diff --git a/patroni/api.py b/patroni/api.py
index d9a0f527..979b6cbb 100644
--- a/patroni/api.py
+++ b/patroni/api.py
@@ -52,11 +52,23 @@ class RestApiHandler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
 class RestApiServer(ThreadingMixIn, HTTPServer, Thread):
 
     def __init__(self, patroni, config):
-        self.connection_string = 'http://{}/patroni'.format(config.get('connect_address', None) or config['listen'])
         host, port = config['listen'].split(':')
         HTTPServer.__init__(self, (host, int(port)), RestApiHandler)
         Thread.__init__(self, target=self.serve_forever)
         self._set_fd_cloexec(self.socket)
+
+        protocol = 'http'
+
+        # wrap socket with ssl if 'certfile' is defined in a config.yaml
+        # Sometime it's also needed to pass reference to a 'keyfile'.
+        options = {option: config[option] for option in ['certfile', 'keyfile'] if option in config}
+        if options.get('certfile', None):
+            import ssl
+            self.socket = ssl.wrap_socket(self.socket, server_side=True, **options)
+            protocol = 'https'
+
+        self.connection_string = '{}://{}/patroni'.format(protocol, config.get('connect_address', config['listen']))
+
         self.patroni = patroni
         self.daemon = True
 
diff --git a/tests/test_patroni.py b/tests/test_patroni.py
index a45ebf62..68af3866 100644
--- a/tests/test_patroni.py
+++ b/tests/test_patroni.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import datetime
 import patroni.zookeeper
 import psycopg2
 import subprocess
+import ssl
 import sys
 import time
 import unittest
@@ -32,6 +33,10 @@ def time_sleep(*args):
     raise SleepException()
 
 
+def ssl_wrap_socket(socket, *args, **kwargs):
+    return socket
+
+
 class Mock_BaseServer__is_shut_down:
 
     def set(self):
@@ -62,8 +67,10 @@ class TestPatroni(unittest.TestCase):
         RestApiServer._BaseServer__is_shut_down = Mock_BaseServer__is_shut_down()
         RestApiServer._BaseServer__shutdown_request = True
         RestApiServer.socket = 0
+        ssl.wrap_socket = ssl_wrap_socket
         with open('postgres0.yml', 'r') as f:
             config = yaml.load(f)
+            config['restapi']['certfile'] = 'dump'
             with patch.object(Client, 'machines') as mock_machines:
                 mock_machines.__get__ = Mock(return_value=['http://remotehost:2379'])
                 self.p = Patroni(config)
@@ -147,3 +154,6 @@ class TestPatroni(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_schedule_next_run(self):
         self.p.next_run = time.time() - self.p.nap_time - 1
         self.p.schedule_next_run()
+
+    def test_api_connection_string(self):
+        self.assertTrue(self.p.api.connection_string.startswith('https://'))