diff --git a/dish_grpc_influx2.py b/dish_grpc_influx2.py
index 5c8c5e9..efd482f 100644
--- a/dish_grpc_influx2.py
+++ b/dish_grpc_influx2.py
@@ -71,19 +71,14 @@ def parse_args():
                        help="Skip querying for prior sample write point in bulk mode")
     group.add_argument("-C",
                        "--ca-cert",
-                       dest="verify_ssl",
-                       help="Enable SSL/TLS using specified CA cert to verify broker",
+                       dest="ssl_ca_cert",
+                       help="Use specified CA cert to verify HTTPS server",
                        metavar="FILENAME")
     group.add_argument("-I",
                        "--insecure",
                        action="store_false",
                        dest="verify_ssl",
-                       help="Enable SSL/TLS but disable certificate verification (INSECURE!)")
-    group.add_argument("-S",
-                       "--secure",
-                       action="store_true",
-                       dest="verify_ssl",
-                       help="Enable SSL/TLS using default CA cert")
+                       help="Disable certificate verification of HTTPS server (INSECURE!)")
 
     env_map = (
         ("INFLUXDB_URL", "url"),
@@ -97,10 +92,13 @@ def parse_args():
         # check both set and not empty string
         val = os.environ.get(var)
         if val:
-            if var == "INFLUXDB_SSL" and val == "secure":
-                env_defaults[opt] = True
-            elif var == "INFLUXDB_SSL" and val == "insecure":
-                env_defaults[opt] = False
+            if var == "INFLUXDB_SSL":
+                if val == "insecure":
+                    env_defaults[opt] = False
+                elif val == "secure":
+                    env_defaults[opt] = True
+                else:
+                    env_defaults["ssl_ca_cert"] = val
             else:
                 env_defaults[opt] = val
     parser.set_defaults(**env_defaults)
@@ -108,13 +106,13 @@ def parse_args():
     opts = dish_common.run_arg_parser(parser, need_id=True)
 
     opts.icargs = {}
-    for key in ["url", "token", "bucket", "org", "verify_ssl"]:
+    for key in ["url", "token", "bucket", "org", "verify_ssl", "ssl_ca_cert"]:
         val = getattr(opts, key)
         if val is not None:
             opts.icargs[key] = val
 
-    if opts.verify_ssl is not None:
-        opts.icargs["ssl"] = True
+    if (not opts.verify_ssl or opts.ssl_ca_cert is not None) and not opts.url.lower().startswith("https:"):
+        parser.error("SSL options only apply to HTTPS URLs")
 
     return opts
 
@@ -155,27 +153,21 @@ def flush_points(opts, gstate):
 
 
 def query_counter(opts, gstate, start, end):
-    try:
-        query_api = gstate.influx_client.query_api()
-        print(str(opts.bucket) + '  ' + str(start) + "  " + str(end))
-        result = query_api.query('''
-        from(bucket: "{0}")
-            |> range(start: {1}, stop: {2})
-            |> filter(fn: (r) => r["_measurement"] == "{3}")
-            |> filter(fn: (r) => r["_field"] == "counter")
-            |> last()
-            |> yield(name: "last")
-            '''.format(opts.bucket, str(start), str(end), BULK_MEASUREMENT)
-        )
-        if result:
-            counter = result[0].records[0]['_value']
-            timestamp = result[0].records[0]['_time']
-            timestamp = time.mktime(timestamp.timetuple())
-            if counter and timestamp:
-                return int(counter), int(timestamp)
-    except TypeError as e:
-        logging.error(
-            "Skipping resumption from prior counter value. Reported error was: %s", str(e))
+    query_api = gstate.influx_client.query_api()
+    result = query_api.query('''
+    from(bucket: "{0}")
+        |> range(start: {1}, stop: {2})
+        |> filter(fn: (r) => r["_measurement"] == "{3}")
+        |> filter(fn: (r) => r["_field"] == "counter")
+        |> last()
+        |> yield(name: "last")
+        '''.format(opts.bucket, str(start), str(end), BULK_MEASUREMENT)
+    )
+    if result:
+        counter = result[0].records[0]['_value']
+        timestamp = result[0].records[0]['_time'].timestamp()
+        if counter and timestamp:
+            return int(counter), int(timestamp)
 
     return None, 0
 
@@ -250,8 +242,6 @@ def loop_body(opts, gstate, shutdown=False):
             points[-1]["fields"]["counter"] = counter + count
 
     now = time.time()
-    # work with UTC here
-    # now = time.mktime(datetime.utcnow().timetuple())
     rc = dish_common.get_data(opts,
                               gstate,
                               cb_add_item,
@@ -304,10 +294,7 @@ def main():
         warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", message="Unverified HTTPS request")
 
     signal.signal(signal.SIGTERM, handle_sigterm)
-    try:
-        gstate.influx_client = InfluxDBClient(**opts.icargs)
-    except TypeError as _err:
-        print('Error while creating influx client: ' + str(_err))
+    gstate.influx_client = InfluxDBClient(**opts.icargs)
 
     rc = 0
     try: