diff --git a/core/http.go b/core/http.go
index fdc94776b..57b4b8f25 100644
--- a/core/http.go
+++ b/core/http.go
@@ -74,9 +74,11 @@ func GetHttpClient(hf *Hoverfly, host string) (*http.Client, error) {
 				return nil, errors.New("Unable to load client certs file\n\n" + err.Error())
 			}
 
-			caCertPool := x509.NewCertPool()
-
-			var tlsConfig *tls.Config
+			// Without a CA cert, RootCAs is left nil so the system roots are used
+			tlsConfig := &tls.Config{
+				Certificates:       []tls.Certificate{cert},
+				InsecureSkipVerify: !hf.Cfg.TLSVerification,
+			}
 
 			if hf.Cfg.ClientAuthenticationCACert != "" {
 				// Load CA cert
@@ -86,22 +88,11 @@ func GetHttpClient(hf *Hoverfly, host string) (*http.Client, error) {
 					return nil, errors.New("Unable to load ca certs file\n\n" + err.Error())
 				}
 
+				caCertPool := x509.NewCertPool()
 				caCertPool.AppendCertsFromPEM(caCert)
-
-				tlsConfig = &tls.Config{
-					Certificates: []tls.Certificate{cert},
-					RootCAs:      caCertPool,
-				}
-			} else {
-				tlsConfig = &tls.Config{
-					Certificates:       []tls.Certificate{cert},
-					RootCAs:            caCertPool,
-					InsecureSkipVerify: true,
-				}
+				tlsConfig.RootCAs = caCertPool
 			}
 
-			tlsConfig.BuildNameToCertificate()
-
 			transport := &http.Transport{TLSClientConfig: tlsConfig}
 			client := &http.Client{Transport: transport}
 
diff --git a/core/http_test.go b/core/http_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..210f7c33c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/http_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+package hoverfly
+
+import (
+	"crypto/tls"
+	"encoding/pem"
+	"io"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
+)
+
+const (
+	testClientCert = "../functional-tests/core/testdata/cert.pem"
+	testClientKey  = "../functional-tests/core/testdata/key.pem"
+)
+
+func Test_GetHttpClient_ClientAuth_VerifiesServerCertWithoutCACert(t *testing.T) {
+	RegisterTestingT(t)
+
+	server := newClientAuthTLSServer()
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	unit := newClientAuthHoverfly(true, "")
+
+	_, err := getWithClientAuth(unit, server)
+
+	Expect(err).NotTo(BeNil())
+	Expect(err.Error()).To(ContainSubstring("x509"))
+}
+
+func Test_GetHttpClient_ClientAuth_TrustsServerSignedByCACert(t *testing.T) {
+	RegisterTestingT(t)
+
+	server := newClientAuthTLSServer()
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	unit := newClientAuthHoverfly(true, writeServerCert(t, server))
+
+	body, err := getWithClientAuth(unit, server)
+
+	Expect(err).To(BeNil())
+	Expect(body).To(Equal("client cert received"))
+}
+
+func Test_GetHttpClient_ClientAuth_RejectsServerNotSignedByCACert(t *testing.T) {
+	RegisterTestingT(t)
+
+	server := newClientAuthTLSServer()
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	unit := newClientAuthHoverfly(true, testClientCert)
+
+	_, err := getWithClientAuth(unit, server)
+
+	Expect(err).NotTo(BeNil())
+	Expect(err.Error()).To(ContainSubstring("x509"))
+}
+
+func Test_GetHttpClient_ClientAuth_SkipsVerificationWhenTLSVerificationDisabled(t *testing.T) {
+	RegisterTestingT(t)
+
+	server := newClientAuthTLSServer()
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	for _, caCert := range []string{"", testClientCert} {
+		unit := newClientAuthHoverfly(false, caCert)
+
+		body, err := getWithClientAuth(unit, server)
+
+		Expect(err).To(BeNil())
+		Expect(body).To(Equal("client cert received"))
+	}
+}
+
+func Test_GetHttpClient_ReturnsDefaultClientWhenDestinationDoesNotMatch(t *testing.T) {
+	RegisterTestingT(t)
+
+	unit := newClientAuthHoverfly(true, "")
+	unit.Cfg.ClientAuthenticationDestination = "other.com"
+
+	client, err := GetHttpClient(unit, "test.com")
+
+	Expect(err).To(BeNil())
+	Expect(client).To(BeIdenticalTo(unit.HTTP))
+}
+
+func newClientAuthTLSServer() *httptest.Server {
+	server := httptest.NewUnstartedServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if len(r.TLS.PeerCertificates) == 0 {
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusUnauthorized)
+			return
+		}
+		_, _ = w.Write([]byte("client cert received"))
+	}))
+	server.TLS = &tls.Config{ClientAuth: tls.RequireAnyClientCert}
+	server.StartTLS()
+	return server
+}
+
+func newClientAuthHoverfly(tlsVerification bool, caCert string) *Hoverfly {
+	return NewHoverflyWithConfiguration(&Configuration{
+		TLSVerification:                 tlsVerification,
+		ClientAuthenticationDestination: ".*",
+		ClientAuthenticationClientCert:  testClientCert,
+		ClientAuthenticationClientKey:   testClientKey,
+		ClientAuthenticationCACert:      caCert,
+	})
+}
+
+func getWithClientAuth(hf *Hoverfly, server *httptest.Server) (string, error) {
+	client, err := GetHttpClient(hf, server.Listener.Addr().String())
+	Expect(err).To(BeNil())
+
+	resp, err := client.Get(server.URL)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+
+	body, err := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+	return string(body), err
+}
+
+func writeServerCert(t *testing.T, server *httptest.Server) string {
+	certPath := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "ca.pem")
+	certPEM := pem.EncodeToMemory(&pem.Block{Type: "CERTIFICATE", Bytes: server.Certificate().Raw})
+	Expect(os.WriteFile(certPath, certPEM, 0600)).To(Succeed())
+	return certPath
+}
diff --git a/docs/pages/tutorials/advanced/configuressl/configuressl.rst b/docs/pages/tutorials/advanced/configuressl/configuressl.rst
index fca755b7a..166685645 100644
--- a/docs/pages/tutorials/advanced/configuressl/configuressl.rst
+++ b/docs/pages/tutorials/advanced/configuressl/configuressl.rst
@@ -47,4 +47,4 @@ Two-way SSL authentication is only enabled for request hosts that match the valu
     hoverctl start --client-authentication-client-cert cert.pem --client-authentication-client-key key.pem --client-authentication-destination <host name of the remote server>
 
 
-If you need to provide a CA cert, you can do so using the ``--client-authentication-ca-cert`` flag.
\ No newline at end of file
+If the remote server's certificate is signed by a private CA, you can provide the CA cert using the ``--client-authentication-ca-cert`` flag. Otherwise Hoverfly verifies the remote server against the system's trusted root CAs. As with other upstream requests, verification can be turned off with ``--disable-tls`` (or ``-tls-verification=false`` when running hoverfly directly).
\ No newline at end of file