diff --git a/optional/fetchmail/fetchmail.py b/optional/fetchmail/fetchmail.py
index fa5820a0..e23dff3b 100755
--- a/optional/fetchmail/fetchmail.py
+++ b/optional/fetchmail/fetchmail.py
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ def run(debug):
             fetchmailrc = ""
             options = "options antispam 501, 504, 550, 553, 554"
             if "FETCHMAIL_OPTIONS" in os.environ: options += f' {os.environ["FETCHMAIL_OPTIONS"]}'
-            options += " ssl" if fetch["tls"] else ""
+            options += " ssl" if fetch["tls"] else " sslproto \'\'"
             options += " keep" if fetch["keep"] else " fetchall"
             options += " invisible" if fetch["invisible"] else ""
             folders = f"folders {",".join(f'"{imaputf7encode(item).replace('"',r"\34")}"' for item in fetch["folders"]) or '"INBOX"'}"