Index: docs/usermanual/component_reference.html
===================================================================
--- docs/usermanual/component_reference.html	(revision 1657513)
+++ docs/usermanual/component_reference.html	(working copy)
@@ -4353,6 +4353,12 @@
 <br>
 
 
+        Secure sockets (<tt>javax.net.ssl.SSLSocket</tt>) are supported. When "SSL" is selected, the socket will be opened
+        as a SSLSocket. When SSL is used, JMeter must be configured with appropriate <tt>javax.net.ssl.*</tt> system properties.
+        
+<br>
+
+
         If "Re-use connection" is selected, connections are shared between Samplers in the same thread,
         provided that the exact same host name string and port are used. 
         Different hosts/port combinations will use different connections, as will different threads. 
@@ -4600,6 +4606,14 @@
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
+<td>SSL</td>
+<td>If selected, the connection is opened using <tt>javax.net.ssl.SSLSocket</tt>. Otherwise <tt>java.net.Socket</tt> is used.
+</td>
+<td>
+No
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
 <td>Re-use connection</td>
 <td>If selected, the connection is kept open. Otherwise it is closed when the data has been read.
 </td>
Index: src/core/org/apache/jmeter/resources/messages.properties
===================================================================
--- src/core/org/apache/jmeter/resources/messages.properties	(revision 1657513)
+++ src/core/org/apache/jmeter/resources/messages.properties	(working copy)
@@ -1183,6 +1183,7 @@
 userdn=Username
 username=Username
 userpw=Password
+usessl=SSL
 value=Value
 value_to_quote_meta=Value to escape from ORO Regexp meta chars
 var_name=Reference Name
Index: src/protocol/tcp/org/apache/jmeter/protocol/tcp/config/gui/TCPConfigGui.java
===================================================================
--- src/protocol/tcp/org/apache/jmeter/protocol/tcp/config/gui/TCPConfigGui.java	(revision 1657513)
+++ src/protocol/tcp/org/apache/jmeter/protocol/tcp/config/gui/TCPConfigGui.java	(working copy)
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@
     private JLabeledTextField classname;
 
     private JCheckBox reUseConnection;
+    
+    private JCheckBox useSsl;
 
     // NOTUSED yet private JTextField filename;
 
@@ -89,6 +91,7 @@
         serverPanel.setServer(element.getPropertyAsString(TCPSampler.SERVER));
         // Default to original behaviour, i.e. re-use connection
         reUseConnection.setSelected(element.getPropertyAsBoolean(TCPSampler.RE_USE_CONNECTION, TCPSampler.RE_USE_CONNECTION_DEFAULT));
+        useSsl.setSelected(element.getPropertyAsBoolean(TCPSampler.USE_SSL, TCPSampler.USE_SSL_DEFAULT));
         serverPanel.setPort(element.getPropertyAsString(TCPSampler.PORT));
         // filename.setText(element.getPropertyAsString(TCPSampler.FILENAME));
         serverPanel.setResponseTimeout(element.getPropertyAsString(TCPSampler.TIMEOUT));
@@ -122,6 +125,7 @@
         element.setProperty(TCPSampler.CLASSNAME, classname.getText(), "");
         element.setProperty(TCPSampler.SERVER, serverPanel.getServer());
         element.setProperty(TCPSampler.RE_USE_CONNECTION, reUseConnection.isSelected());
+        element.setProperty(TCPSampler.USE_SSL, useSsl.isSelected());
         element.setProperty(TCPSampler.PORT, serverPanel.getPort());
         // element.setProperty(TCPSampler.FILENAME, filename.getText());
         setNoDelay.setPropertyFromTristate(element, TCPSampler.NODELAY);
@@ -146,6 +150,7 @@
         classname.setText(""); //$NON-NLS-1$
         requestData.setInitialText(""); //$NON-NLS-1$
         reUseConnection.setSelected(true);
+        useSsl.setSelected(false);
         setNoDelay.setSelected(false); // TODO should this be indeterminate?
         closeConnection.setSelected(TCPSampler.CLOSE_CONNECTION_DEFAULT); // TODO should this be indeterminate?
         soLinger.setText(""); //$NON-NLS-1$
@@ -186,6 +191,28 @@
         closePortPanel.add(reUseConnection);
         return closePortPanel;
     }
+    
+    private JPanel createUseSslPanel() {
+        JLabel label = new JLabel(JMeterUtils.getResString("usessl")); //$NON-NLS-1$
+
+        useSsl = new JCheckBox("", true);
+//        useSsl.addItemListener(new ItemListener() {
+//            @Override
+//            public void itemStateChanged(final ItemEvent e) {
+//                if (e.getStateChange() == ItemEvent.SELECTED) {
+//                    closeConnection.setEnabled(true);
+//                } else {
+//                    closeConnection.setEnabled(false);
+//                }
+//            }
+//        });
+        label.setLabelFor(useSsl);
+
+        JPanel panel = new JPanel(new FlowLayout());
+        panel.add(label);
+        panel.add(useSsl);
+        return panel;
+    }
 
