diff --git a/lib/PostHog.php b/lib/PostHog.php
index 899bf0d..a50f94c 100644
--- a/lib/PostHog.php
+++ b/lib/PostHog.php
@@ -28,12 +28,24 @@ public static function init(
         if (null === $client) {
             $apiKey = $apiKey ?: getenv(self::ENV_API_KEY);
 
+            $rawHost = null;
             if (array_key_exists("host", $options)) {
-                $options["host"] = self::cleanHost($options["host"]);
+                $rawHost = $options["host"];
+                $options["host"] = self::cleanHost($rawHost);
             } else {
                 $envHost = getenv(self::ENV_HOST) ?: null;
                 if (null !== $envHost) {
-                    $options["host"] = self::cleanHost(getenv(self::ENV_HOST));
+                    $rawHost = $envHost;
+                    $options["host"] = self::cleanHost($rawHost);
+                }
+            }
+
+            // Infer ssl from the host protocol if the user hasn't explicitly set it
+            if ($rawHost !== null && !array_key_exists("ssl", $options)) {
+                if (substr($rawHost, 0, 7) === "http://") {
+                    $options["ssl"] = false;
+                } elseif (substr($rawHost, 0, 8) === "https://") {
+                    $options["ssl"] = true;
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/test/PostHogTest.php b/test/PostHogTest.php
index 48997e8..98f6379 100644
--- a/test/PostHogTest.php
+++ b/test/PostHogTest.php
@@ -63,6 +63,75 @@ public function testInitWithEnvApiKey(): void
         putenv(PostHog::ENV_API_KEY);
     }
 
+    public function testInitWithHttpHostSetsSslFalse(): void
+    {
+        PostHog::init("random_key", ["host" => "http://localhost:8010"]);
+
+        $client = PostHog::getClient();
+        $ref = new \ReflectionClass($client);
+        $consumerProp = $ref->getProperty('consumer');
+        $consumerProp->setAccessible(true);
+        $consumer = $consumerProp->getValue($client);
+
+        $cRef = new \ReflectionClass($consumer);
+        $httpProp = $cRef->getProperty('httpClient');
+        $httpProp->setAccessible(true);
+        $httpClient = $httpProp->getValue($consumer);
+
+        $hRef = new \ReflectionClass($httpClient);
+        $sslProp = $hRef->getProperty('useSsl');
+        $sslProp->setAccessible(true);
+
+        $this->assertFalse($sslProp->getValue($httpClient), 'HttpClient should use ssl=false for http:// hosts');
+    }
+
+    public function testInitWithHttpsHostSetsSslTrue(): void
+    {
+        PostHog::init("random_key", ["host" => "https://app.posthog.com"]);
+
+        $client = PostHog::getClient();
+        $ref = new \ReflectionClass($client);
+        $consumerProp = $ref->getProperty('consumer');
+        $consumerProp->setAccessible(true);
+        $consumer = $consumerProp->getValue($client);
+
+        $cRef = new \ReflectionClass($consumer);
+        $httpProp = $cRef->getProperty('httpClient');
+        $httpProp->setAccessible(true);
+        $httpClient = $httpProp->getValue($consumer);
+
+        $hRef = new \ReflectionClass($httpClient);
+        $sslProp = $hRef->getProperty('useSsl');
+        $sslProp->setAccessible(true);
+
+        $this->assertTrue($sslProp->getValue($httpClient), 'HttpClient should use ssl=true for https:// hosts');
+    }
+
+    public function testInitWithEnvHttpHostSetsSslFalse(): void
+    {
+        putenv(PostHog::ENV_HOST . "=http://localhost:8010");
+        PostHog::init("random_key");
+
+        $client = PostHog::getClient();
+        $ref = new \ReflectionClass($client);
+        $consumerProp = $ref->getProperty('consumer');
+        $consumerProp->setAccessible(true);
+        $consumer = $consumerProp->getValue($client);
+
+        $cRef = new \ReflectionClass($consumer);
+        $httpProp = $cRef->getProperty('httpClient');
+        $httpProp->setAccessible(true);
+        $httpClient = $httpProp->getValue($consumer);
+
+        $hRef = new \ReflectionClass($httpClient);
+        $sslProp = $hRef->getProperty('useSsl');
+        $sslProp->setAccessible(true);
+
+        $this->assertFalse($sslProp->getValue($httpClient), 'HttpClient should use ssl=false for http:// env host');
+
+        putenv(PostHog::ENV_HOST);
+    }
+
     public function testInitThrowsExceptionWithNoApiKey(): void
     {
         $this->expectException(Exception::class);