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