diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 58244fc..c647ba8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -174,6 +174,31 @@ The complete code for the Channels Chat tutorial application (up to
 part 3) with the channels-mqtt-proxy additions is here:
 https://github.com/lbt/channels-mqtt-proxy/tree/main/examples
 
+### Secure connections
+
+Additional settings in `site/settings.py` to connect to a MQTT broker with a secure connection:
+
+```python
+# Local mqtt settings
+MQTT_HOST = "mqtt.example.com"
+MQTT_USER = "mqtt-test"
+MQTT_PASSWORD = "mqtt-test"
+MQTT_VERSION = 311  # defaults to 50
+
+# TLS settings
+MQTT_USE_SSL = True    # enable ssl connection (bool)
+MQTT_PORT = 8883       # override the port to connect to (int)
+## Stop here if your server certificate has been properly signed.
+
+## Optional
+## Settings to connect to a server with self-signed certificates
+MQTT_SSL_VERIFY = False                  # set to False to connect to a server
+                                         # with a self signed certificate
+MQTT_SSL_CA = "<path to ca.crt>"         # ca file from server
+MQTT_SSL_CERT = "<path to client.crt>"   # client specific cert file
+MQTT_SSL_KEY = "<path to client.key>"    # client specific key file
+```
+
 ## Example Usage
 
 Create and activate a suitable venv.
diff --git a/chanmqttproxy/channelsmqttproxy.py b/chanmqttproxy/channelsmqttproxy.py
index dcd1dde..7aa7c3e 100644
--- a/chanmqttproxy/channelsmqttproxy.py
+++ b/chanmqttproxy/channelsmqttproxy.py
@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@
 import os
 import signal
 import socket
+import ssl
 
 from gmqtt import Client as MQTTClient
+from gmqtt.mqtt.handler import MQTTConnectError
 from gmqtt.mqtt.constants import MQTTv311, MQTTv50
 
 LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -20,9 +22,41 @@ def __init__(self, channel_layer, settings):
         # Creating the client does not connect.
         self.mqtt = MQTTClient(
             f"ChannelsMQTTProxy@{socket.gethostname()}.{os.getpid()}")
-        self.mqtt.set_auth_credentials(username=settings.MQTT_USER,
-                                       password=settings.MQTT_PASSWORD)
+        try:
+            self.mqtt.set_auth_credentials(username=settings.MQTT_USER,
+                                        password=settings.MQTT_PASSWORD)
+        except AttributeError:
+            # Settings are not defined. Try anonymous connection
+            pass
         self.mqtt_host = settings.MQTT_HOST
+        try:
+            self.mqtt_port = settings.MQTT_PORT
+        except AttributeError:
+            # Setting not defined. Use default unsecured.
+            self.mqtt_port = 1883
+        # Set ssl
+        try:
+            self.mqtt_usessl = settings.MQTT_USE_SSL
+        except AttributeError:
+            # Setting is not defined. Assume false
+            self.mqtt_usessl = False
+
+        try:
+            self.mqtt_ssl_ca = settings.MQTT_SSL_CA
+            self.mqtt_ssl_cert = settings.MQTT_SSL_CERT
+            self.mqtt_ssl_key = settings.MQTT_SSL_KEY
+            try:
+                self.mqtt_ssl_verify = settings.MQTT_SSL_VERIFY
+            except AttributeError:
+                # Assume True on error
+                self.mqtt_ssl_verify = True
+        except AttributeError:
+            # Setting is not defined. Set safe values.
+            self.mqtt_ssl_ca = None
+            self.mqtt_ssl_cert = None
+            self.mqtt_ssl_key = None
+            self.mqtt_ssl_verify = True
+
         try:
             self.mqtt_version = settings.MQTT_VERSION
         except AttributeError:
@@ -63,7 +97,47 @@ async def connect(self):
 
         while not self.mqtt.is_connected:
             try:
-                await self.mqtt.connect(self.mqtt_host, version=version)
+                LOGGER.debug('Connecting to mqtt%s://%s:%s using v%s',
+                             "s" if self.mqtt_usessl else "",
+                             self.mqtt_host,
+                             self.mqtt_port,
+                             self.mqtt_version)
+                use_ssl = self.mqtt_usessl
+                if (self.mqtt_usessl) and (self.mqtt_ssl_ca is not None):
+                    LOGGER.debug('Using CA: %s Cert: %s Key: %s Verify: %s',
+                                 self.mqtt_ssl_ca,
+                                 self.mqtt_ssl_cert,
+                                 self.mqtt_ssl_key,
+                                 self.mqtt_ssl_verify)
+                    try:
+                        use_ssl = ssl.create_default_context(
+                            ssl.Purpose.SERVER_AUTH,
+                            cafile = self.mqtt_ssl_ca)
+                        use_ssl.check_hostname = self.mqtt_ssl_verify
+                        if self.mqtt_ssl_verify:
+                            use_ssl.verify_mode = ssl.CERT_REQUIRED
+                        else:
+                            use_ssl.verify_mode =ssl.CERT_NONE
+                        use_ssl.load_cert_chain(
+                            certfile=self.mqtt_ssl_cert,
+                            keyfile=self.mqtt_ssl_key)
+                    except ssl.SSLError as e:
+                        LOGGER.error('Error initialising ssl: %s. Retrying.',e)
+                        await asyncio.sleep(1)
+                        continue
+                await self.mqtt.connect(
+                    self.mqtt_host,
+                    port=self.mqtt_port,
+                    ssl=use_ssl,
+                    version=version)
+            except MQTTConnectError as e:
+                # Mqtt server returned an error.
+                # Back off as to not spam the server
+                LOGGER.info('MQTT Error trying to connect: %s. Retrying.',e)
+                # Close the connection since it is running and gmqtt will
+                # still retry to complete the connection.
+                await self.mqtt.disconnect()
+                await asyncio.sleep(30)
             except Exception as e:
                 LOGGER.warn(f"Error trying to connect: {e}. Retrying.")
                 await asyncio.sleep(1)
@@ -77,10 +151,10 @@ async def finish(self):
         LOGGER.debug("MQTT client disconnected")
 
     def _on_connect(self, _client, _flags, _rc, _properties):
+        LOGGER.debug('Connected')
         for s in self.subscriptions.keys():
             LOGGER.debug(f"Re-subscribing to {s}")
             self.mqtt.subscribe(s)
-        LOGGER.debug('Connected and subscribed')
 
     def _on_disconnect(self, _client, _packet, _exc=None):
         LOGGER.debug('Disconnected')