diff --git a/python_apps/api_clients/api_clients/api_client.py b/python_apps/api_clients/api_clients/api_client.py
index d983c5c6c..b2296e607 100644
--- a/python_apps/api_clients/api_clients/api_client.py
+++ b/python_apps/api_clients/api_clients/api_client.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import sys
 import time
 import urllib.request, urllib.error, urllib.parse
 import requests
-import socket 
+import socket
 import logging
 import json
 import base64
@@ -67,6 +67,16 @@ api_config['api_base'] = 'api'
 api_config['bin_dir'] = '/usr/lib/airtime/api_clients/'
 api_config['update_metadata_on_tunein'] = 'update-metadata-on-tunein/api_key/%%api_key%%'
 
+def get_protocol(config):
+    port = config.get('general', 'base_port', fallback=80)
+    if config.getboolean('general', 'force_ssl', fallback=False):
+        protocol = 'https'
+    else:
+        try:
+            protocol = config.get(CONFIG_SECTION, 'protocol')
+        except NoOptionError as e:
+            protocol = str(("http", "https")[int(port) == 443])
+    return protocol
 
 
 ################################################################################
@@ -169,9 +179,11 @@ class RequestProvider(object):
         self.requests = {}
         if self.config["general"]["base_dir"].startswith("/"):
             self.config["general"]["base_dir"] = self.config["general"]["base_dir"][1:]
+        protocol = get_protocol(self.config)
+
         self.url = ApcUrl("%s://%s:%s/%s%s/%s" \
-            % (str(("http", "https")[int(self.config["general"]["base_port"]) == 443]),
-               self.config["general"]["base_url"], str(self.config["general"]["base_port"]),
+            % (protocol, self.config["general"]["base_url"],
+               str(self.config["general"]["base_port"]),
                self.config["general"]["base_dir"], self.config["api_base"],
                '%%action%%'))
         # Now we must discover the possible actions
@@ -208,7 +220,7 @@ class AirtimeApiClient(object):
     def __get_airtime_version(self):
         try: return self.services.version_url()['airtime_version']
         except Exception: return -1
-    
+
     def __get_api_version(self):
         try: return self.services.version_url()['api_version']
         except Exception: return -1
@@ -331,8 +343,9 @@ class AirtimeApiClient(object):
         # TODO : Make other methods in this class use this this method.
         if self.config["general"]["base_dir"].startswith("/"):
             self.config["general"]["base_dir"] = self.config["general"]["base_dir"][1:]
+        protocol = get_protocol(self.config)
         url = "%s://%s:%s/%s%s/%s" %  \
-            (str(("http", "https")[int(self.config["general"]["base_port"]) == 443]),
+            (protocol,
              self.config["general"]["base_url"], str(self.config["general"]["base_port"]),
              self.config["general"]["base_dir"], self.config["api_base"],
              self.config[config_action_key])
@@ -343,9 +356,9 @@ class AirtimeApiClient(object):
         """Constructs the base url for RESTful requests"""
         if self.config["general"]["base_dir"].startswith("/"):
             self.config["general"]["base_dir"] = self.config["general"]["base_dir"][1:]
+        protocol = get_protocol(self.config)
         url = "%s://%s:@%s:%s/%s/%s" %  \
-            (str(("http", "https")[int(self.config["general"]["base_port"]) == 443]),
-             self.config["general"]["api_key"],
+            (protocol, self.config["general"]["api_key"],
              self.config["general"]["base_url"], str(self.config["general"]["base_port"]),
              self.config["general"]["base_dir"],
              self.config[config_action_key])
diff --git a/python_apps/pypo/pypo/pypofile.py b/python_apps/pypo/pypo/pypofile.py
index 3edf2c2d5..6b12e67bc 100644
--- a/python_apps/pypo/pypo/pypofile.py
+++ b/python_apps/pypo/pypo/pypofile.py
@@ -67,14 +67,14 @@ class PypoFile(Thread):
             CONFIG_SECTION = "general"
             username = self._config.get(CONFIG_SECTION, 'api_key')
             baseurl = self._config.get(CONFIG_SECTION, 'base_url')
-            try:
-                port = self._config.get(CONFIG_SECTION, 'base_port')
-            except NoOptionError as e:
-                port = 80
-            try:
-                protocol = self._config.get(CONFIG_SECTION, 'protocol')
-            except NoOptionError as e:
-                protocol = str(("http", "https")[int(port) == 443])
+            port = self._config.get(CONFIG_SECTION, 'base_port', 80)
+            if self._config.getboolean(CONFIG_SECTION, 'force_ssl', fallback=False):
+                protocol = 'https'
+            else:
+                try:
+                    protocol = self._config.get(CONFIG_SECTION, 'protocol')
+                except NoOptionError as e:
+                    protocol = str(("http", "https")[int(port) == 443])
 
             try:
                 host = [protocol, baseurl, port]
@@ -84,15 +84,15 @@ class PypoFile(Thread):
                                                              media_item["id"])
                 with open(dst, "wb") as handle:
                     response = requests.get(url, auth=requests.auth.HTTPBasicAuth(username, ''), stream=True, verify=False)
-                    
+
                     if not response.ok:
                         self.logger.error(response)
                         raise Exception("%s - Error occurred downloading file" % response.status_code)
-                    
+
                     for chunk in response.iter_content(1024):
                         if not chunk:
                             break
-                        
+
                         handle.write(chunk)
 
                 #make file world readable and owner writable
@@ -160,11 +160,11 @@ class PypoFile(Thread):
 
         """
         Remove this media_item from the dictionary. On the next iteration
-        (from the main function) we won't consider it for prioritization 
+        (from the main function) we won't consider it for prioritization
         anymore. If on the next iteration we have received a new schedule,
-        it is very possible we will have to deal with the same media_items 
+        it is very possible we will have to deal with the same media_items
         again. In this situation, the worst possible case is that we try to
-        copy the file again and realize we already have it (thus aborting the copy). 
+        copy the file again and realize we already have it (thus aborting the copy).
         """
         del schedule[highest_priority]
 
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ class PypoFile(Thread):
             logging.debug("Failed to open config file at %s: %s" % (config_path, e.strerror))
             sys.exit()
         except Exception as e:
-            logging.debug(e.strerror) 
+            logging.debug(e.strerror)
             sys.exit()
 
         return config