diff --git a/src/calibre/scraper/qt.py b/src/calibre/scraper/qt.py
index 37ab85ad8a..5311aff973 100644
--- a/src/calibre/scraper/qt.py
+++ b/src/calibre/scraper/qt.py
@@ -60,10 +60,11 @@ class FakeResponse:
 
 class Browser:
 
-    def __init__(self, user_agent: str = '', headers: tuple[tuple[str, str], ...] = (), start_worker: bool = False):
+    def __init__(self, user_agent: str = '', headers: tuple[tuple[str, str], ...] = (), verify_ssl_certificates: bool = True, start_worker: bool = False):
         self.tdir = ''
         self.worker = self.dispatcher = None
         self.dispatch_map = {}
+        self.verify_ssl_certificates = verify_ssl_certificates
         self.id_counter = 0
         self.addheaders: list[tuple[str, str]] = list(headers)
         self.user_agent = user_agent
@@ -145,7 +146,7 @@ class Browser:
         with self.lock:
             if not self.tdir:
                 self.tdir = PersistentTemporaryDirectory()
-                self.worker = run_worker(self.tdir, self.user_agent)
+                self.worker = run_worker(self.tdir, self.user_agent, self.verify_ssl_certificates)
                 self.dispatcher = Thread(target=self._dispatch, daemon=True)
                 self.dispatcher.start()
 
@@ -189,9 +190,9 @@ class Browser:
         self.shutdown()
 
 
-def run_worker(tdir: str, user_agent: str):
+def run_worker(tdir: str, user_agent: str, verify_ssl_certificates: bool):
     from calibre.utils.ipc.simple_worker import start_pipe_worker
-    return start_pipe_worker(f'from calibre.scraper.qt import worker; worker({tdir!r}, {user_agent!r})')
+    return start_pipe_worker(f'from calibre.scraper.qt import worker; worker({tdir!r}, {user_agent!r}, {verify_ssl_certificates!r})')
 
 
 def worker(*args):
diff --git a/src/calibre/scraper/qt_backend.py b/src/calibre/scraper/qt_backend.py
index fc51b2eb44..d19d53dbef 100644
--- a/src/calibre/scraper/qt_backend.py
+++ b/src/calibre/scraper/qt_backend.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ from qt.core import (
     QNetworkReply,
     QNetworkRequest,
     QObject,
+    QSslError,
     Qt,
     QTimer,
     QUrl,
@@ -82,10 +83,9 @@ class DownloadRequest(QObject):
         self.req_id: int = req_id
         self.created_at = self.last_activity_at = monotonic()
         self.timeout = timeout
-        self.reply.downloadProgress.connect(self.on_download_progress)
-        self.reply.uploadProgress.connect(self.on_upload_progress)
+        self.reply.downloadProgress.connect(self.on_download_progress, type=Qt.ConnectionType.QueuedConnection)
+        self.reply.uploadProgress.connect(self.on_upload_progress, type=Qt.ConnectionType.QueuedConnection)
         # self.reply.readyRead.connect(self.on_data_available)
-        self.reply.sslErrors.connect(self.on_ssl_errors)
 
     def on_download_progress(self, bytes_received: int, bytes_total: int) -> None:
         self.last_activity_at = monotonic()
@@ -141,9 +141,10 @@ class FetchBackend(QNetworkAccessManager):
     set_user_agent_signal = pyqtSignal(str)
     download_finished = pyqtSignal(object)
 
-    def __init__(self, output_dir: str = '', cache_name: str = '', parent: QObject = None, user_agent: str = '') -> None:
+    def __init__(self, output_dir: str = '', cache_name: str = '', parent: QObject = None, user_agent: str = '', verify_ssl_certificates: bool = True) -> None:
         super().__init__(parent)
         self.cookie_jar = CookieJar(self)
+        self.verify_ssl_certificates = verify_ssl_certificates
         self.setCookieJar(self.cookie_jar)
         self.user_agent = user_agent or random_common_chrome_user_agent()
         self.setTransferTimeout(int(default_timeout * 1000))
@@ -154,6 +155,7 @@ class FetchBackend(QNetworkAccessManager):
         self.set_user_agent_signal.connect(self.set_user_agent, type=Qt.ConnectionType.QueuedConnection)
         self.input_finished.connect(self.on_input_finished, type=Qt.ConnectionType.QueuedConnection)
         self.finished.connect(self.on_reply_finished, type=Qt.ConnectionType.QueuedConnection)
+        self.sslErrors.connect(self.on_ssl_errors)
         self.live_requests: set[DownloadRequest] = set()
         self.all_request_cookies: list[QNetworkCookie] = []
         self.timeout_timer = t = QTimer(self)
@@ -213,6 +215,10 @@ class FetchBackend(QNetworkAccessManager):
         if not self.timeout_timer.isActive():
             self.timeout_timer.start()
 
+    def on_ssl_errors(self, reply: QNetworkReply, errors: list[QSslError]) -> None:
+        if not self.verify_ssl_certificates:
+            reply.ignoreSslErrors()
+
     def on_reply_finished(self, reply: QNetworkReply) -> None:
         reply.deleteLater()
         for x in tuple(self.live_requests):
@@ -293,10 +299,10 @@ def read_commands(backend: FetchBackend, tdir: str) -> None:
     backend.input_finished.emit(error_msg)
 
 
-def worker(tdir: str, user_agent: str) -> None:
+def worker(tdir: str, user_agent: str, verify_ssl_certificates: bool) -> None:
     app = QApplication.instance()
     sys.stdout = sys.stderr
-    backend = FetchBackend(parent=app, user_agent=user_agent, output_dir=tdir)
+    backend = FetchBackend(parent=app, user_agent=user_agent, output_dir=tdir, verify_ssl_certificates=verify_ssl_certificates)
     try:
         read_thread = Thread(target=read_commands, args=(backend, tdir), daemon=True)
         read_thread.start()
diff --git a/src/calibre/web/feeds/news.py b/src/calibre/web/feeds/news.py
index f1af091623..f015d75b53 100644
--- a/src/calibre/web/feeds/news.py
+++ b/src/calibre/web/feeds/news.py
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ class BasicNewsRecipe(Recipe):
         self.log('Using user agent:', kwargs['user_agent'])
         if self.browser_type == 'qt':
             from calibre.scraper.qt import Browser
-            return Browser(user_agent=kwargs['user_agent'])
+            return Browser(user_agent=kwargs['user_agent'], verify_ssl_certificates=kwargs.get('verify_ssl_certificates', False))
         br = browser(*args, **kwargs)
         br.addheaders += [('Accept', '*/*')]
         if self.handle_gzip: