diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0b1925c..504e00c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -16,6 +16,15 @@ This is an application that makes B2RI production ready. To go to the original B
 * Parameters are sanitized
 * Users can manage what entry types want their beacon to show by editing a manage conf file inside source
 
+### TLS configuration
+
+To enable TLS for the Becaon API set `beacon_server_crt` and `beacon_server_key` to the full paht of the server certificate and server key in `beacon/conf/conf.py` file.
+
+#### TLS secured MongoDB
+
+Edit the file `beacon/connections/mongo/conf.py` and set `database_certificate` to the full path to the client certificate. If a private CA is used also set the `database_cafile` to the full path to the CA certificate.
+
+* The MongoDB client certificate should be in the combined PEM format `client.key + "\n" + client.crt`
 
 ## Prerequisites
 
diff --git a/beacon/__main__.py b/beacon/__main__.py
index 99cf490..c9d3748 100644
--- a/beacon/__main__.py
+++ b/beacon/__main__.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 from aiohttp_cors import CorsViewMixin
 from datetime import datetime
 from beacon.conf import conf
+import ssl
 
 class EndpointView(web.View, CorsViewMixin):
     def __init__(self, request: Request):
@@ -410,10 +411,15 @@ async def create_api():# pragma: no cover
 
     cors.add(web.options('/api/g_variants', Resultset), cors_dict)
     '''
+    ssl_context = None
+    if (os.path.isfile(conf.beacon_server_key)) and (os.path.isfile(conf.beacon_server_crt)):
+        ssl_context = ssl.create_default_context(ssl.Purpose.CLIENT_AUTH)
+        ssl_context.load_cert_chain(certfile=conf.beacon_server_crt, keyfile=conf.beacon_server_key)
 
+    print("Starting app")
     runner = web.AppRunner(app)
     await runner.setup()
-    site = web.TCPSite(runner, '0.0.0.0', 5050)
+    site = web.TCPSite(runner, '0.0.0.0', 5050,  ssl_context=ssl_context)
     await site.start()
 
     while True:
diff --git a/beacon/conf/conf.py b/beacon/conf/conf.py
index caca479..2bdd330 100644
--- a/beacon/conf/conf.py
+++ b/beacon/conf/conf.py
@@ -49,4 +49,7 @@
 org_welcome_url = 'https://ega-archive.org/'
 org_contact_url = 'mailto:beacon.ega@crg.eu'
 org_logo_url = 'https://legacy.ega-archive.org/images/logo.png'
-org_info = ''
\ No newline at end of file
+org_info = ''
+
+beacon_server_crt = ''
+beacon_server_key = ''
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/beacon/connections/mongo/__init__.py b/beacon/connections/mongo/__init__.py
index 7c30532..6f4a8dc 100644
--- a/beacon/connections/mongo/__init__.py
+++ b/beacon/connections/mongo/__init__.py
@@ -1,11 +1,19 @@
 from pymongo.mongo_client import MongoClient
 from beacon.connections.mongo import conf
+import os
 
-client = MongoClient("mongodb://{}:{}@{}:{}/{}?authSource={}".format(
+uri = "mongodb://{}:{}@{}:{}/{}?authSource={}".format(
     conf.database_user,
     conf.database_password,
     conf.database_host,
     conf.database_port,
     conf.database_name,
     conf.database_auth_source
-))
\ No newline at end of file
+)
+
+if os.path.isfile(conf.database_certificate):
+    uri += '&tls=true&tlsCertificateKeyFile={}'.format(conf.database_certificate)
+    if os.path.isfile(conf.database_cafile):
+        uri += '&tlsCAFile={}'.format(conf.database_cafile)
+
+client = MongoClient(uri)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/beacon/connections/mongo/conf.py b/beacon/connections/mongo/conf.py
index 3c69141..26b792f 100644
--- a/beacon/connections/mongo/conf.py
+++ b/beacon/connections/mongo/conf.py
@@ -3,4 +3,6 @@
 database_user = 'root'
 database_password = 'example'
 database_name = 'beacon'
-database_auth_source = 'admin'
\ No newline at end of file
+database_auth_source = 'admin'
+database_certificate = ''
+database_cafile = ''
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/beacon/connections/mongo/extract_filtering_terms.py b/beacon/connections/mongo/extract_filtering_terms.py
index 789fb88..8d340ca 100644
--- a/beacon/connections/mongo/extract_filtering_terms.py
+++ b/beacon/connections/mongo/extract_filtering_terms.py
@@ -28,17 +28,21 @@
 ICD_REGEX = re.compile(r"(ICD[_A-Za-z0-9]+):([_A-Za-z0-9^\./-]+)")
 
