diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c4da6ae..0594807 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ Once MetaDefender Core has been installed and activated with your license, the f
 * **base_url**: The URL(s) of the MetaDefender deployment(s)
 	* If you have a **single** MetaDefender Core deployment, set the service variable to **str** type and enter the URL of your MetaDefender Core deployment
 	* If you have **multiple** MetaDefender Core deployments, set the service variable to **list** type and enter the URLs of your MetaDefender Core deployments separated by a comma
+* **verify_certificate**: Setting to False will ignore verifying the SSL certificate
 * **md_version**: Version of MetaDefender you're connecting to (3 or 4)
 * **md_timeout**: Maximum amount of time to wait while connecting to the MetaDefender server
 * **max_md_scan_time**: Maximum amount of time to wait for scan results before the MetaDefender server is put on a brief timeout (only applicable when multiple MetaDefender deployments are used)
diff --git a/metadefender.py b/metadefender.py
index 77ed5f0..aa4a590 100644
--- a/metadefender.py
+++ b/metadefender.py
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ def __init__(self, config: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None) -> None:
         self.kw_score_revision_map: Optional[Dict[str, int]] = None
         self.sig_score_revision_map: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None
         self.safelist_match: List[str] = []
+        self.verify = self.config.get("verify_certificate", True)
         api_key = self.config.get("api_key")
         if api_key:
             self.headers = {"apikey": api_key}
@@ -173,7 +174,7 @@ def _get_version_map(self, node: str) -> None:
 
         try:
             self.log.debug(f"_get_version_map: GET {url}")
-            r = self.session.get(url=url, timeout=self.timeout)
+            r = self.session.get(url=url, timeout=self.timeout, verify=self.verify)
             engines = r.json()
 
             for engine in engines:
@@ -268,7 +269,7 @@ def get_scan_results_by_data_id(self, data_id: str) -> Response:
 
         try:
             self.log.debug(f"get_scan_results_by_data_id: GET {url}")
-            return self.session.get(url=url, headers=self.headers, timeout=self.timeout)
+            return self.session.get(url=url, headers=self.headers, timeout=self.timeout, verify=self.verify)
         except exceptions.Timeout:
             self.new_node(force=True, reset_queue=True)
             raise Exception(f"Node ({self.current_node}) timed out after {self.timeout}s "
@@ -332,7 +333,7 @@ def scan_file(self, filename: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
 
         try:
             self.log.debug(f"scan_file: POST {url}")
-            r = self.session.post(url=url, data=data, headers=self.headers, timeout=self.timeout)
+            r = self.session.post(url=url, data=data, headers=self.headers, timeout=self.timeout, verify=self.verify)
         except exceptions.Timeout:
             self.new_node(force=True, reset_queue=True)
             raise Exception(f"Node ({self.current_node}) timed out after {self.timeout}s "
diff --git a/service_manifest.yml b/service_manifest.yml
index f0c119c..4929a26 100644
--- a/service_manifest.yml
+++ b/service_manifest.yml
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ licence_count: 0
 config:
   api_key: ""
   base_url: 'http://localhost:8008/'
+  verify_certificate: true
   md_version: 4
   md_timeout: 40
   min_node_time: 60