     private JPanel createCloseConnectionPanel() {
         JLabel label = new JLabel(JMeterUtils.getResString("closeconnection")); // $NON-NLS-1$
@@ -272,6 +299,7 @@
         HorizontalPanel optionsPanel = new HorizontalPanel();
         optionsPanel.setBorder(BorderFactory.createTitledBorder(BorderFactory.createEtchedBorder()));
         optionsPanel.add(createClosePortPanel());
+        optionsPanel.add(createUseSslPanel());
         optionsPanel.add(createCloseConnectionPanel());
         optionsPanel.add(createNoDelayPanel());
         optionsPanel.add(createSoLingerOption());
Index: src/protocol/tcp/org/apache/jmeter/protocol/tcp/sampler/TCPSampler.java
===================================================================
--- src/protocol/tcp/org/apache/jmeter/protocol/tcp/sampler/TCPSampler.java	(revision 1657513)
+++ src/protocol/tcp/org/apache/jmeter/protocol/tcp/sampler/TCPSampler.java	(working copy)
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@
 import java.util.Properties;
 import java.util.Set;
 
+import javax.net.ssl.SSLSocketFactory;
+
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
 import org.apache.jmeter.config.ConfigTestElement;
 import org.apache.jmeter.samplers.AbstractSampler;
@@ -84,6 +86,9 @@
     public static final String RE_USE_CONNECTION = "TCPSampler.reUseConnection"; //$NON-NLS-1$
     public static final boolean RE_USE_CONNECTION_DEFAULT = true;
 
+    public static final String USE_SSL = "TCPSampler.useSsl"; //$NON-NLS-1$
+    public static final boolean USE_SSL_DEFAULT = false;
+
     public static final String CLOSE_CONNECTION = "TCPSampler.closeConnection"; //$NON-NLS-1$
     public static final boolean CLOSE_CONNECTION_DEFAULT = false;
 
@@ -176,7 +181,11 @@
             try {
                 closeSocket(socketKey); // Bug 44910 - close previous socket (if any)
                 SocketAddress sockaddr = new InetSocketAddress(getServer(), getPort());
-                con = new Socket();
+                if (getPropertyAsBoolean(USE_SSL)) {
+                    con = SSLSocketFactory.getDefault().createSocket();
+                } else {
+                    con = new Socket();
+                }
                 if (getPropertyAsString(SO_LINGER,"").length() > 0){
                     con.setSoLinger(true, getSoLinger());
                 }
@@ -236,6 +245,10 @@
         return getPropertyAsBoolean(RE_USE_CONNECTION, RE_USE_CONNECTION_DEFAULT);
     }
 
+    public boolean isUseSsl() {
+        return getPropertyAsBoolean(USE_SSL, USE_SSL_DEFAULT);
+    }
+
     public void setCloseConnection(String close) {
         this.setProperty(CLOSE_CONNECTION, close, "");
     }