diff --git a/src/WebSocketsClient.cpp b/src/WebSocketsClient.cpp
index 0d39cb1..c0ff360 100644
--- a/src/WebSocketsClient.cpp
+++ b/src/WebSocketsClient.cpp
@@ -101,6 +101,19 @@ void WebSocketsClient::beginSocketIO(String host, uint16_t port, String url, Str
     beginSocketIO(host.c_str(), port, url.c_str(), protocol.c_str());
 }
 
+#if (WEBSOCKETS_NETWORK_TYPE == NETWORK_ESP8266)
+void WebSocketsClient::beginSocketIOSSL(const char *host, uint16_t port, const char * url, const char * protocol) {
+    begin(host, port, url, protocol);
+    _client.isSocketIO = true;
+    _client.isSSL = true;
+    _fingerprint = "";
+}
+
+void WebSocketsClient::beginSocketIOSSL(String host, uint16_t port, String url, String protocol) {
+    beginSocketIOSSL(host.c_str(), port, url.c_str(), protocol.c_str());
+}
+#endif
+
 #if (WEBSOCKETS_NETWORK_TYPE != NETWORK_ESP8266_ASYNC)
 /**
  * called in arduino loop
diff --git a/src/WebSocketsClient.h b/src/WebSocketsClient.h
index 83913dc..d8b6814 100644
--- a/src/WebSocketsClient.h
+++ b/src/WebSocketsClient.h
@@ -50,6 +50,11 @@ class WebSocketsClient: private WebSockets {
         void beginSocketIO(const char *host, uint16_t port, const char * url = "/socket.io/?EIO=3", const char * protocol = "arduino");
         void beginSocketIO(String host, uint16_t port, String url = "/socket.io/?EIO=3", String protocol = "arduino");
 
+#if (WEBSOCKETS_NETWORK_TYPE == NETWORK_ESP8266)
+        void beginSocketIOSSL(const char *host, uint16_t port, const char * url = "/socket.io/?EIO=3", const char * protocol = "arduino");
+        void beginSocketIOSSL(String host, uint16_t port, String url = "/socket.io/?EIO=3", String protocol = "arduino");
+#endif
+
 #if (WEBSOCKETS_NETWORK_TYPE != NETWORK_ESP8266_ASYNC)
         void loop(void);
 #else