diff --git a/.github/workflows/testing.yml b/.github/workflows/testing.yml
index 9cab370..8008bb9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/testing.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/testing.yml
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ jobs:
         if: matrix.dependencies == 'conda'
         run: |
           set -vxeo pipefail
-          conda install -y -c conda-forge six mongoquery doct jsonschema mock pymongo pytest pyyaml requests tornado ujson
+          conda install -y -c conda-forge six mongoquery doct jsonschema mock pymongo pytest pyyaml requests tornado ujson 'setuptools<81'
           pip install mongomock
 
       - name: Install the package
diff --git a/analysisstore/client/commands.py b/analysisstore/client/commands.py
index caf94ea..1ca34bb 100644
--- a/analysisstore/client/commands.py
+++ b/analysisstore/client/commands.py
@@ -13,7 +13,10 @@ class AnalysisClient:
     """Client used to pass messages between analysisstore server and apps"""
     def __init__(self, config):
         self.host = config['host']
-        self.port = config['port']
+        self.port = config.get('port')
+        self.use_ssl = config.get('use_ssl', False)
+        if self.port is None and not self.use_ssl:
+            raise KeyError("at least one of port or use_ssl must be defined")
         self._insert_dict = {'analysis_header': self.insert_analysis_header,
                              'analysis_tail': self.insert_analysis_tail,
                              'data_reference_header': self.insert_data_reference_header,
@@ -27,7 +30,11 @@ def __init__(self, config):
     @property
     def _host_url(self):
         """URL to the tornado instance"""
-        return 'http://{}:{}/'.format(self.host, self.port)
+        if not self.use_ssl:  # if not using ssl, connect to specified port
+            url = 'http://{}:{}/'.format(self.host, self.port)
+        else:  # if using ssl, just use https protocol
+            url = f'https://{self.host}/'
+        return url
 
     @property
     def aheader_url(self):
diff --git a/analysisstore/client/conf.py b/analysisstore/client/conf.py
index c655fc4..caacddd 100644
--- a/analysisstore/client/conf.py
+++ b/analysisstore/client/conf.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 
 host = 'localhost'
 port = 8999
+use_ssl = False
 
-top_dir = '~/analysisstore'
\ No newline at end of file
+top_dir = '~/analysisstore'
diff --git a/analysisstore/test/conftest.py b/analysisstore/test/conftest.py
index 655b565..23e113f 100644
--- a/analysisstore/test/conftest.py
+++ b/analysisstore/test/conftest.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
     mongo_host="localhost",
     mongo_port=27017,
     testing=True,
+    use_ssl=True,
     log_file_prefix="testing",
 )
 
@@ -47,3 +48,14 @@ def astore_client():
         {"host": testing_config["mongo_host"], "port": testing_config["service_port"]}
     )
     return c
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="function")
+def astore_client_ssl():
+    c = AnalysisClient(
+        {
+            "host": testing_config["host"],
+            "use_ssl": testing_config["use_ssl"],
+            "port": testing_config["port"],
+        }
+    )
+    return c
diff --git a/analysisstore/test/test_client.py b/analysisstore/test/test_client.py
index e4cf615..492b3fc 100644
--- a/analysisstore/test/test_client.py
+++ b/analysisstore/test/test_client.py
@@ -26,6 +26,15 @@ def test_urls(astore_client):
     astore_client.dref_header_url == base_test_url + "data_reference_header"
 
 
+def test_ssl(astore_client_ssl):
+    base_test_url = f"https://{astore_client_ssl.host}/"
+    assert astore_client_ssl._host_url == base_test_url
+    assert astore_client_ssl.aheader_url == base_test_url + "analysis_header"
+    assert astore_client_ssl.atail_url == base_test_url + "analysis_tail"
+    assert astore_client_ssl.dref_url == base_test_url + "data_reference"
+    assert astore_client_ssl.dref_header_url == base_test_url + "data_reference_header"
+
+
 def test_doc_or_uid_to_uid(astore_server, astore_client):
     m_uid = str(uuid.uuid4())
     test_dict = {"name": "test_doc", "uid": m_uid}
diff --git a/analysisstore/test/test_conn_pool.py b/analysisstore/test/test_conn_pool.py
index 7d18207..74bfffe 100644
--- a/analysisstore/test/test_conn_pool.py
+++ b/analysisstore/test/test_conn_pool.py
@@ -7,6 +7,5 @@ def test_client_badconf():
     config = {"host": "localhost"}
     pytest.raises(KeyError, AnalysisClient, config)
     config["port"] = testing_config["port"]
-    conn = AnalysisClient(config)
-    conn.host == testing_config["host"]
-    conn.port == testing_config["port"]
+    config["use_ssl"] = testing_config["use_ssl"]
+    client = AnalysisClient(config)
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 45dbdec..25f5773 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -7,3 +7,4 @@ pyyaml
 requests
 tornado
 ujson
+setuptools<81