diff --git a/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/keywords.txt b/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/keywords.txt
index 83485d6ae..7e7819f11 100644
--- a/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/keywords.txt
+++ b/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/keywords.txt
@@ -130,9 +130,14 @@ verify	KEYWORD2
 verifyCertChain	KEYWORD2
 setCertificate	KEYWORD2
 setPrivateKey	KEYWORD2
+setCACert	KEYWORD2
+setCertificate_P	KEYWORD2
+setPrivateKey_P	KEYWORD2
+setCACert_P	KEYWORD2
 loadCertificate	KEYWORD2
 loadPrivateKey	KEYWORD2
 loadCACert	KEYWORD2
+allowSelfSignedCerts	KEYWORD2
 
 #WiFiServer
 hasClient	KEYWORD2
diff --git a/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/src/WiFiClientSecure.cpp b/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/src/WiFiClientSecure.cpp
index 2fbd1897b..e7bcb1a4e 100644
--- a/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/src/WiFiClientSecure.cpp
+++ b/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/src/WiFiClientSecure.cpp
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ public:
             uint8_t* data;
             int rc = ssl_read(_ssl, &data);
             if (rc < SSL_OK) {
+                ssl_display_error(rc);
                 break;
             }
         }
@@ -227,6 +228,25 @@ public:
         return true;
     }
 
+    bool verifyCert()
+    {
+        int rc = ssl_verify_cert(_ssl);
+        if (_allowSelfSignedCerts && rc == SSL_X509_ERROR(X509_VFY_ERROR_SELF_SIGNED)) {
+            DEBUGV("Allowing self-signed certificate\n");
+            return true;
+        } else if (rc != SSL_OK) {
+            DEBUGV("ssl_verify_cert returned %d\n", rc);
+            ssl_display_error(rc);
+            return false;
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    void allowSelfSignedCerts()
+    {
+        _allowSelfSignedCerts = true;
+    }
+
     operator SSL*()
     {
         return _ssl;
@@ -268,6 +288,7 @@ protected:
     int _refcnt = 0;
     const uint8_t* _read_ptr = nullptr;
     size_t _available = 0;
+    bool _allowSelfSignedCerts = false;
     static ClientContext* s_io_ctx;
 };
 
@@ -559,96 +580,80 @@ bool WiFiClientSecure::verifyCertChain(const char* domain_name)
     if (!_ssl) {
         return false;
     }
-    int rc = ssl_verify_cert(*_ssl);
-    if (rc != SSL_OK) {
-        DEBUGV("ssl_verify_cert returned %d\n", rc);
+    if (!_ssl->verifyCert()) {
         return false;
     }
-
     return _verifyDN(domain_name);
 }
 
-bool WiFiClientSecure::setCACert(const uint8_t* pk, size_t size)
+void WiFiClientSecure::_initSSLContext()
 {
     if (!_ssl) {
         _ssl = new SSLContext;
         _ssl->ref();
     }
+}
+
+bool WiFiClientSecure::setCACert(const uint8_t* pk, size_t size)
+{
+    _initSSLContext();
     return _ssl->loadObject(SSL_OBJ_X509_CACERT, pk, size);
 }
 
 bool WiFiClientSecure::setCertificate(const uint8_t* pk, size_t size)
 {
-    if (!_ssl) {
-        _ssl = new SSLContext;
-        _ssl->ref();
-    }
+    _initSSLContext();
     return _ssl->loadObject(SSL_OBJ_X509_CERT, pk, size);
 }
 
 bool WiFiClientSecure::setPrivateKey(const uint8_t* pk, size_t size)
 {
-    if (!_ssl) {
-        _ssl = new SSLContext;
-        _ssl->ref();
-    }
+    _initSSLContext();
     return _ssl->loadObject(SSL_OBJ_RSA_KEY, pk, size);
 }
 
 bool WiFiClientSecure::setCACert_P(PGM_VOID_P pk, size_t size)
 {
-    if (!_ssl) {
-        _ssl = new SSLContext;
-        _ssl->ref();
-    }
+    _initSSLContext();
     return _ssl->loadObject_P(SSL_OBJ_X509_CACERT, pk, size);
 }
 
