diff --git a/src/main/routes/port-forward-route.ts b/src/main/routes/port-forward-route.ts
index 763ea16b43..56934628dd 100644
--- a/src/main/routes/port-forward-route.ts
+++ b/src/main/routes/port-forward-route.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ interface PortForwardArgs {
   name: string;
   port: number;
   forwardPort: number;
+  protocol?: string;
 }
 
 const internalPortRegex = /^forwarding from (?<address>.+) ->/i;
@@ -47,7 +48,8 @@ class PortForward {
       pf.kind == forward.kind &&
       pf.name == forward.name &&
       pf.namespace == forward.namespace &&
-      pf.port == forward.port
+      pf.port == forward.port &&
+      (!forward.protocol || pf.protocol == forward.protocol)
     ));
   }
 
@@ -58,6 +60,7 @@ class PortForward {
   public name: string;
   public port: number;
   public forwardPort: number;
+  public protocol: string;
 
   constructor(public kubeConfig: string, args: PortForwardArgs) {
     this.clusterId = args.clusterId;
@@ -66,6 +69,7 @@ class PortForward {
     this.name = args.name;
     this.port = args.port;
     this.forwardPort = args.forwardPort;
+    this.protocol = args.protocol ?? "http";
   }
 
   public async start() {
@@ -119,21 +123,21 @@ export class PortForwardRoute {
     const { namespace, resourceType, resourceName } = params;
     const port = Number(query.get("port"));
     const forwardPort = Number(query.get("forwardPort"));
+    const protocol = query.get("protocol");
 
     try {
       let portForward = PortForward.getPortforward({
         clusterId: cluster.id, kind: resourceType, name: resourceName,
-        namespace, port, forwardPort,
+        namespace, port, forwardPort, protocol,
       });
 
-      let thePort = 0;
-
-      if (forwardPort > 0 && forwardPort < 65536) {
-        thePort = forwardPort;
-      }
-
       if (!portForward) {
         logger.info(`Creating a new port-forward ${namespace}/${resourceType}/${resourceName}:${port}`);
+
+        const thePort = 0 < forwardPort && forwardPort < 65536 
+          ? forwardPort 
+          : 0;
+          
         portForward = new PortForward(await cluster.getProxyKubeconfigPath(), {
           clusterId: cluster.id,
           kind: resourceType,
@@ -141,6 +145,7 @@ export class PortForwardRoute {
           name: resourceName,
           port,
           forwardPort: thePort,
+          protocol,
         });
 
         const started = await portForward.start();
@@ -169,10 +174,11 @@ export class PortForwardRoute {
     const { namespace, resourceType, resourceName } = params;
     const port = Number(query.get("port"));
     const forwardPort = Number(query.get("forwardPort"));
+    const protocol = query.get("protocol");
 
     const portForward = PortForward.getPortforward({
       clusterId: cluster.id, kind: resourceType, name: resourceName,
-      namespace, port, forwardPort
+      namespace, port, forwardPort, protocol,
     });
 
     respondJson(response, { port: portForward?.forwardPort ?? null });
@@ -189,6 +195,7 @@ export class PortForwardRoute {
         name: f.name,
         port: f.port,
         forwardPort: f.forwardPort,
+        protocol: f.protocol,
       })
     );
 
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/+network-port-forwards/port-forward-details.tsx b/src/renderer/components/+network-port-forwards/port-forward-details.tsx
index 4fa4b395f7..73f8f2fe1f 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/+network-port-forwards/port-forward-details.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/+network-port-forwards/port-forward-details.tsx
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import "./port-forward-details.scss";
 
 import React from "react";
 import { Link } from "react-router-dom";
-import type { PortForwardItem } from "../../port-forward";
+import { portForwardAddress, PortForwardItem } from "../../port-forward";
 import { Drawer, DrawerItem } from "../drawer";
 import { cssNames } from "../../utils";
 import { podsApi, serviceApi } from "../../../common/k8s-api/endpoints";
@@ -80,6 +80,9 @@ export class PortForwardDetails extends React.Component<Props> {
         <DrawerItem name="Local Port">
           {portForward.getForwardPort()}
         </DrawerItem>
+        <DrawerItem name="Protocol">
+          {portForward.getProtocol()}
+        </DrawerItem>
         <DrawerItem name="Status">
           <span className={cssNames("status", portForward.getStatus().toLowerCase())}>{portForward.getStatus()}</span>
         </DrawerItem>
@@ -96,7 +99,7 @@ export class PortForwardDetails extends React.Component<Props> {
         className="PortForwardDetails"
         usePortal={true}
         open={!!portForward}
-        title="Port Forward"
+        title={`Port Forward: ${portForwardAddress(portForward)}`}
         onClose={hideDetails}
         toolbar={toolbar}
       >
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/+network-port-forwards/port-forward-menu.tsx b/src/renderer/components/+network-port-forwards/port-forward-menu.tsx
index 2f6f8ea569..5b49c3f85c 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/+network-port-forwards/port-forward-menu.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/+network-port-forwards/port-forward-menu.tsx
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ export class PortForwardMenu extends React.Component<Props> {
           <span className="title">Open</span>
         </MenuItem>
         <MenuItem onClick={() => PortForwardDialog.open(portForward)}>
-          <Icon material="edit" tooltip="Change port" interactive={toolbar} />
+          <Icon material="edit" tooltip="Change port or protocol" interactive={toolbar} />
           <span className="title">Edit</span>
         </MenuItem>
       </>
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/+network-port-forwards/port-forwards.tsx b/src/renderer/components/+network-port-forwards/port-forwards.tsx
index 9fdeec4f6a..17b1c40c20 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/+network-port-forwards/port-forwards.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/+network-port-forwards/port-forwards.tsx
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ enum columnId {
   kind = "kind",
   port = "port",
   forwardPort = "forwardPort",
+  protocol = "protocol",
   status = "status",
 }
 
@@ -102,6 +103,7 @@ export class PortForwards extends React.Component<Props> {
             [columnId.kind]: item => item.getKind(),
             [columnId.port]: item => item.getPort(),
             [columnId.forwardPort]: item => item.getForwardPort(),
+            [columnId.protocol]: item => item.getProtocol(),
             [columnId.status]: item => item.getStatus(),
           }}
           searchFilters={[
@@ -114,6 +116,7 @@ export class PortForwards extends React.Component<Props> {
             { title: "Kind", className: "kind", sortBy: columnId.kind, id: columnId.kind },
             { title: "Pod Port", className: "port", sortBy: columnId.port, id: columnId.port },
             { title: "Local Port", className: "forwardPort", sortBy: columnId.forwardPort, id: columnId.forwardPort },
+            { title: "Protocol", className: "protocol", sortBy: columnId.protocol, id: columnId.protocol },
             { title: "Status", className: "status", sortBy: columnId.status, id: columnId.status },
           ]}
           renderTableContents={item => [
@@ -122,6 +125,7 @@ export class PortForwards extends React.Component<Props> {
             item.getKind(),
             item.getPort(),
             item.getForwardPort(),
+            item.getProtocol(),
             { title: item.getStatus(), className: item.getStatus().toLowerCase() },
           ]}
           renderItemMenu={pf => (
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/+network-services/service-port-component.tsx b/src/renderer/components/+network-services/service-port-component.tsx
index ce9f731b21..6a95846e04 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/+network-services/service-port-component.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/+network-services/service-port-component.tsx
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import { observable, makeObservable, reaction } from "mobx";
 import { cssNames } from "../../utils";
 import { Notifications } from "../notifications";
 import { Button } from "../button";
-import { addPortForward, getPortForward, openPortForward, PortForwardDialog, portForwardStore, removePortForward } from "../../port-forward";
+import { addPortForward, getPortForward, openPortForward, PortForwardDialog, portForwardStore, predictProtocol, removePortForward } from "../../port-forward";
 import type { ForwardedPort } from "../../port-forward";
 import { Spinner } from "../spinner";
 
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ export class ServicePortComponent extends React.Component<Props> {
       namespace: service.getNs(),
       port: port.port,
       forwardPort: this.forwardPort,
+      protocol: predictProtocol(port.name),
     };
 
     this.waiting = true;
@@ -143,6 +144,7 @@ export class ServicePortComponent extends React.Component<Props> {
           namespace: service.getNs(),
           port: port.port,
           forwardPort: this.forwardPort,
+          protocol: predictProtocol(port.name),
         };
 
         PortForwardDialog.open(portForward, { openInBrowser: true });
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/+workloads-pods/pod-container-port.tsx b/src/renderer/components/+workloads-pods/pod-container-port.tsx
index 41bb4c9736..19f0c5446b 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/+workloads-pods/pod-container-port.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/+workloads-pods/pod-container-port.tsx
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import { observable, makeObservable, reaction } from "mobx";
 import { cssNames } from "../../utils";
 import { Notifications } from "../notifications";
 import { Button } from "../button";
-import { addPortForward, getPortForward, openPortForward, PortForwardDialog, portForwardStore, removePortForward } from "../../port-forward";
+import { addPortForward, getPortForward, openPortForward, PortForwardDialog, portForwardStore, predictProtocol, removePortForward } from "../../port-forward";
 import type { ForwardedPort } from "../../port-forward";
 import { Spinner } from "../spinner";
 
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ export class PodContainerPort extends React.Component<Props> {
       namespace: pod.getNs(),
       port: port.containerPort,
       forwardPort: this.forwardPort,
+      protocol: predictProtocol(port.name),
     };
 
     this.waiting = true;
@@ -149,6 +150,7 @@ export class PodContainerPort extends React.Component<Props> {
           namespace: pod.getNs(),
           port: port.containerPort,
           forwardPort: this.forwardPort,
+          protocol: predictProtocol(port.name),
         };
 
         PortForwardDialog.open(portForward, { openInBrowser: true });
diff --git a/src/renderer/port-forward/index.ts b/src/renderer/port-forward/index.ts
index 5be9fb5aed..83a548f933 100644
--- a/src/renderer/port-forward/index.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/port-forward/index.ts
@@ -22,3 +22,4 @@
 export * from "./port-forward.store";
 export * from "./port-forward-item";
 export * from "./port-forward-dialog";
+export * from "./port-forward-utils";
diff --git a/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward-dialog.tsx b/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward-dialog.tsx
index 2ce330065e..3c1306fe33 100644
--- a/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward-dialog.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward-dialog.tsx
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ interface PortForwardDialogOpenOptions {
 const dialogState = observable.object({
   isOpen: false,
   data: null as ForwardedPort,
-  openInBrowser: false
+  useHttps: false,
+  openInBrowser: false,
 });
 
 @observer
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ export class PortForwardDialog extends Component<Props> {
   static open(portForward: ForwardedPort, options: PortForwardDialogOpenOptions = { openInBrowser: false }) {
     dialogState.isOpen = true;
     dialogState.data = portForward;
+    dialogState.useHttps = portForward.protocol === "https";
     dialogState.openInBrowser = options.openInBrowser;
   }
 
@@ -96,6 +98,8 @@ export class PortForwardDialog extends Component<Props> {
     try {
       let port: number;
 
+      portForward.protocol = dialogState.useHttps ? "https" : "http";
+
       if (currentPort) {
         port = await modifyPortForward(portForward, desiredPort);
       } else {
@@ -131,6 +135,13 @@ export class PortForwardDialog extends Component<Props> {
               onChange={this.changePort}
             />
           </div>
+          <Checkbox
+            data-testid="port-forward-https"
+            theme="light"
+            label="https"
+            value={dialogState.useHttps}
+            onChange={value => dialogState.useHttps = value}
+          />
           <Checkbox
             data-testid="port-forward-open"
             theme="light"
diff --git a/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward-item.ts b/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward-item.ts
index e1a4f350db..33126fafa5 100644
--- a/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward-item.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward-item.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ export interface ForwardedPort {
   name: string;
   port: number;
   forwardPort: number;
+  protocol?: string;
 }
   
 export class PortForwardItem implements ItemObject {
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ export class PortForwardItem implements ItemObject {
   name: string;
   port: number;
   forwardPort: number;
+  protocol: string;
   
   constructor(pf: ForwardedPort) {
     this.clusterId = pf.clusterId;
@@ -47,6 +49,7 @@ export class PortForwardItem implements ItemObject {
     this.name = pf.name;
     this.port = pf.port;
     this.forwardPort = pf.forwardPort;
+    this.protocol = pf.protocol ?? "http";
 
     autoBind(this);
   }
@@ -79,6 +82,10 @@ export class PortForwardItem implements ItemObject {
     return this.forwardPort;
   }
 
