diff --git a/pysnow/__init__.py b/pysnow/__init__.py
index 4516671..5e27b65 100644
--- a/pysnow/__init__.py
+++ b/pysnow/__init__.py
@@ -6,4 +6,4 @@
 from pysnow.exceptions import *
 
 __author__ = "Robert Wikman <rbw@vault13.org>"
-__version__ = "0.4.8"
+__version__ = "0.4.9"
diff --git a/pysnow/client.py b/pysnow/client.py
index e787f46..3cb1dbe 100644
--- a/pysnow/client.py
+++ b/pysnow/client.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ def __init__(self,
                  raise_on_empty=True,
                  default_payload=None,
                  request_params=None,
+                 use_ssl=True,
                  session=None):
         """Sets configuration and creates a session object used in `Request` later on
 
@@ -34,18 +35,28 @@ def __init__(self,
         :param session: a requests session object
         """
 
+        # We allow either host or instance, not both
         if (host and instance) is not None:
-            raise InvalidUsage("Arguments 'host' and 'instance' are mutually exclusive, you cannot use both.")
+            raise InvalidUsage("Got both 'instance' and 'host'. Panic.")
 
         if ((not (user and password)) and not session) or ((user or password) and session):
             raise InvalidUsage("You must either provide username and password or a session")
 
+        # Check if host or instance was passed
         if instance:
             self.host = "%s.service-now.com" % instance
         elif host:
             self.host = host
         else:
-            raise InvalidUsage("You must pass either 'instance' or 'host' to connect")
+            raise InvalidUsage("You must pass 'instance' or 'host' to create a client")
+
+        # Check if SSL was requested
+        if use_ssl is True:
+            self.base_url = "https://%s" % self.host
+        elif use_ssl is False:
+            self.base_url = "http://%s" % self.host
+        else:
+            raise InvalidUsage("use_ssl: boolean value expected")
 
         # Connection properties
         self.instance = instance
@@ -98,7 +109,7 @@ def _request(self, method, table, **kwargs):
                                raise_on_empty=self.raise_on_empty,
                                session=self.session,
                                instance=self.instance,
-                               host=self.host,
+                               base_url=self.base_url,
                                **kwargs)
 
     def query(self, table, **kwargs):
diff --git a/pysnow/request.py b/pysnow/request.py
index 6c78560..c68d302 100644
--- a/pysnow/request.py
+++ b/pysnow/request.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
 
 class Request(object):
-    base = "api/now"
+    base_path = "api/now"
 
     def __init__(self, method, table, **kwargs):
         """Takes arguments used to perform a HTTP request
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ def __init__(self, method, table, **kwargs):
         self.method = method
         self.table = table
         self.url_link = None  # Updated when a linked request is iterated on
-        self.host = self.fqdn = kwargs.pop('host')  # self.fqdn for backward compatibility
+        self.base_url = kwargs.pop('base_url')
         self.request_params = kwargs.pop('request_params')
         self.raise_on_empty = kwargs.pop('raise_on_empty')
         self.session = kwargs.pop('session')
@@ -341,10 +341,10 @@ def _get_url(self, resource, item, sys_id=None):
         :return: url string
         """
 
-        url_str = 'https://%(host)s/%(base)s/%(resource)s/%(item)s' % (
+        url_str = '%(base_url)s/%(base_path)s/%(resource)s/%(item)s' % (
             {
-                'host': self.host,
-                'base': self.base,
+                'base_url': self.base_url,
+                'base_path': self.base_path,
                 'resource': resource,
                 'item': item
             }
diff --git a/tests/test_client.py b/tests/test_client.py
index 3ccef42..ded31df 100644
--- a/tests/test_client.py
+++ b/tests/test_client.py
@@ -60,6 +60,28 @@ def test_client_invalid_request_params(self):
         self.assertRaises(InvalidUsage, Client, instance="test", user="foo", password="foo", request_params=True)
         self.assertRaises(InvalidUsage, Client, instance="test", user="foo", password="foo", request_params=2.89)
 
+    def test_client_invalid_use_ssl(self):
+        """ Invalid use_ssl type should fail """
+        self.assertRaises(InvalidUsage, Client, instance="test", user="foo", password="foo", use_ssl="a string")
+        self.assertRaises(InvalidUsage, Client, instance="test", user="foo", password="foo", use_ssl=1)
+
+    def test_client_use_ssl(self):
+        """ Client should construct base URL with correct scheme depending on use_ssl """
+        instance = "foo"
+        host = "foo.bar.com"
+
+        # Test with instance
+        c = Client(user="foo", password="foo", instance=instance, use_ssl=False)
+        self.assertEqual(c.base_url, "http://foo.service-now.com")
+        c = Client(user="foo", password="foo", instance=instance, use_ssl=True)
+        self.assertEqual(c.base_url, "https://foo.service-now.com")
+
+        # Test with host
+        c = Client(user="foo", password="foo", host=host, use_ssl=False)
+        self.assertEqual(c.base_url, "http://foo.bar.com")
+        c = Client(user="foo", password="foo", host=host, use_ssl=True)
+        self.assertEqual(c.base_url, "https://foo.bar.com")
+
     def test_client_valid_request_params(self):
         """Client `request_params` property should match what was passed as an argument"""
         params = {'foo': 'bar'}