diff --git a/setup/linux-installer.py b/setup/linux-installer.py
index 2eb68401ac..8ac9ca0d6e 100644
--- a/setup/linux-installer.py
+++ b/setup/linux-installer.py
@@ -472,10 +472,7 @@ if has_ssl_verify:
     class HTTPSConnection(httplib.HTTPSConnection):
 
         def __init__(self, ssl_version, *args, **kwargs):
-            context = kwargs['context'] = ssl.SSLContext(ssl_version)
-            cf = kwargs.pop('cert_file')
-            context.load_verify_locations(cf)
-            context.verify_mode = ssl.CERT_REQUIRED
+            kwargs['context'] = ssl.create_default_context(cafile=kwargs.pop('cert_file'))
             httplib.HTTPSConnection.__init__(self, *args, **kwargs)
 else:
     class HTTPSConnection(httplib.HTTPSConnection):
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/https.py b/src/calibre/utils/https.py
index 7365236080..17a765aeec 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/https.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/https.py
@@ -33,10 +33,7 @@ if has_ssl_verify:
     class HTTPSConnection(httplib.HTTPSConnection):
 
         def __init__(self, ssl_version, *args, **kwargs):
-            context = kwargs['context'] = ssl.SSLContext(ssl_version)
-            cf = kwargs.pop('cert_file')
-            context.load_verify_locations(cf)
-            context.verify_mode = ssl.CERT_REQUIRED
+            kwargs['context'] = ssl.create_default_context(cafile=kwargs.pop('cert_file'))
             httplib.HTTPSConnection.__init__(self, *args, **kwargs)
 else:
     # Check certificate hostname {{{