+  getProtocol() {
+    return this.protocol;
+  }
+
   getStatus() {
     return "Active"; // to-do allow port-forward-items to be stopped (without removing them)
   }
diff --git a/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward-utils.ts b/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward-utils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0817c1a98e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward-utils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2021 OpenLens Authors
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of
+ * this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in
+ * the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to
+ * use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of
+ * the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so,
+ * subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
+ * copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS
+ * FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR
+ * COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER
+ * IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN
+ * CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+
+import { openExternal } from "../utils";
+import { Notifications } from "../components/notifications";
+import type { ForwardedPort } from "./port-forward-item";
+import logger from "../../common/logger";
+
+export function portForwardAddress(portForward: ForwardedPort) {
+  return `${portForward.protocol ?? "http"}://localhost:${portForward.forwardPort}`;
+}
+
+export function openPortForward(portForward: ForwardedPort) {
+  const browseTo = portForwardAddress(portForward);
+
+  openExternal(browseTo)
+    .catch(error => {
+      logger.error(`failed to open in browser: ${error}`, {
+        clusterId: portForward.clusterId,
+        port: portForward.port,
+        kind: portForward.kind,
+        namespace: portForward.namespace,
+        name: portForward.name,
+      });
+      Notifications.error(`Failed to open ${browseTo} in browser`);
+    }
+    );
+
+}
+
+export function predictProtocol(name: string) {
+  return name === "https" ? "https" : "http";
+}
+
diff --git a/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward.store.ts b/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward.store.ts
index 1f23765f81..4fc9c81540 100644
--- a/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward.store.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/port-forward/port-forward.store.ts
@@ -22,11 +22,10 @@
 
 import { makeObservable, observable, reaction } from "mobx";
 import { ItemStore } from "../../common/item.store";
-import { autoBind, createStorage, disposer, getHostedClusterId, openExternal } from "../utils";
+import { autoBind, createStorage, disposer, getHostedClusterId } from "../utils";
 import { ForwardedPort, PortForwardItem } from "./port-forward-item";
 import { apiBase } from "../api";
 import { waitUntilFree } from "tcp-port-used";
-import { Notifications } from "../components/notifications";
 import logger from "../../common/logger";
 
 export class PortForwardStore extends ItemStore<PortForwardItem> {
@@ -88,7 +87,7 @@ export class PortForwardStore extends ItemStore<PortForwardItem> {
     if (index === -1) {
       return null;
     }
-    
+
     return this.getItems()[index];
   }
 }
@@ -105,8 +104,10 @@ export async function addPortForward(portForward: ForwardedPort): Promise<number
   let response: PortForwardResult;
 
   try {
-    response = await apiBase.post<PortForwardResult>(`/pods/port-forward/${portForward.namespace}/${portForward.kind}/${portForward.name}?port=${portForward.port}&forwardPort=${portForward.forwardPort}`);
-    
+    const protocol = portForward.protocol ?? "http";
+
+    response = await apiBase.post<PortForwardResult>(`/pods/port-forward/${portForward.namespace}/${portForward.kind}/${portForward.name}?port=${portForward.port}&forwardPort=${portForward.forwardPort}&protocol=${protocol}`);
+
     if (response?.port && response.port != +portForward.forwardPort) {
       logger.warn(`specified ${portForward.forwardPort} got ${response.port}`);
     }
@@ -119,11 +120,19 @@ export async function addPortForward(portForward: ForwardedPort): Promise<number
   return response?.port;
 }
 
+function getProtocolQuery(protocol: string) {
+  if (protocol) {
+    return `&protocol=${protocol}`;
+  }
+
+  return "";
+}
+
 export async function getPortForward(portForward: ForwardedPort): Promise<number> {
   let response: PortForwardResult;
 
   try {
-    response = await apiBase.get<PortForwardResult>(`/pods/port-forward/${portForward.namespace}/${portForward.kind}/${portForward.name}?port=${portForward.port}&forwardPort=${portForward.forwardPort}`);
+    response = await apiBase.get<PortForwardResult>(`/pods/port-forward/${portForward.namespace}/${portForward.kind}/${portForward.name}?port=${portForward.port}&forwardPort=${portForward.forwardPort}${getProtocolQuery(portForward.protocol)}`);
   } catch (error) {
     logger.warn("Error getting port-forward:", error, portForward);
     throw(error);
@@ -168,22 +177,4 @@ export async function getPortForwards(): Promise<ForwardedPort[]> {
   }
 }
 
-export function openPortForward(portForward: ForwardedPort) {
-  const browseTo = `http://localhost:${portForward.forwardPort}`;
-
-  openExternal(browseTo)
-    .catch(error => {
-      logger.error(`failed to open in browser: ${error}`, {
-        clusterId: portForward.clusterId,
-        port: portForward.port,
-        kind: portForward.kind,
-        namespace: portForward.namespace,
-        name: portForward.name,
-      });
-      Notifications.error(`Failed to open ${browseTo} in browser`);
-    }
-    );
-
-}
-
 export const portForwardStore = new PortForwardStore();