diff --git a/config.py b/config.py
index d0ade8d..58b5751 100644
--- a/config.py
+++ b/config.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class Config(ComboParser):
 		self.add_item(section, 'timeout', int, 15, 'timeout for blocking operations (connect/recv/...) for proxy checks in seconds', False)
 		self.add_item(section, 'submit_after', int, 200, 'min. number of tested proxies for DB write', False)
 		self.add_item(section, 'debug', bool, False, 'whether to print additional debug info', False)
-		self.add_item(section, 'use_ssl', bool, False, 'whether to use SSL and port 6697 to connect to targets (slower)', False)
+		self.add_item(section, 'use_ssl', int, 0, 'whether to use SSL and port 6697 to connect to targets (slower)', False)
 		self.add_item(section, 'checktime', int, 1800, 'base checking interval for proxies in db in seconds', False)
 		self.add_item(section, 'perfail_checktime', int, 3600, 'additional checking interval for proxies in db in seconds per experienced failure', False)
 		self.add_item(section, 'database', str, 'websites.sqlite', 'filename of database', True)
diff --git a/proxywatchd.py b/proxywatchd.py
index 48de504..7f65bc5 100644
--- a/proxywatchd.py
+++ b/proxywatchd.py
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ class WorkerJob():
 	def connect_socket(self):
 		srvname = random.choice(config.servers).strip()
 		protos = ['http', 'socks5', 'socks4'] if self.proto is None else [self.proto]
-		server_port = 6697 if config.watchd.use_ssl else 6667
+		use_ssl = random.choice([0,1]) if config.watchd.use_ssl == 2 else config.watchd.use_ssl
+		server_port = 6697 if use_ssl else 6667
 
 		fail_inc = 1
 
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ class WorkerJob():
 			]
 
 			try:
-				sock = rocksock.Rocksock(host=srv, port=server_port, ssl=config.watchd.use_ssl, proxies=proxies, timeout=config.watchd.timeout)
+				sock = rocksock.Rocksock(host=srv, port=server_port, ssl=use_ssl, proxies=proxies, timeout=config.watchd.timeout)
 				sock.connect()
 				sock.send('%s\n' % random.choice(['NICK', 'USER', 'JOIN', 'MODE', 'PART', 'INVITE', 'KNOCK', 'WHOIS', 'WHO', 'NOTICE', 'PRIVMSG', 'PING', 'QUIT']))
 				return sock, proto, duration, torhost, srvname, 0