 
-client = MongoClient(
-        #"mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017/"
-        "mongodb://{}:{}@{}:{}/{}?authSource={}".format(
-            conf.database_user,
-            conf.database_password,
-            conf.database_host,
-            conf.database_port,
-            conf.database_name,
-            conf.database_auth_source,
-        )
-    )
+uri = "mongodb://{}:{}@{}:{}/{}?authSource={}".format(
+    conf.database_user,
+    conf.database_password,
+    conf.database_host,
+    conf.database_port,
+    conf.database_name,
+    conf.database_auth_source
+)
+
+if os.path.isfile(conf.database_certificate):
+    uri += '&tls=true&tlsCertificateKeyFile={}'.format(conf.database_certificate)
+    if os.path.isfile(conf.database_cafile):
+        uri += '&tlsCAFile={}'.format(conf.database_cafile)
+
+client = MongoClient(uri)
 '''
 
 client = MongoClient(
diff --git a/beacon/connections/mongo/get_descendants.py b/beacon/connections/mongo/get_descendants.py
index b29a8d7..8bfd942 100644
--- a/beacon/connections/mongo/get_descendants.py
+++ b/beacon/connections/mongo/get_descendants.py
@@ -13,17 +13,21 @@
 import conf
 
 
-client = MongoClient(
-        #"mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017/"
-        "mongodb://{}:{}@{}:{}/{}?authSource={}".format(
-            conf.database_user,
-            conf.database_password,
-            conf.database_host,
-            conf.database_port,
-            conf.database_name,
-            conf.database_auth_source,
-        )
-    )
+uri = "mongodb://{}:{}@{}:{}/{}?authSource={}".format(
+    conf.database_user,
+    conf.database_password,
+    conf.database_host,
+    conf.database_port,
+    conf.database_name,
+    conf.database_auth_source
+)
+
+if os.path.isfile(conf.database_certificate):
+    uri += '&tls=true&tlsCertificateKeyFile={}'.format(conf.database_certificate)
+    if os.path.isfile(conf.database_cafile):
+        uri += '&tlsCAFile={}'.format(conf.database_cafile)
+
+client = MongoClient(uri)
 
 class MyProgressBar:
     def __init__(self):
diff --git a/beacon/connections/mongo/ping.py b/beacon/connections/mongo/ping.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..29130ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/beacon/connections/mongo/ping.py
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+from pymongo.mongo_client import MongoClient
+from pymongo.errors import ConnectionFailure 
+import conf
+import os
+
+
+uri = "mongodb://{}:{}@{}:{}/{}?authSource={}".format(
+    conf.database_user,
+    conf.database_password,
+    conf.database_host,
+    conf.database_port,
+    conf.database_name,
+    conf.database_auth_source
+)
+
+if os.path.isfile(conf.database_certificate):
+    uri += '&tls=true&tlsCertificateKeyFile={}'.format(conf.database_certificate)
+    if os.path.isfile(conf.database_cafile):
+        uri += '&tlsCAFile={}'.format(conf.database_cafile)
+
+client = MongoClient(uri, serverSelectionTimeoutMS=30000)
+try:
+    client.admin.command('ping')
+except ConnectionFailure as err:
+    print(f"Database error encountered: {err}")
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/beacon/connections/mongo/reindex.py b/beacon/connections/mongo/reindex.py
index 3b31b19..5d81337 100644
--- a/beacon/connections/mongo/reindex.py
+++ b/beacon/connections/mongo/reindex.py
@@ -1,17 +1,23 @@
 from pymongo.mongo_client import MongoClient
 import conf
+import os
 
 
-client = MongoClient(
-        "mongodb://{}:{}@{}:{}/{}?authSource={}".format(
-            conf.database_user,
-            conf.database_password,
-            conf.database_host,
-            conf.database_port,
-            conf.database_name,
-            conf.database_auth_source,
-        )
-    )
+uri = "mongodb://{}:{}@{}:{}/{}?authSource={}".format(
+    conf.database_user,
+    conf.database_password,
+    conf.database_host,
+    conf.database_port,
+    conf.database_name,
+    conf.database_auth_source
+)
+
+if os.path.isfile(conf.database_certificate):
+    uri += '&tls=true&tlsCertificateKeyFile={}'.format(conf.database_certificate)
+    if os.path.isfile(conf.database_cafile):
+        uri += '&tlsCAFile={}'.format(conf.database_cafile)
+
+client = MongoClient(uri)
 try:
     client.beacon.drop_collection("synonyms")
 except Exception: