diff --git a/SampleDownloader.cpp b/SampleDownloader.cpp
index f096db37b..2ea930c1d 100644
--- a/SampleDownloader.cpp
+++ b/SampleDownloader.cpp
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ public:
     show ();
     raise ();
     activateWindow ();
-    directory_.refresh ();
+    directory_.refresh (http_only_check_box_.isChecked ());
   }
 
 protected:
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ private:
     SettingsGroup g (settings_, title);
     settings_->setValue ("geometry", saveGeometry ());
     settings_->setValue ("SamplesURL", url_line_edit_.text ());
+    settings_->setValue ("HTTPOnly", http_only_check_box_.isChecked ());
   }
 
   Q_SLOT void button_clicked (QAbstractButton *);
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ private:
   QWidget details_widget_;
   QFormLayout details_layout_;
   QLineEdit url_line_edit_;
+  QCheckBox http_only_check_box_;
 };
 
 #include "SampleDownloader.moc"
@@ -92,6 +94,7 @@ SampleDownloader::impl::impl (QSettings * settings
     SettingsGroup g {settings_, title};
     restoreGeometry (settings_->value ("geometry", saveGeometry ()).toByteArray ());
     url_line_edit_.setText (settings_->value ("SamplesURL", PROJECT_SAMPLES_URL).toString ());
+    http_only_check_box_.setChecked (settings_->value ("HTTPOnly", false).toBool ());
     directory_.url_root (url_line_edit_.text ());
   }
 
@@ -107,6 +110,8 @@ SampleDownloader::impl::impl (QSettings * settings
   details_widget_.hide ();
   details_layout_.setMargin (0);
   details_layout_.addRow ("Base URL for samples:", &url_line_edit_);
+  details_layout_.addRow ("Only use HTTP:", &http_only_check_box_);
+  http_only_check_box_.setToolTip ("Check this is you get SSL/TLS errors");
   details_widget_.setLayout (&details_layout_);
 
   main_layout_.addLayout (&left_layout_, 0, 0);
@@ -120,13 +125,16 @@ SampleDownloader::impl::impl (QSettings * settings
   connect (&url_line_edit_, &QLineEdit::editingFinished, [this] () {
       if (directory_.url_root (url_line_edit_.text ()))
         {
-          directory_.refresh ();
+          directory_.refresh (http_only_check_box_.isChecked ());
         }
       else
         {
           MessageBox::warning_message (this, tr ("Input Error"), tr ("Invalid URL format"));
         }
     });
+  connect (&http_only_check_box_, &QAbstractButton::toggled, [this] (bool checked) {
+      directory_.refresh (checked);
+    });
 }
 
 void SampleDownloader::impl::button_clicked (QAbstractButton * button)
@@ -142,7 +150,7 @@ void SampleDownloader::impl::button_clicked (QAbstractButton * button)
       break;
 
     case QDialogButtonBox::ResetRole:
-      directory_.refresh ();
+      directory_.refresh (http_only_check_box_.isChecked ());
       break;
 
     default:
diff --git a/SampleDownloader/Directory.cpp b/SampleDownloader/Directory.cpp
index c6168e5ce..92c1c5cdf 100644
--- a/SampleDownloader/Directory.cpp
+++ b/SampleDownloader/Directory.cpp
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ Directory::Directory (Configuration const * configuration
   : QTreeWidget {parent}
   , configuration_ {configuration}
   , network_manager_ {network_manager}
+  , http_only_ {false}
   , root_dir_ {configuration_->save_directory ()}
   , contents_ {this
         , network_manager_
@@ -79,12 +80,12 @@ bool Directory::url_root (QUrl root)
     {
       root.setPath (root.path () + '/');
     }
-  if (root.isValid ())
+  bool valid = root.isValid ();
+  if (valid)
     {
       url_root_ = root;
-      refresh ();
     }
-  return root.isValid ();
+  return valid;
 }
 
 void Directory::error (QString const& title, QString const& message)
@@ -92,7 +93,7 @@ void Directory::error (QString const& title, QString const& message)
   MessageBox::warning_message (this, title, message);
 }
 