 bool WiFiClientSecure::setCertificate_P(PGM_VOID_P pk, size_t size)
 {
-    if (!_ssl) {
-        _ssl = new SSLContext;
-        _ssl->ref();
-    }
+    _initSSLContext();
     return _ssl->loadObject_P(SSL_OBJ_X509_CERT, pk, size);
 }
 
 bool WiFiClientSecure::setPrivateKey_P(PGM_VOID_P pk, size_t size)
 {
-    if (!_ssl) {
-        _ssl = new SSLContext;
-        _ssl->ref();
-    }
+    _initSSLContext();
     return _ssl->loadObject_P(SSL_OBJ_RSA_KEY, pk, size);
 }
 
 bool WiFiClientSecure::loadCACert(Stream& stream, size_t size)
 {
-    if (!_ssl) {
-        _ssl = new SSLContext;
-        _ssl->ref();
-    }
+    _initSSLContext();
     return _ssl->loadObject(SSL_OBJ_X509_CACERT, stream, size);
 }
 
 bool WiFiClientSecure::loadCertificate(Stream& stream, size_t size)
 {
-    if (!_ssl) {
-        _ssl = new SSLContext;
-        _ssl->ref();
-    }
+    _initSSLContext();
     return _ssl->loadObject(SSL_OBJ_X509_CERT, stream, size);
 }
 
 bool WiFiClientSecure::loadPrivateKey(Stream& stream, size_t size)
 {
-    if (!_ssl) {
-        _ssl = new SSLContext;
-        _ssl->ref();
-    }
+    _initSSLContext();
     return _ssl->loadObject(SSL_OBJ_RSA_KEY, stream, size);
 }
 
+void WiFiClientSecure::allowSelfSignedCerts()
+{
+    _initSSLContext();
+    _ssl->allowSelfSignedCerts();
+}
+
 extern "C" int __ax_port_read(int fd, uint8_t* buffer, size_t count)
 {
     ClientContext* _client = SSLContext::getIOContext(fd);
diff --git a/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/src/WiFiClientSecure.h b/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/src/WiFiClientSecure.h
index 8a7c60259..afffbdb4e 100644
--- a/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/src/WiFiClientSecure.h
+++ b/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/src/WiFiClientSecure.h
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ public:
   bool loadCertificate(Stream& stream, size_t size);
   bool loadPrivateKey(Stream& stream, size_t size);
 
+  void allowSelfSignedCerts();
+
   template<typename TFile>
   bool loadCertificate(TFile& file) {
     return loadCertificate(file, file.size());
@@ -79,6 +81,7 @@ public:
 
 
 protected:
+    void _initSSLContext();
     int _connectSSL(const char* hostName);
     bool _verifyDN(const char* name);
 
diff --git a/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/src/include/ssl.h b/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/src/include/ssl.h
index a10e9dfb7..8879e4cb9 100644
--- a/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/src/include/ssl.h
+++ b/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/src/include/ssl.h
@@ -113,6 +113,19 @@ typedef struct SSL_EXTENSIONS_ SSL_EXTENSIONS;
 #define SSL_X509_OFFSET                         -512
 #define SSL_X509_ERROR(A)                       (SSL_X509_OFFSET+A)
 
+#define X509_OK                             0
+#define X509_NOT_OK                         -1
+#define X509_VFY_ERROR_NO_TRUSTED_CERT      -2
+#define X509_VFY_ERROR_BAD_SIGNATURE        -3
+#define X509_VFY_ERROR_NOT_YET_VALID        -4
+#define X509_VFY_ERROR_EXPIRED              -5
+#define X509_VFY_ERROR_SELF_SIGNED          -6
+#define X509_VFY_ERROR_INVALID_CHAIN        -7
+#define X509_VFY_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED_DIGEST   -8
+#define X509_INVALID_PRIV_KEY               -9
+#define X509_MAX_CERTS                      -10
+#define X509_VFY_ERROR_BASIC_CONSTRAINT     -11
+
 /* alert types that are recognized */
 #define SSL_ALERT_TYPE_WARNING                  1
 #define SLL_ALERT_TYPE_FATAL                    2