diff --git a/xnat_ingest/cli/upload.py b/xnat_ingest/cli/upload.py
index 52a0b34..689035b 100644
--- a/xnat_ingest/cli/upload.py
+++ b/xnat_ingest/cli/upload.py
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@
 @click.option(
     "--verify-ssl/--dont-verify-ssl",
     type=bool,
-    default=False,
+    default=True,
     envvar="XNAT_INGEST_UPLOAD_VERIFY_SSL",
     help="Whether to verify the SSL certificate of the XNAT server",
 )