-bool Directory::refresh ()
+bool Directory::refresh (bool http_only)
 {
   abort ();
   clear ();
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ bool Directory::refresh ()
   root_dir_ = configuration_->save_directory ();
   QDir contents_dir {root_dir_.absoluteFilePath (samples_dir_name)};
   contents_.local_file_path (contents_dir.absoluteFilePath (contents_file_name));
+  contents_.http_only (http_only_ = http_only);
   QUrl url {url_root_.resolved (QDir {root_dir_.relativeFilePath (samples_dir_name)}.filePath (contents_file_name))};
   if (url.isValid ())
     {
@@ -175,7 +177,7 @@ void Directory::parse_entries (QJsonArray const& entries, QDir const& dir, QTree
                         {
                           auto node = new FileNode {parent, network_manager_
                                                     , QDir {root_dir_.filePath (dir.path ())}.absoluteFilePath (name)
-                                                    , url};
+                                                    , url, http_only_};
                           FileNode::sync_blocker b {node};
                           node->setIcon (0, file_icon_);
                           node->setCheckState (0, node->local () ? Qt::Checked : Qt::Unchecked);
@@ -255,28 +257,27 @@ namespace
   // maximum bytes to expect
   //
   int recurse_children (QTreeWidgetItem const * item, int * counted
-			, qint64 * bytes, qint64 * max)
+                        , qint64 * bytes, qint64 * max)
   {
     int items {0};
     for (int index {0}; index < item->childCount (); ++index)
       {
-	auto const * child = item->child (index);
-	qDebug () << "Item name:" << child->text (0);
-	if (child->type () == FileNode::Type)  // only count files
-	  {
-	    ++items;
-	    if (auto size = child->data (1, Qt::UserRole).toLongLong ())
-	      {
-		*max += size;
-		++*counted;
-	      }
-	    *bytes += child->data (1, Qt::DisplayRole).toLongLong ();
-	  }
-	else
-	  {
-	    // recurse into sub-directory subtrees
-	    items += recurse_children (child, counted, bytes, max);
-	  }
+        auto const * child = item->child (index);
+        if (child->type () == FileNode::Type)  // only count files
+          {
+            ++items;
+            if (auto size = child->data (1, Qt::UserRole).toLongLong ())
+              {
+                *max += size;
+                ++*counted;
+              }
+            *bytes += child->data (1, Qt::DisplayRole).toLongLong ();
+          }
+        else
+          {
+            // recurse into sub-directory subtrees
+            items += recurse_children (child, counted, bytes, max);
+          }
       }
     return items;
   }
diff --git a/SampleDownloader/Directory.hpp b/SampleDownloader/Directory.hpp
index 3e933c9f3..1ffae0d8c 100644
--- a/SampleDownloader/Directory.hpp
+++ b/SampleDownloader/Directory.hpp
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ public:
   QSize sizeHint () const override {return {400, 500};}
 
   bool url_root (QUrl);
-  bool refresh ();
+  bool refresh (bool http_only);
   void abort ();
   void update (QTreeWidgetItem * item);
 
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ private:
 
   Configuration const * configuration_;
   QNetworkAccessManager * network_manager_;
+  bool http_only_;
   QDir root_dir_;
   QUrl url_root_;
   RemoteFile contents_;
diff --git a/SampleDownloader/FileNode.cpp b/SampleDownloader/FileNode.cpp
index 3bb6caf2a..85234f382 100644
--- a/SampleDownloader/FileNode.cpp
+++ b/SampleDownloader/FileNode.cpp
@@ -11,9 +11,10 @@
 FileNode::FileNode (QTreeWidgetItem * parent
                     , QNetworkAccessManager * network_manager
                     , QString const& local_file_path
-                    , QUrl const& url)
+                    , QUrl const& url
+                    , bool http_only)
   : QTreeWidgetItem {parent, Type}
-  , remote_file_ {this, network_manager, local_file_path}
+  , remote_file_ {this, network_manager, local_file_path, http_only}
   , block_sync_ {false}
 {
   sync_blocker b {this};
diff --git a/SampleDownloader/FileNode.hpp b/SampleDownloader/FileNode.hpp
index 6261a1f27..4ba9f9d21 100644
--- a/SampleDownloader/FileNode.hpp
+++ b/SampleDownloader/FileNode.hpp
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ public:
   explicit FileNode (QTreeWidgetItem * parent
                      , QNetworkAccessManager * network_manager
                      , QString const& local_path
-                     , QUrl const& url);
+                     , QUrl const& url
+                     , bool http_only);
 
   bool local () const {return remote_file_.local ();}
   bool sync (bool local);
diff --git a/SampleDownloader/RemoteFile.cpp b/SampleDownloader/RemoteFile.cpp
index ddcf6c40f..5aac13b4d 100644
--- a/SampleDownloader/RemoteFile.cpp
+++ b/SampleDownloader/RemoteFile.cpp
@@ -10,12 +10,12 @@
 #include "moc_RemoteFile.cpp"
 
