diff --git a/asset-transfer-basic/chaincode-external/assetTransfer.go b/asset-transfer-basic/chaincode-external/assetTransfer.go
index d66e0735..d9d75179 100644
--- a/asset-transfer-basic/chaincode-external/assetTransfer.go
+++ b/asset-transfer-basic/chaincode-external/assetTransfer.go
@@ -7,8 +7,10 @@ package main
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"log"
 	"os"
+	"strconv"
 
 	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric-chaincode-go/shim"
 	"github.com/hyperledger/fabric-contract-api-go/contractapi"
@@ -224,12 +226,58 @@ func main() {
 		CCID:    config.CCID,
 		Address: config.Address,
 		CC:      chaincode,
-		TLSProps: shim.TLSProperties{
-			Disabled: true,
-		},
+		TLSProps: getTLSProperties(),
 	}
 
 	if err := server.Start(); err != nil {
 		log.Panicf("error starting asset-transfer-basic chaincode: %s", err)
 	}
 }
+
+func getTLSProperties() shim.TLSProperties {
+	// Check if chaincode is TLS enabled
+	tlsDisabledStr := getEnvOrDefault("CHAINCODE_TLS_DISABLED", "true")
+	key := getEnvOrDefault("CHAINCODE_TLS_KEY", "")
+	cert := getEnvOrDefault("CHAINCODE_TLS_CERT", "")
+	clientCACert := getEnvOrDefault("CHAINCODE_CLIENT_CA_CERT", "")
+
+	// convert tlsDisabledStr to boolean
+	tlsDisabled := getBoolOrDefault(tlsDisabledStr, false)
+
+	keyBytes, err := ioutil.ReadFile(key)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Panicf("error while reading the crypto file: %s", err)
+	}
+	certBytes, err := ioutil.ReadFile(cert)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Panicf("error while reading the crypto file: %s", err)
+	}
+	clientCACertBytes, err := ioutil.ReadFile(clientCACert)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Panicf("error while reading the crypto file: %s", err)
+	}
+	return shim.TLSProperties{
+		Disabled: tlsDisabled,
+		Key: keyBytes,
+		Cert: certBytes,
+		ClientCACerts: clientCACertBytes,
+	}
+}
+
+func getEnvOrDefault(env, defaultVal string) string {
+	value, ok := os.LookupEnv(env)
+	if !ok {
+		value = defaultVal
+	}
+	return value
+}
+
+// Note that the method returns default value if the string
+// cannot be parsed!
+func getBoolOrDefault(value string, defaultVal bool) bool {
+	parsed, err := strconv.ParseBool(value)
+	if err!= nil {
+		return defaultVal
+	}
+	return parsed
+}