diff --git a/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/conn/SchemeRegistryFactory.java b/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/conn/SchemeRegistryFactory.java
index 52ee80468..b4e52ba09 100644
--- a/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/conn/SchemeRegistryFactory.java
+++ b/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/conn/SchemeRegistryFactory.java
@@ -26,6 +26,16 @@
  */
 package org.apache.http.impl.conn;
 
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.FileInputStream;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.security.GeneralSecurityException;
+import java.security.KeyStore;
+
+import javax.net.ssl.KeyManagerFactory;
+import javax.net.ssl.SSLContext;
+import javax.net.ssl.TrustManagerFactory;
+
 import org.apache.http.annotation.ThreadSafe;
 import org.apache.http.conn.scheme.PlainSocketFactory;
 import org.apache.http.conn.scheme.Scheme;
@@ -38,6 +48,10 @@ import org.apache.http.conn.ssl.SSLSocketFactory;
 @ThreadSafe
 public final class SchemeRegistryFactory {
 
+    /**
+     * Initializes default scheme registry based on JSSE defaults. System properties will
+     * not be taken into consideration.
+     */
     public static SchemeRegistry createDefault() {
         SchemeRegistry registry = new SchemeRegistry();
         registry.register(
@@ -47,5 +61,128 @@ public final class SchemeRegistryFactory {
         return registry;
     }
 
+    private final static char[] EMPTY_PASSWORD = "".toCharArray();
+
+    /**
+     * Initializes default scheme registry using system properties as described in
+     * <a href="http://download.oracle.com/javase/1,5.0/docs/guide/security/jsse/JSSERefGuide.html">
+     * "JavaTM Secure Socket Extension (JSSE) Reference Guide for the JavaTM 2 Platform
+     * Standard Edition 5</a>
+     *
+     * @since 4.2
+     */
+    public static SchemeRegistry createSystemDefault() throws IOException, GeneralSecurityException {
+        SchemeRegistry registry = new SchemeRegistry();
+        registry.register(
+                new Scheme("http", 80, PlainSocketFactory.getSocketFactory()));
+
+        TrustManagerFactory tmfactory = null;
+
+        String trustAlgorithm = System.getProperty("ssl.TrustManagerFactory.algorithm");
+        if (trustAlgorithm == null) {
+            trustAlgorithm = TrustManagerFactory.getDefaultAlgorithm();
+        }
+        String trustStoreType = System.getProperty("javax.net.ssl.trustStoreType");
+        if (trustStoreType == null) {
+            trustStoreType = KeyStore.getDefaultType();
+        }
+        if ("none".equalsIgnoreCase(trustStoreType)) {
+            tmfactory = TrustManagerFactory.getInstance(trustAlgorithm);
+        } else {
+            File trustStoreFile = null;
+            String s = System.getProperty("javax.net.ssl.trustStore");
+            if (s != null) {
+                trustStoreFile = new File(s);
+                tmfactory = TrustManagerFactory.getInstance(trustAlgorithm);
+                String trustStoreProvider = System.getProperty("javax.net.ssl.trustStoreProvider");
+                KeyStore trustStore;
+                if (trustStoreProvider != null) {
+                    trustStore = KeyStore.getInstance(trustStoreType, trustStoreProvider);
+                } else {
+                    trustStore = KeyStore.getInstance(trustStoreType);
+                }
+                String trustStorePassword = System.getProperty("javax.net.ssl.trustStorePassword");
+                FileInputStream instream = new FileInputStream(trustStoreFile);
+                try {
+                    trustStore.load(instream, trustStorePassword != null ?
+                            trustStorePassword.toCharArray() : EMPTY_PASSWORD);
+                } finally {
+                    instream.close();
+                }
+                tmfactory.init(trustStore);
+            } else {
+                File javaHome = new File(System.getProperty("java.home"));
+                File file = new File(javaHome, "lib/security/jssecacerts");
+                if (!file.exists()) {
+                    file = new File(javaHome, "lib/security/cacerts");
+                    trustStoreFile = file;
+                } else {
+                    trustStoreFile = file;
+                }
+                tmfactory = TrustManagerFactory.getInstance(TrustManagerFactory.getDefaultAlgorithm());
+                KeyStore trustStore = KeyStore.getInstance(KeyStore.getDefaultType());
+                String trustStorePassword = System.getProperty("javax.net.ssl.trustStorePassword");
+                if (trustStorePassword == null) {
+                    trustStorePassword = "changeit";
+                }
+                FileInputStream instream = new FileInputStream(trustStoreFile);
+                try {
+                    trustStore.load(instream, trustStorePassword.toCharArray());
+                } finally {
+                    instream.close();
+                }
+                tmfactory.init(trustStore);
+            }
+        }
+
+        KeyManagerFactory kmfactory = null;
+        String keyAlgorithm = System.getProperty("ssl.KeyManagerFactory.algorithm");
+        if (keyAlgorithm == null) {
+            keyAlgorithm = KeyManagerFactory.getDefaultAlgorithm();
+        }
+        String keyStoreType = System.getProperty("javax.net.ssl.keyStoreType");
+        if (keyStoreType == null) {
+            keyStoreType = KeyStore.getDefaultType();
+        }
+        if ("none".equalsIgnoreCase(keyStoreType)) {
+            kmfactory = KeyManagerFactory.getInstance(keyAlgorithm);
+        } else {
+            File keyStoreFile = null;
+            String s = System.getProperty("javax.net.ssl.keyStore");
+            if (s != null) {
+                keyStoreFile = new File(s);
+            }
+            if (keyStoreFile != null) {
+                kmfactory = KeyManagerFactory.getInstance(keyAlgorithm);
+                String keyStoreProvider = System.getProperty("javax.net.ssl.keyStoreProvider");
+                KeyStore keyStore;
+                if (keyStoreProvider != null) {
+                    keyStore = KeyStore.getInstance(keyStoreType, keyStoreProvider);
+                } else {
+                    keyStore = KeyStore.getInstance(keyStoreType);
+                }
+                String keyStorePassword = System.getProperty("javax.net.ssl.keyStorePassword");
+                FileInputStream instream = new FileInputStream(keyStoreFile);
+                try {
+                    keyStore.load(instream, keyStorePassword != null ?
+                            keyStorePassword.toCharArray() : EMPTY_PASSWORD);
+                } finally {
+                    instream.close();
+                }
+                kmfactory.init(keyStore, keyStorePassword != null ?
+                        keyStorePassword.toCharArray() : EMPTY_PASSWORD);
+            }
+        }
+
+        SSLContext sslcontext = SSLContext.getInstance("TLS");
+        sslcontext.init(
+                kmfactory != null ? kmfactory.getKeyManagers() : null,
+                tmfactory != null ? tmfactory.getTrustManagers() : null,
+                null);
+
+        registry.register(
+                new Scheme("https", 443, new SSLSocketFactory(sslcontext)));
+        return registry;
+    }
 }