diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 1a89a54..4f02dd0 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
 		<hamcrest-all.version>1.3</hamcrest-all.version>
 		<babel.version>1.6.2</babel.version>
 		<aai.rest.client.version>1.2.1</aai.rest.client.version>
-		<sdc-distribution-client.version>1.3.0</sdc-distribution-client.version>
+		<sdc-distribution-client.version>1.4.1</sdc-distribution-client.version>
 		<logback.version>1.2.3</logback.version>
 		<!-- docker related properties -->
 		<docker.fabric.version>0.28.0</docker.fabric.version>
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
 		<sonar.jacoco.reportPath />
 		<sonar.jacoco.itReportPath />
 		<sonar.jacoco.reportMissing.force.zero />
-		
+
 		<jacoco.line.coverage.limit>0.75</jacoco.line.coverage.limit>
 		<jacoco.version>0.8.5</jacoco.version>
 		<sonar-jacoco-listeners.version>3.2</sonar-jacoco-listeners.version>
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@
 				</executions>
 			</plugin>
 
-			<!-- once we connect aai-parent or oparent 3.0+ we can take out this 
+			<!-- once we connect aai-parent or oparent 3.0+ we can take out this
 			     whole section -->
 
 			<plugin>
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@
 			  <artifactId>jacoco-maven-plugin</artifactId>
 			  <version>${jacoco.version}</version>
 			  <configuration>
-			    <!-- Note: This exclusion list should match <sonar.exclusions> property 
+			    <!-- Note: This exclusion list should match <sonar.exclusions> property
 				 above -->
 			    <excludes>
 			      <exclude>**/gen/**</exclude>
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@
 			    </excludes>
 			  </configuration>
 			  <executions>
-			    <!-- Prepares the property pointing to the JaCoCo runtime agent which 
+			    <!-- Prepares the property pointing to the JaCoCo runtime agent which
 				 is passed as VM argument when Maven the Surefire plugin is executed. -->
 			    <execution>
 			      <id>pre-unit-test</id>
@@ -462,15 +462,15 @@
 				<goal>prepare-agent</goal>
 			      </goals>
 			      <configuration>
-				<!-- Sets the path to the file which contains the execution data 
+				<!-- Sets the path to the file which contains the execution data
 				     . -->
 				<destFile>${project.build.directory}/code-coverage/jacoco-ut.exec</destFile>
-				<!-- Sets the name of the property containing the settings for JaCoCo 
+				<!-- Sets the name of the property containing the settings for JaCoCo
 				     runtime agent. -->
 				<propertyName>surefireArgLine</propertyName>
 			      </configuration>
 			    </execution>
-			    <!-- Ensures that the code coverage report for unit tests is created 
+			    <!-- Ensures that the code coverage report for unit tests is created
 				 after unit tests have been run. -->
 			    <execution>
 			      <id>post-unit-test</id>
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@
 				<goal>report</goal>
 			      </goals>
 			      <configuration>
-				<!-- Sets the path to the file which contains the execution data 
+				<!-- Sets the path to the file which contains the execution data
 				     . -->
 				<dataFile>${project.build.directory}/code-coverage/jacoco-ut.exec</dataFile>
 				<!-- Sets the output directory for the code coverage report. -->
@@ -493,15 +493,15 @@
 				<goal>prepare-agent</goal>
 			      </goals>
 			      <configuration>
-				<!-- Sets the path to the file which contains the execution data 
+				<!-- Sets the path to the file which contains the execution data
 				     . -->
 				<destFile>${project.build.directory}/code-coverage/jacoco-it.exec</destFile>
-				<!-- Sets the name of the property containing the settings for JaCoCo 
+				<!-- Sets the name of the property containing the settings for JaCoCo
 				     runtime agent. -->
 				<propertyName>failsafeArgLine</propertyName>
 			      </configuration>
 			    </execution>
-			    <!-- Ensures that the code coverage report for integration tests after 
+			    <!-- Ensures that the code coverage report for integration tests after
 				 integration tests have been run. -->
 			    <execution>
 			      <id>post-integration-test</id>
@@ -510,7 +510,7 @@
 				<goal>report</goal>
 			      </goals>
 			      <configuration>
-				<!-- Sets the path to the file which contains the execution data 
+				<!-- Sets the path to the file which contains the execution data
 				     . -->
 				<dataFile>${project.build.directory}/code-coverage/jacoco-it.exec</dataFile>
 				<!-- Sets the output directory for the code coverage report. -->
@@ -558,7 +558,7 @@
 			  <artifactId>maven-failsafe-plugin</artifactId>
 			  <version>3.0.0-M4</version>
 			  <executions>
-			    <!-- Ensures that both integration-test and verify goals of the Failsafe 
+			    <!-- Ensures that both integration-test and verify goals of the Failsafe
 				 Maven plugin are executed. -->
 			    <execution>
 			      <id>integration-tests</id>
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/onap/aai/modelloader/config/ModelLoaderConfig.java b/src/main/java/org/onap/aai/modelloader/config/ModelLoaderConfig.java
index 7523fce..88735d4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/onap/aai/modelloader/config/ModelLoaderConfig.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/onap/aai/modelloader/config/ModelLoaderConfig.java
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
     protected static final String PROP_ML_DISTRIBUTION_ASDC_CONNECTION_DISABLED =
             PREFIX_DISTRIBUTION_CLIENT + "ASDC_CONNECTION_DISABLE";
     protected static final String PROP_ML_DISTRIBUTION_ASDC_ADDRESS = PREFIX_DISTRIBUTION_CLIENT + "ASDC_ADDRESS";
+    protected static final String PROP_ML_DISTRIBUTION_ASDC_USE_HTTPS = PREFIX_DISTRIBUTION_CLIENT + "ASDC_USE_HTTPS";
     protected static final String PROP_ML_DISTRIBUTION_CONSUMER_GROUP = PREFIX_DISTRIBUTION_CLIENT + "CONSUMER_GROUP";
     protected static final String PROP_ML_DISTRIBUTION_CONSUMER_ID = PREFIX_DISTRIBUTION_CLIENT + "CONSUMER_ID";
     protected static final String PROP_ML_DISTRIBUTION_ENVIRONMENT_NAME =
@@ -156,6 +157,16 @@
     }
 
     @Override
+    public Boolean isUseHttpsWithSDC() {
+        /* if PROP_ML_DISTRIBUTION_ASDC_USE_HTTPS is null, https will be used, as before */
+        String value = get(PROP_ML_DISTRIBUTION_ASDC_USE_HTTPS);
+        if (value == null) {
+          return true;
+        }
+        return Boolean.parseBoolean(value);
+    }
+
+    @Override
     public String getConsumerGroup() {
         return get(PROP_ML_DISTRIBUTION_CONSUMER_GROUP);
     }
@@ -320,7 +331,7 @@
 
     /**
      * Read the value of the property and replace any wildcard OXM version "v*" with the supplied default OXM version
-     * 
+     *
      * @param propertyName
      *            the name of the property storing the OXM version (possibly containing v*)
      * @param version