--- a/src/http/modules/ngx_http_grpc_module.c
+++ b/src/http/modules/ngx_http_grpc_module.c
@@ -209,6 +209,8 @@ static char *ngx_http_grpc_ssl_password_
     ngx_command_t *cmd, void *conf);
 static char *ngx_http_grpc_ssl_conf_command_check(ngx_conf_t *cf, void *post,
     void *data);
+static ngx_int_t ngx_http_grpc_merge_ssl(ngx_conf_t *cf,
+    ngx_http_grpc_loc_conf_t *conf, ngx_http_grpc_loc_conf_t *prev);
 static ngx_int_t ngx_http_grpc_set_ssl(ngx_conf_t *cf,
     ngx_http_grpc_loc_conf_t *glcf);
 #endif
@@ -562,7 +564,7 @@ ngx_http_grpc_handler(ngx_http_request_t
         ctx->host = glcf->host;
 
 #if (NGX_HTTP_SSL)
-        u->ssl = (glcf->upstream.ssl != NULL);
+        u->ssl = glcf->ssl;
 
         if (u->ssl) {
             ngx_str_set(&u->schema, "grpcs://");
@@ -4463,6 +4465,10 @@ ngx_http_grpc_merge_loc_conf(ngx_conf_t 
 
 #if (NGX_HTTP_SSL)
 
+    if (ngx_http_grpc_merge_ssl(cf, conf, prev) != NGX_OK) {
+        return NGX_CONF_ERROR;
+    }
+
     ngx_conf_merge_value(conf->upstream.ssl_session_reuse,
                               prev->upstream.ssl_session_reuse, 1);
 
@@ -4524,7 +4530,7 @@ ngx_http_grpc_merge_loc_conf(ngx_conf_t 
         conf->grpc_values = prev->grpc_values;
 
 #if (NGX_HTTP_SSL)
-        conf->upstream.ssl = prev->upstream.ssl;
+        conf->ssl = prev->ssl;
 #endif
     }
 
@@ -4874,17 +4880,63 @@ ngx_http_grpc_ssl_conf_command_check(ngx
 
 
 static ngx_int_t
+ngx_http_grpc_merge_ssl(ngx_conf_t *cf, ngx_http_grpc_loc_conf_t *conf,
+    ngx_http_grpc_loc_conf_t *prev)
+{
+    ngx_uint_t  preserve;
+
+    if (conf->ssl_protocols == 0
+        && conf->ssl_ciphers.data == NULL
+        && conf->upstream.ssl_certificate == NGX_CONF_UNSET_PTR
+        && conf->upstream.ssl_certificate_key == NGX_CONF_UNSET_PTR
+        && conf->upstream.ssl_passwords == NGX_CONF_UNSET_PTR
+        && conf->upstream.ssl_verify == NGX_CONF_UNSET
+        && conf->ssl_verify_depth == NGX_CONF_UNSET_UINT
+        && conf->ssl_trusted_certificate.data == NULL
+        && conf->ssl_crl.data == NULL
+        && conf->upstream.ssl_session_reuse == NGX_CONF_UNSET
+        && conf->ssl_conf_commands == NGX_CONF_UNSET_PTR)
+    {
+        if (prev->upstream.ssl) {
+            conf->upstream.ssl = prev->upstream.ssl;
+            return NGX_OK;
+        }
+
+        preserve = 1;
+
+    } else {
+        preserve = 0;
+    }
+
+    conf->upstream.ssl = ngx_pcalloc(cf->pool, sizeof(ngx_ssl_t));
+    if (conf->upstream.ssl == NULL) {
+        return NGX_ERROR;
+    }
+
+    conf->upstream.ssl->log = cf->log;
+
+    /*
+     * special handling to preserve conf->upstream.ssl
+     * in the "http" section to inherit it to all servers
+     */
+
+    if (preserve) {
+        prev->upstream.ssl = conf->upstream.ssl;
+    }
+
+    return NGX_OK;
+}
+
+
+static ngx_int_t
 ngx_http_grpc_set_ssl(ngx_conf_t *cf, ngx_http_grpc_loc_conf_t *glcf)
 {
     ngx_pool_cleanup_t  *cln;
 
-    glcf->upstream.ssl = ngx_pcalloc(cf->pool, sizeof(ngx_ssl_t));
-    if (glcf->upstream.ssl == NULL) {
-        return NGX_ERROR;
+    if (glcf->upstream.ssl->ctx) {
+        return NGX_OK;
     }
 
-    glcf->upstream.ssl->log = cf->log;
-
     if (ngx_ssl_create(glcf->upstream.ssl, glcf->ssl_protocols, NULL)
         != NGX_OK)
     {