diff --git a/config/schema/search_api_opensearch.connector.standard.schema.yml b/config/schema/search_api_opensearch.connector.standard.schema.yml
index c6ed981..916b048 100644
--- a/config/schema/search_api_opensearch.connector.standard.schema.yml
+++ b/config/schema/search_api_opensearch.connector.standard.schema.yml
@@ -5,3 +5,6 @@ plugin.plugin_configuration.opensearch_connector.standard:
     url:
       type: string
       label: 'The URL to the OpenSearch cluster.'
+    ssl_verification:
+      type: boolean
+      label: 'Whether to verify the SSL certificate of the OpenSearch cluster.'
diff --git a/src/Plugin/OpenSearch/Connector/BasicAuthConnector.php b/src/Plugin/OpenSearch/Connector/BasicAuthConnector.php
index 6863b1d..2a65a54 100644
--- a/src/Plugin/OpenSearch/Connector/BasicAuthConnector.php
+++ b/src/Plugin/OpenSearch/Connector/BasicAuthConnector.php
@@ -21,10 +21,12 @@ class BasicAuthConnector extends StandardConnector {
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function getClient(): Client {
+    $configuration = $this->getConfiguration();
     // We only support one host.
     return ClientBuilder::create()
-      ->setHosts([$this->configuration['url']])
-      ->setBasicAuthentication($this->configuration['username'], $this->configuration['password'])
+      ->setHosts([$configuration['url']])
+      ->setBasicAuthentication($configuration['username'], $configuration['password'])
+      ->setSSLVerification((bool) $configuration['ssl_verification'])
       ->setLogger($this->logger)
       ->build();
   }
@@ -44,10 +46,11 @@ class BasicAuthConnector extends StandardConnector {
    */
   public function buildConfigurationForm(array $form, FormStateInterface $form_state): array {
     $form = parent::buildConfigurationForm($form, $form_state);
+    $configuration = $this->getConfiguration();
     $form['username'] = [
       '#type' => 'textfield',
       '#title' => $this->t('Username'),
-      '#default_value' => $this->configuration['username'] ?? '',
+      '#default_value' => $configuration['username'] ?? '',
       '#required' => TRUE,
     ];
 
@@ -57,7 +60,7 @@ class BasicAuthConnector extends StandardConnector {
       '#description' => $this->t('If this field is left blank and the HTTP username is filled out, the current password will not be changed.'),
     ];
 
-    $form_state->set('previous_password', $this->configuration['password']);
+    $form_state->set('previous_password', $configuration['password']);
 
     return $form;
   }
diff --git a/src/Plugin/OpenSearch/Connector/StandardConnector.php b/src/Plugin/OpenSearch/Connector/StandardConnector.php
index 2a5e758..5aecbbf 100644
--- a/src/Plugin/OpenSearch/Connector/StandardConnector.php
+++ b/src/Plugin/OpenSearch/Connector/StandardConnector.php
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ class StandardConnector extends PluginBase implements OpenSearchConnectorInterfa
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function getConfiguration(): array {
-    return $this->configuration;
+    return $this->configuration + $this->defaultConfiguration();
   }
 
   /**
@@ -95,9 +95,11 @@ class StandardConnector extends PluginBase implements OpenSearchConnectorInterfa
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function getClient(): Client {
+    $configuration = $this->getConfiguration();
     // We only support one host.
     return ClientBuilder::create()
-      ->setHosts([$this->configuration['url']])
+      ->setHosts([$configuration['url']])
+      ->setSSLVerification((bool) $configuration['ssl_verification'])
       ->setLogger($this->logger)
       ->build();
   }
@@ -108,6 +110,7 @@ class StandardConnector extends PluginBase implements OpenSearchConnectorInterfa
   public function defaultConfiguration(): array {
     return [
       'url' => '',
+      'ssl_verification' => TRUE,
     ];
   }
 
@@ -115,13 +118,20 @@ class StandardConnector extends PluginBase implements OpenSearchConnectorInterfa
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function buildConfigurationForm(array $form, FormStateInterface $form_state): array {
+    $configuration = $this->getConfiguration();
     $form['url'] = [
       '#type' => 'url',
       '#title' => $this->t('OpenSearch URL'),
       '#description' => $this->t('The URL of your OpenSearch server, e.g. <code>http://127.0.0.1:9200</code> or <code>https://www.example.com:443</code>. The port defaults to <code>9200</code> if not specified. <strong>Do not include a trailing slash.</strong>'),
-      '#default_value' => $this->configuration['url'] ?? '',
+      '#default_value' => $configuration['url'] ?? '',
       '#required' => TRUE,
     ];
+    $form['ssl_verification'] = [
+      '#type' => 'checkbox',
+      '#title' => $this->t('SSL Verification'),
+      '#description' => $this->t('Whether to verify the SSL certificate of the OpenSearch server. This should be enabled in production environments.'),
+      '#default_value' => $configuration['ssl_verification'] ?? '',
+    ];
     return $form;
   }
 
@@ -140,6 +150,7 @@ class StandardConnector extends PluginBase implements OpenSearchConnectorInterfa
    */
   public function submitConfigurationForm(array &$form, FormStateInterface $form_state) {
     $this->configuration['url'] = trim($form_state->getValue('url'), '/ ');
+    $this->configuration['ssl_verification'] = $form_state->getValue('ssl_verification');
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/tests/modules/search_api_opensearch_test/config/install/search_api.server.opensearch_server.yml b/tests/modules/search_api_opensearch_test/config/install/search_api.server.opensearch_server.yml
index c6f5cf4..1eb24a5 100644
--- a/tests/modules/search_api_opensearch_test/config/install/search_api.server.opensearch_server.yml
+++ b/tests/modules/search_api_opensearch_test/config/install/search_api.server.opensearch_server.yml
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ backend_config:
   connector: standard
   connector_config:
     url: 'http://opensearch:9200'
+    ssl_verification: true
   advanced:
     fuzziness: auto
     prefix: test_