diff --git a/source/authentication/udaClientSSL.cpp b/source/authentication/udaClientSSL.cpp
index 880d33b5..7bbf1de5 100755
--- a/source/authentication/udaClientSSL.cpp
+++ b/source/authentication/udaClientSSL.cpp
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ void putUdaClientSSLSocket(int s)
     g_sslSocket = s;
 }
 
-void initUdaClientSSL()
+static void init_ssl_library()
 {
     if (g_sslInit) {
         return;    // Already initialised
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ int configureUdaClientSSLContext(const HostData* host)
     return 0;
 }
 
-int startUdaClientSSL()
+int initUdaClientSSL()
 {
     // Has SSL/TLS authentication already been passed?
     if (g_sslOK) {
@@ -356,16 +356,21 @@ int startUdaClientSSL()
 
     // Initialise
 
-    initUdaClientSSL();
+    init_ssl_library();
 
     if (!(g_ctx = createUdaClientSSLContext())) {
         UDA_THROW_ERROR(999, "Unable to create the SSL context!");
     }
 
-    if (g_host == nullptr || configureUdaClientSSLContext(g_host) != 0) {
+    if (configureUdaClientSSLContext(g_host) != 0) {
         UDA_THROW_ERROR(999, "Unable to configure the SSL context!");
     }
 
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int startUdaClientSSL()
+{
     // Bind an SSL object with the socket
 
     g_ssl = SSL_new(g_ctx);
diff --git a/source/authentication/udaClientSSL.h b/source/authentication/udaClientSSL.h
index cc582ab4..52a88d6f 100755
--- a/source/authentication/udaClientSSL.h
+++ b/source/authentication/udaClientSSL.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ SSL *getUdaClientSSL();
 void putUdaClientSSLSocket(int s);
 void closeUdaClientSSL();
 void putUdaClientSSLProtocol(int specified);
+int initUdaClientSSL();
 int startUdaClientSSL();
 int readUdaClientSSL(void* iohandle, char* buf, int count);
 int writeUdaClientSSL(void* iohandle, char* buf, int count);
diff --git a/source/bin/uda_cli.cpp b/source/bin/uda_cli.cpp
index 6705df3b..527dc621 100644
--- a/source/bin/uda_cli.cpp
+++ b/source/bin/uda_cli.cpp
@@ -374,24 +374,40 @@ void print_data(const uda::Data* data, int uda_type)
     }
 }
 
+void conflicting_options(const boost::program_options::variables_map & vm,
+                         const std::string & opt1, const std::string & opt2)
+{
+    if (vm.count(opt1) && !vm[opt1].defaulted() && vm.count(opt2) && !vm[opt2].defaulted())
+    {
+        throw po::error(std::string("conflicting options '") +  opt1 + "' and '" + opt2 + "'");
+    }
+}
+
 int main(int argc, const char** argv)
 {
     po::options_description desc("Allowed options");
     desc.add_options()
-            ("help", "produce help message")
+            ("help", po::bool_switch(), "produce help message")
             ("host,h", po::value<std::string>()->default_value("localhost"), "server host name")
             ("port,p", po::value<int>()->default_value(56565), "server port")
-            ("request", po::value<std::string>()->required(), "request");
+            ("request", po::value<std::string>(), "request")
+            ("source", po::value<std::string>()->default_value(""), "source")
+            ("ping", po::bool_switch(), "ping the server");
 
     po::positional_options_description p;
     p.add("request", 1);
 
     po::variables_map vm;
-    po::store(po::command_line_parser(argc, argv).options(desc).positional(p).run(), vm);
     try {
+        po::store(po::command_line_parser(argc, argv).options(desc).positional(p).run(), vm);
         po::notify(vm);
+
+        conflicting_options(vm, "ping", "request");
+        if (!vm["ping"].as<bool>() && vm.count("request") == 0) {
+            throw po::error("either 'ping' or 'request' must be provided");
+        }
     } catch (po::error& err) {
-        if (vm.count("help")) {
+        if (vm["help"].as<bool>()) {
             std::cout << "Usage: " << argv[0] << " [options] request\n";
             std::cout << desc << "\n";
             return 1;
@@ -403,7 +419,7 @@ int main(int argc, const char** argv)
         }
     };
 
-    if (vm.count("help")) {
+    if (vm["help"].as<bool>()) {
         std::cout << "Usage: " << argv[0] << " [options] request\n";
         std::cout << desc << "\n";
         return 1;
@@ -417,7 +433,12 @@ int main(int argc, const char** argv)
         uda::Client::setServerPort(static_cast<int>(vm["port"].as<int>()));
     }
 
-    std::string request = vm["request"].as<std::string>();
+    std::string request;
+    if (vm["ping"].as<bool>()) {
+        request = "HELP::ping()";
+    } else {
+        request = vm["request"].as<std::string>();
+    }
 
     if (request == "-") {
         std::stringstream ss;
@@ -429,9 +450,11 @@ int main(int argc, const char** argv)
     }
     std::cout << "request: " << request << "\n";
 
+    std::string source = vm["source"].as<std::string>();
+
     uda::Client client;
     try {
-        auto& res = client.get(request, "");
+        auto& res = client.get(request, source);
 
         if (res.isTree()) {
             print_tree(res.tree(), "");
@@ -445,6 +468,8 @@ int main(int argc, const char** argv)
             print_data(res.data(), res.uda_type());
         }
 
+        client.close();
+
     } catch (uda::UDAException& err) {
         std::cerr << "UDA error: " << err.what() << "\n";
         return -1;
diff --git a/source/client/udaClient.cpp b/source/client/udaClient.cpp
index 4ce8d76a..370ce708 100755
--- a/source/client/udaClient.cpp
+++ b/source/client/udaClient.cpp
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ USERDEFINEDTYPELIST* g_user_defined_type_list = nullptr;            // List of a
 LOGMALLOCLIST* g_log_malloc_list = nullptr;                         // List of all Heap Allocations for Data
 unsigned int g_last_malloc_index = 0;                               // Malloc Log search index last value
 unsigned int* g_last_malloc_index_value = &g_last_malloc_index;;    // Preserve Malloc Log search index last value in GENERAL_STRUCT
-XDR* g_client_input = nullptr;
-XDR* g_client_output = nullptr;
+XDR** g_client_input = nullptr;
+XDR** g_client_output = nullptr;
 LOGSTRUCTLIST* g_log_struct_list = nullptr;
 #endif // FATCLIENT
 
@@ -366,8 +366,8 @@ int idamClient(REQUEST_BLOCK* request_block, int* indices)
     static int malloc_source = UDA_MALLOC_SOURCE_NONE;
 
 #ifndef FATCLIENT
-    g_client_input = client_input; // needed for udaFreeAll
-    g_client_output = client_output; // needed for udaFreeAll
+    g_client_input = &client_input; // needed for udaFreeAll
+    g_client_output = &client_output; // needed for udaFreeAll
 #endif
 
     LOGSTRUCTLIST log_struct_list;
@@ -517,6 +517,16 @@ int idamClient(REQUEST_BLOCK* request_block, int* indices)
 #  endif
 			time(&tv_server_start);        // Start the Clock again: Age of Server
 
+            //-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+            // Connect to the server with SSL (X509) authentication
+
+#  if defined(SSLAUTHENTICATION) && !defined(FATCLIENT)
+            // Create the SSL binding and context, and verify the server certificate
+            if ((err = initUdaClientSSL()) != 0) {
+                break;
+            }
+#  endif
+
             //-------------------------------------------------------------------------
             // Create the XDR Record Streams
             std::tie(client_input, client_output) = clientCreateXDRStream();
@@ -1444,9 +1454,9 @@ void udaFreeAll()
         client_block.timeout = 0;                             // Surrogate CLOSEDOWN instruction
         client_block.clientFlags = client_block.clientFlags | CLIENTFLAG_CLOSEDOWN;   // Direct CLOSEDOWN instruction
         protocol_id = UDA_PROTOCOL_CLIENT_BLOCK;
-        protocol2(g_client_output, protocol_id, XDR_SEND, nullptr, g_log_malloc_list, g_user_defined_type_list, &client_block,
+        protocol2(*g_client_output, protocol_id, XDR_SEND, nullptr, g_log_malloc_list, g_user_defined_type_list, &client_block,
                   protocol_version, g_log_struct_list, *udaPrivateFlags(), UDA_MALLOC_SOURCE_NONE);
-        xdrrec_endofrecord(g_client_output, 1);
+        xdrrec_endofrecord(*g_client_output, 1);
     }
 
 #endif // <========================== End of Client Server Code Only
@@ -1455,7 +1465,7 @@ void udaFreeAll()
 
 #ifndef FATCLIENT
     // Close the Socket, XDR Streams and All Files
-    closedown(ClosedownType::CLOSE_ALL, nullptr, g_client_input, g_client_output, &reopen_logs);
+    closedown(ClosedownType::CLOSE_ALL, nullptr, *g_client_input, *g_client_output, &reopen_logs);
 #else
     closedown(ClosedownType::CLOSE_ALL, nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, &reopen_logs);
 #endif
diff --git a/source/wrappers/c++/client.cpp b/source/wrappers/c++/client.cpp
index a21ea557..95fba912 100755
--- a/source/wrappers/c++/client.cpp
+++ b/source/wrappers/c++/client.cpp
@@ -86,6 +86,11 @@ void uda::Client::setProperty(Property prop, int value)
     }
 }
 
+void uda::Client::close()
+{
+    udaFreeAll();
+}
+
 int uda::Client::property(Property prop)
 {
     auto client_flags = udaClientFlags();
diff --git a/source/wrappers/c++/client.hpp b/source/wrappers/c++/client.hpp
index dad4fff3..9a036d8c 100755
--- a/source/wrappers/c++/client.hpp
+++ b/source/wrappers/c++/client.hpp
@@ -181,6 +181,8 @@ class LIBRARY_API Client {
 
     void put(const std::string& instruction, const uda::Array& data);
 
+    void close();
+
 private:
     friend class ResultList;