diff --git a/backend/config/default.json b/backend/config/default.json
index 64ab577c..86542d47 100644
--- a/backend/config/default.json
+++ b/backend/config/default.json
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
     "name": "npm",
     "user": "npm",
     "password": "npm",
-    "port": 3306
+    "port": 3306,
+    "ssl": false
   }
 }
diff --git a/backend/db.js b/backend/db.js
index 1a8b1634..ba204521 100644
--- a/backend/db.js
+++ b/backend/db.js
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ function generateDbConfig() {
 			user:     cfg.user,
 			password: cfg.password,
 			database: cfg.name,
-			port:     cfg.port
+			port:     cfg.port,
+			ssl:      cfg.ssl
 		},
 		migrations: {
 			tableName: 'migrations'
diff --git a/backend/lib/config.js b/backend/lib/config.js
index caa57fcf..9c9deffd 100644
--- a/backend/lib/config.js
+++ b/backend/lib/config.js
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ const configure = () => {
 	const envMysqlHost = process.env.DB_MYSQL_HOST || null;
 	const envMysqlUser = process.env.DB_MYSQL_USER || null;
 	const envMysqlName = process.env.DB_MYSQL_NAME || null;
+	const envMysqlSsl  = process.env.DB_MYSQL_SSL  || false;
 	if (envMysqlHost && envMysqlUser && envMysqlName) {
 		// we have enough mysql creds to go with mysql
 		logger.info('Using MySQL configuration');
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ const configure = () => {
 				user:     envMysqlUser,
 				password: process.env.DB_MYSQL_PASSWORD,
 				name:     envMysqlName,
+				ssl:      envMysqlSsl
 			},
 			keys: getKeys(),
 		};