diff --git a/docs/ingressroute.md b/docs/ingressroute.md
index 8901859da9d..b74e5fb9030 100644
--- a/docs/ingressroute.md
+++ b/docs/ingressroute.md
@@ -776,6 +776,10 @@ spec:
 
 The `spec.tcpproxy` key indicates that this _root_ IngressRoute will forward all de-encrypted TCP traffic to the backend service.
 
+In case `spec.virtualhost.tls` is not present, TLS is not going to be terminated
+on Envoy and will be forwarded to the specified services, where the termination
+would happen. This is called SSL/TLS Passthrough.
+
 ### Limitations
 
 The current limitations are present in Contour 0.8. These will be addressed in later Contour versions.
@@ -783,7 +787,6 @@ The current limitations are present in Contour 0.8. These will be addressed in l
 - `spec.routes` must be present in the `IngressRoute` document to pass validation, however they are ignored when `spec.tcpproxy` is present.
 - TCP Proxy IngressRoutes must be roots and can not delegate to other IngressRoutes.
 - TCP Proxying is not available on Kubernetes Ingress objects.
-- `spec.virtualhost.tls` is required for TCP proxying. If not present, `spec.tcpproxy` will be ignored.
 
 ## Status Reporting
 
diff --git a/internal/contour/listener.go b/internal/contour/listener.go
index a13caca5316..c8fec6595c3 100644
--- a/internal/contour/listener.go
+++ b/internal/contour/listener.go
@@ -16,12 +16,13 @@ package contour
 import (
 	"sync"
 
-	"github.com/envoyproxy/go-control-plane/envoy/api/v2"
+	v2 "github.com/envoyproxy/go-control-plane/envoy/api/v2"
+	"github.com/envoyproxy/go-control-plane/envoy/api/v2/auth"
 	"github.com/envoyproxy/go-control-plane/envoy/api/v2/listener"
 	"github.com/gogo/protobuf/proto"
 	"github.com/heptio/contour/internal/dag"
 	"github.com/heptio/contour/internal/envoy"
-	"k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+	v1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -230,11 +231,6 @@ func (v *listenerVisitor) visit(vertex dag.Vertex) {
 		// the listener properly.
 		v.http = true
 	case *dag.SecureVirtualHost:
-		data := vh.Data()
-		if data == nil {
-			// no secret for this vhost, skip it
-			return
-		}
 		filters := []listener.Filter{
 			envoy.HTTPConnectionManager(ENVOY_HTTPS_LISTENER, v.httpsAccessLog()),
 		}
@@ -246,11 +242,16 @@ func (v *listenerVisitor) visit(vertex dag.Vertex) {
 			alpnProtos = nil // do not offer ALPN
 		}
 
+		var tlsContext *auth.DownstreamTlsContext
+		if vh.Secret != nil && vh.Secret.Data() != nil {
+			data := vh.Secret.Data()
+			tlsContext = envoy.DownstreamTLSContext(data[v1.TLSCertKey], data[v1.TLSPrivateKeyKey], vh.MinProtoVersion, alpnProtos...)
+		}
 		fc := listener.FilterChain{
 			FilterChainMatch: &listener.FilterChainMatch{
 				ServerNames: []string{vh.Host},
 			},
-			TlsContext:    envoy.DownstreamTLSContext(data[v1.TLSCertKey], data[v1.TLSPrivateKeyKey], vh.MinProtoVersion, alpnProtos...),
+			TlsContext:    tlsContext,
 			Filters:       filters,
 			UseProxyProto: bv(v.UseProxyProto),
 		}
diff --git a/internal/dag/builder.go b/internal/dag/builder.go
index 12461bd437b..40fc9197237 100644
--- a/internal/dag/builder.go
+++ b/internal/dag/builder.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
-	"k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+	v1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	"k8s.io/api/extensions/v1beta1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/intstr"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/cache"
@@ -540,8 +540,8 @@ func (b *builder) DAG() *DAG {
 		}
 	}
 	for _, svh := range b.svhosts {
-		// suppress secure virtual hosts without secrets.
-		if svh.Secret != nil {
+		// suppress secure virtual hosts without secrets or tcpproxy.
+		if svh.Secret != nil || svh.TCPProxy != nil {
 			dag.roots = append(dag.roots, svh)
 		}
 	}
@@ -586,7 +586,7 @@ func (b *builder) processIngressRoute(ir *ingressroutev1.IngressRoute, prefixMat
 	visited = append(visited, ir)
 
 	proxy := ir.Spec.TCPProxy
-	if proxy != nil && enforceTLS {
+	if proxy != nil {
 		var ts []*TCPService
 		for _, service := range proxy.Services {
 			m := meta{name: service.Name, namespace: ir.Namespace}
diff --git a/internal/dag/builder_test.go b/internal/dag/builder_test.go
index 69ac4cf4a5f..6515a3c0e43 100644
--- a/internal/dag/builder_test.go
+++ b/internal/dag/builder_test.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/envoyproxy/go-control-plane/envoy/api/v2/auth"
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
 	ingressroutev1 "github.com/heptio/contour/apis/contour/v1beta1"
-	"k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+	v1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	"k8s.io/api/extensions/v1beta1"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/intstr"
@@ -615,7 +615,8 @@ func TestDAGInsert(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 
-	// ir1a tcp forwards traffic to default/kuard:8080
+	// ir1a tcp forwards traffic to default/kuard:8080 by TLS terminating it
+	// first.
 	ir1a := &ingressroutev1.IngressRoute{
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
 			Name:      "kuard-tcp",
@@ -644,6 +645,26 @@ func TestDAGInsert(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 
+	// ir1b tcp forwards traffic to default/kuard:8080 by TLS pass-throughing
+	// it.
+	ir1b := &ingressroutev1.IngressRoute{
+		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+			Name:      "kuard-tcp",
+			Namespace: "default",
+		},
+		Spec: ingressroutev1.IngressRouteSpec{
+			VirtualHost: &ingressroutev1.VirtualHost{
+				Fqdn: "kuard.example.com",
+			},
+			TCPProxy: &ingressroutev1.TCPProxy{
+				Services: []ingressroutev1.Service{{
+					Name: "kuard",
+					Port: 8080,
+				}},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
 	// ir2 is like ir1 but refers to two backend services
 	ir2 := &ingressroutev1.IngressRoute{
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
@@ -1706,7 +1727,7 @@ func TestDAGInsert(t *testing.T) {
 					),
 				}},
 		},
-		"insert ingressroute with tcp forward": {
+		"insert ingressroute with tcp forward with TLS termination": {
 			objs: []interface{}{
 				ir1a, s1, sec1,
 			},
@@ -1726,6 +1747,24 @@ func TestDAGInsert(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		},
+		"insert ingressroute with tcp forward without TLS termination": {
+			objs: []interface{}{
+				ir1b, s1,
+			},
+			want: []Vertex{
+				&SecureVirtualHost{
+					VirtualHost: VirtualHost{
+						Host: "kuard.example.com",
+						Port: 443,
+						TCPProxy: &TCPProxy{
+							Services: []*TCPService{
+								tcpService(s1),
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
 		"insert ingressroute with prefix rewrite route": {
 			objs: []interface{}{
 				ir10, s1,