diff --git a/oslo_messaging/_drivers/impl_rabbit.py b/oslo_messaging/_drivers/impl_rabbit.py
index 86fed1f4b..c66daf7ed 100644
--- a/oslo_messaging/_drivers/impl_rabbit.py
+++ b/oslo_messaging/_drivers/impl_rabbit.py
@@ -477,7 +477,6 @@ def __init__(self, conf, url):
         # max retry-interval = 30 seconds
         self.interval_max = 30
 
-        self._ssl_params = self._fetch_ssl_params()
         self._login_method = self.driver_conf.rabbit_login_method
 
         if url.virtual_host is not None:
@@ -529,7 +528,8 @@ def __init__(self, conf, url):
 
         self.channel = None
         self.connection = kombu.connection.Connection(
-            self._url, ssl=self._ssl_params, login_method=self._login_method,
+            self._url, ssl=self._fetch_ssl_params(),
+            login_method=self._login_method,
             failover_strategy="shuffle")
 
         LOG.info(_LI('Connecting to AMQP server on %(hostname)s:%(port)d'),
@@ -581,24 +581,24 @@ def _fetch_ssl_params(self):
         """Handles fetching what ssl params should be used for the connection
         (if any).
         """
-        ssl_params = dict()
-
-        # http://docs.python.org/library/ssl.html - ssl.wrap_socket
-        if self.driver_conf.kombu_ssl_version:
-            ssl_params['ssl_version'] = self.validate_ssl_version(
-                self.driver_conf.kombu_ssl_version)
-        if self.driver_conf.kombu_ssl_keyfile:
-            ssl_params['keyfile'] = self.driver_conf.kombu_ssl_keyfile
-        if self.driver_conf.kombu_ssl_certfile:
-            ssl_params['certfile'] = self.driver_conf.kombu_ssl_certfile
-        if self.driver_conf.kombu_ssl_ca_certs:
-            ssl_params['ca_certs'] = self.driver_conf.kombu_ssl_ca_certs
-            # We might want to allow variations in the
-            # future with this?
-            ssl_params['cert_reqs'] = ssl.CERT_REQUIRED
-
-        # Return the extended behavior or just have the default behavior
-        return ssl_params or None
+        if self.driver_conf.rabbit_use_ssl:
+            ssl_params = dict()
+
+            # http://docs.python.org/library/ssl.html - ssl.wrap_socket
+            if self.driver_conf.kombu_ssl_version:
+                ssl_params['ssl_version'] = self.validate_ssl_version(
+                    self.driver_conf.kombu_ssl_version)
+            if self.driver_conf.kombu_ssl_keyfile:
+                ssl_params['keyfile'] = self.driver_conf.kombu_ssl_keyfile
+            if self.driver_conf.kombu_ssl_certfile:
+                ssl_params['certfile'] = self.driver_conf.kombu_ssl_certfile
+            if self.driver_conf.kombu_ssl_ca_certs:
+                ssl_params['ca_certs'] = self.driver_conf.kombu_ssl_ca_certs
+                # We might want to allow variations in the
+                # future with this?
+                ssl_params['cert_reqs'] = ssl.CERT_REQUIRED
+            return ssl_params or True
+        return False
 
     def ensure(self, error_callback, method, retry=None,
                timeout_is_error=True):
diff --git a/oslo_messaging/tests/drivers/test_impl_rabbit.py b/oslo_messaging/tests/drivers/test_impl_rabbit.py
index e60bd3b2a..df0f3b3df 100644
--- a/oslo_messaging/tests/drivers/test_impl_rabbit.py
+++ b/oslo_messaging/tests/drivers/test_impl_rabbit.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #    under the License.
 
 import datetime
+import ssl
 import sys
 import threading
 import time
@@ -77,6 +78,39 @@ def test_driver_load(self, fake_ensure, fake_reset):
         self.assertEqual(self.url, url)
 
 
+class TestRabbitDriverLoadSSL(test_utils.BaseTestCase):
+    scenarios = [
+        ('no_ssl', dict(options=dict(), expected=False)),
+        ('no_ssl_with_options', dict(options=dict(kombu_ssl_version='TLSv1'),
+                                     expected=False)),
+        ('just_ssl', dict(options=dict(rabbit_use_ssl=True),
+                          expected=True)),
+        ('ssl_with_options', dict(options=dict(rabbit_use_ssl=True,
+                                               kombu_ssl_version='TLSv1',
+                                               kombu_ssl_keyfile='foo',
+                                               kombu_ssl_certfile='bar',
+                                               kombu_ssl_ca_certs='foobar'),
+                                  expected=dict(ssl_version=3,
+                                                keyfile='foo',
+                                                certfile='bar',
+                                                ca_certs='foobar',
+                                                cert_reqs=ssl.CERT_REQUIRED))),
+    ]
+
+    @mock.patch('oslo_messaging._drivers.impl_rabbit.Connection.ensure')
+    @mock.patch('kombu.connection.Connection')
+    def test_driver_load(self, connection_klass, fake_ensure):
+        self.config(group="oslo_messaging_rabbit", **self.options)
+        transport = oslo_messaging.get_transport(self.conf,
+                                                 'kombu+memory:////')
+        self.addCleanup(transport.cleanup)
+
+        transport._driver._get_connection()
+        connection_klass.assert_called_once_with(
+            'memory:///', ssl=self.expected,
+            login_method='AMQPLAIN', failover_strategy="shuffle")
+
+
 class TestRabbitIterconsume(test_utils.BaseTestCase):
 
     def test_iterconsume_timeout(self):