 RemoteFile::RemoteFile (ListenerInterface * listener, QNetworkAccessManager * network_manager
-                        , QString const& local_file_path, QObject * parent)
+                        , QString const& local_file_path, bool http_only, QObject * parent)
   : QObject {parent}
   , listener_ {listener}
   , network_manager_ {network_manager}
   , local_file_ {local_file_path}
-  , reply_ {nullptr}
+  , http_only_ {http_only}
   , is_valid_ {false}
   , redirect_count_ {0}
   , file_ {local_file_path}
@@ -107,13 +107,17 @@ bool RemoteFile::sync (QUrl const& url, bool local, bool force)
   return true;
 }
 
-void RemoteFile::download (QUrl const& url)
+void RemoteFile::download (QUrl url)
 {
   if (QNetworkAccessManager::Accessible != network_manager_->networkAccessible ()) {
     // try and recover network access for QNAM
     network_manager_->setNetworkAccessible (QNetworkAccessManager::Accessible);
   }
 
+  if (url.isValid () && (!QSslSocket::supportsSsl () || http_only_))
+    {
+      url.setScheme ("http");
+    }
   QNetworkRequest request {url};
   request.setRawHeader ("User-Agent", "WSJT Sample Downloader");
   request.setOriginatingObject (this);
@@ -151,9 +155,10 @@ void RemoteFile::abort ()
 
 void RemoteFile::reply_finished ()
 {
-  auto saved_reply = reply_;
-  auto redirect_url = reply_->attribute (QNetworkRequest::RedirectionTargetAttribute).toUrl ();
-  if (!redirect_url.isEmpty ())
+  if (!reply_) return;          // we probably deleted it in an
+                                // earlier call
+  QUrl redirect_url {reply_->attribute (QNetworkRequest::RedirectionTargetAttribute).toUrl ()};
+  if (reply_->error () == QNetworkReply::NoError && !redirect_url.isEmpty ())
     {
       if (listener_->redirect_request (redirect_url))
         {
@@ -210,7 +215,7 @@ void RemoteFile::reply_finished ()
             {
               // now get the body content
               is_valid_ = true;
-              download (reply_->url () .resolved (redirect_url));
+              download (reply_->url ().resolved (redirect_url));
             }
           else
             {
@@ -219,9 +224,10 @@ void RemoteFile::reply_finished ()
             }
         }
     }
-  if (reply_->isFinished ()) reply_ = nullptr;
-  disconnect (saved_reply);
-  saved_reply->deleteLater ();  // finished with QNetworkReply
+  if (reply_ && reply_->isFinished ())
+    {
+      reply_->deleteLater ();
+    }
 }
 
 void RemoteFile::store ()
diff --git a/SampleDownloader/RemoteFile.hpp b/SampleDownloader/RemoteFile.hpp
index e1f0dbddd..3e6cb8514 100644
--- a/SampleDownloader/RemoteFile.hpp
+++ b/SampleDownloader/RemoteFile.hpp
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include <QUrl>
 #include <QFileInfo>
 #include <QSaveFile>
+#include <QPointer>
 
 class QNetworkAccessManager;
 class QNetworkReply;
@@ -38,7 +39,8 @@ public:
   };
 
   explicit RemoteFile (ListenerInterface * listener, QNetworkAccessManager * network_manager
-                       , QString const& local_file_path, QObject * parent = nullptr);
+                       , QString const& local_file_path, bool http_only = false
+                       , QObject * parent = nullptr);
 
   // true if local file exists or will do very soon
   bool local () const;
@@ -55,8 +57,11 @@ public:
   QString local_file_path () const {return local_file_.absoluteFilePath ();}
   QUrl url () const {return url_;}
 
+  // always use an http scheme for remote URLs
+  void http_only (bool flag = true) {http_only_ = flag;}
+
 private:
-  void download (QUrl const& url);
+  void download (QUrl url);
   void reply_finished ();
 
   Q_SLOT void store ();
@@ -68,8 +73,9 @@ private:
   ListenerInterface * listener_;
   QNetworkAccessManager * network_manager_;
   QFileInfo local_file_;
+  bool http_only_;
   QUrl url_;
-  QNetworkReply * reply_;
+  QPointer<QNetworkReply> reply_;
   bool is_valid_;
   unsigned redirect_count_;
   QSaveFile file_;