 5
 
     async def _http_ready_func(self, p):
-        url = 'http://localhost:{}'.format(self.port)
+        protocol = 'http' if self.ssl_options is None else 'https'
+        url = '{}://localhost:{}'.format(protocol, self.port)
         async with aiohttp.ClientSession() as session:
             try:
-                async with session.get(url) as resp:
+                # Disable ssl verification
+                async with session.get(url, ssl=False) as resp:
                     # We only care if we get back *any* response, not just 200
                     # If there's an error response, that can be shown directly to the user
                     self.log.debug('Got code {} back from {}'.format(resp.status, url))
                     return True
-            except aiohttp.ClientConnectionError:
+            except aiohttp.ClientConnectionError as err:
                 self.log.debug('Connection to {} refused'.format(url))
+                self.log.debug(err)
                 return False
 
     async def ensure_process(self):
@@ -561,21 +564,17 @@ def options(self, path):
         return self.proxy(self.port, path)
 
 
-def setup_handlers(web_app, host_whitelist, ssl_options):
+def setup_handlers(web_app, host_whitelist):
     host_pattern = '.*$'
     web_app.add_handlers('.*', [
         (url_path_join(web_app.settings['base_url'], r'/proxy/(.*):(\d+)(.*)'),
-         RemoteProxyHandler, {'absolute_url': False, 'host_whitelist': host_whitelist,
-          'ssl_options': ssl_options}),
+         RemoteProxyHandler, {'absolute_url': False, 'host_whitelist': host_whitelist}),
         (url_path_join(web_app.settings['base_url'], r'/proxy/absolute/(.*):(\d+)(.*)'),
-         RemoteProxyHandler, {'absolute_url': True, 'host_whitelist': host_whitelist,
-          'ssl_options': ssl_options}),
+         RemoteProxyHandler, {'absolute_url': True, 'host_whitelist': host_whitelist}),
         (url_path_join(web_app.settings['base_url'], r'/proxy/(\d+)(.*)'),
-         LocalProxyHandler, {'absolute_url': False,
-          'ssl_options': ssl_options}),
+         LocalProxyHandler, {'absolute_url': False}),
         (url_path_join(web_app.settings['base_url'], r'/proxy/absolute/(\d+)(.*)'),
-         LocalProxyHandler, {'absolute_url': True,
-          'ssl_options': ssl_options}),
+         LocalProxyHandler, {'absolute_url': True}),
     ])
 
 # vim: set et ts=4 sw=4:
diff --git a/tests/resources/httpinfo.py b/tests/resources/httpinfo.py
index 3ca94155..7445c03f 100644
--- a/tests/resources/httpinfo.py
+++ b/tests/resources/httpinfo.py
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
+from argparse import ArgumentParser
 from http.server import HTTPServer, BaseHTTPRequestHandler
+import ssl
 import sys
 
 class EchoRequestInfo(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
@@ -11,7 +13,15 @@ def do_GET(self):
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
-    port = int(sys.argv[1])
-    server_address = ('', port)
+    parser = ArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument('port', type=int)
+    parser.add_argument('--keyfile')
+    parser.add_argument('--certfile')
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+    server_address = ('', args.port)
     httpd = HTTPServer(server_address, EchoRequestInfo)
+    if args.keyfile or args.certfile:
+        httpd.socket = ssl.wrap_socket(
+            httpd.socket, server_side=True,
+            certfile=args.certfile, keyfile=args.keyfile)
     httpd.serve_forever()
diff --git a/tests/resources/jupyter_server_config.py b/tests/resources/jupyter_server_config.py
index 8005cde5..c4ebeeb1 100644
--- a/tests/resources/jupyter_server_config.py
+++ b/tests/resources/jupyter_server_config.py
@@ -24,6 +24,13 @@ def mappathf(path):
         'command': ['python3', './tests/resources/httpinfo.py', '{port}'],
         'mappath': mappathf,
     },
+    'python-https' : {
+        'command': ['python3', './tests/resources/httpinfo.py', '--keyfile=./tests/resources/key.pem', '--certfile=./tests/resources/cert.pem', '{port}'],
+        'https': True,
+        # Self-signed cert, use certificate as ca
+        'cafile': './tests/resources/cert.pem',
+        'check_hostname': True,
+    },
     'python-websocket' : {
         'command': ['python3', './tests/resources/websocket.py', '--port={port}'],
     }
diff --git a/tests/test_proxies.py b/tests/test_proxies.py
index 746b3cde..a8c785ef 100644
--- a/tests/test_proxies.py
+++ b/tests/test_proxies.py
@@ -124,6 +124,15 @@ def test_server_proxy_mappath_callable(requestpath, expected):
     assert 'X-Proxycontextpath: /python-http-mappathf\n' in s
 
 
+def test_server_proxy_https():
+    r = request_get(PORT, '/python-https/abc', TOKEN)
+    assert r.code == 200
+    s = r.read().decode('ascii')
+    assert s.startswith('GET /abc?token=')
+    assert 'X-Forwarded-Context: /python-https\n' in s
+    assert 'X-Proxycontextpath: /python-https\n' in s
+
+
 def test_server_proxy_remote():
     r = request_get(PORT, '/newproxy', TOKEN, host='127.0.0.1')
     assert r.code == 200