diff --git a/examples/client/client.c b/examples/client/client.c
index fc8e1276c..5ca2b7fba 100644
--- a/examples/client/client.c
+++ b/examples/client/client.c
@@ -328,6 +328,99 @@ int ClientBenchmarkThroughput(WOLFSSL_CTX* ctx, char* host, word16 port,
     return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 }
 
+const char* starttlsCmd[6] = {
+    "220",
+    "EHLO mail.example.com\r\n",
+    "250",
+    "STARTTLS\r\n",
+    "220",
+    "QUIT\r\n",
+};
+
+int StartTLS_Init(SOCKET_T* sockfd)
+{
+    char tmpBuf[256];
+
+    if (sockfd == NULL)
+        return BAD_FUNC_ARG;
+
+    /* S: 220 <host> SMTP service ready */
+    if (read(*sockfd, tmpBuf, sizeof(tmpBuf)) < 0)
+        err_sys("failed to read STARTTLS command\n");
+
+    if (!XSTRNCMP(tmpBuf, starttlsCmd[0], XSTRLEN(starttlsCmd[0]))) {
+        printf("%s\n", tmpBuf);
+        XMEMSET(tmpBuf, 0, sizeof(tmpBuf));
+    } else {
+        err_sys("incorrect STARTTLS command received");
+    }
+
+    /* C: EHLO mail.example.com */
+    if (write(*sockfd, starttlsCmd[1], XSTRLEN(starttlsCmd[1])) !=
+              (int)XSTRLEN(starttlsCmd[1]))
+        err_sys("failed to send STARTTLS EHLO command\n");
+
+    /* S: 250 <host> offers a warm hug of welcome */
+    if (read(*sockfd, tmpBuf, sizeof(tmpBuf)) < 0)
+        err_sys("failed to read STARTTLS command\n");
+
+    if (!XSTRNCMP(tmpBuf, starttlsCmd[2], XSTRLEN(starttlsCmd[2]))) {
+        printf("%s\n", tmpBuf);
+        XMEMSET(tmpBuf, 0, sizeof(tmpBuf));
+    } else {
+        err_sys("incorrect STARTTLS command received");
+    }
+
+    /* C: STARTTLS */
+    if (write(*sockfd, starttlsCmd[3], XSTRLEN(starttlsCmd[3])) !=
+              (int)XSTRLEN(starttlsCmd[3])) {
+        err_sys("failed to send STARTTLS command\n");
+    }
+
+    /* S: 220 Go ahead */
+    if (read(*sockfd, tmpBuf, sizeof(tmpBuf)) < 0)
+        err_sys("failed to read STARTTLS command\n");
+
+    if (!XSTRNCMP(tmpBuf, starttlsCmd[4], XSTRLEN(starttlsCmd[4]))) {
+        printf("%s\n", tmpBuf);
+        XMEMSET(tmpBuf, 0, sizeof(tmpBuf));
+    } else {
+        err_sys("incorrect STARTTLS command received, expected 220");
+    }
+
+    return SSL_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+int SMTP_Shutdown(WOLFSSL* ssl, int wc_shutdown)
+{
+    int ret;
+    char tmpBuf[256];
+
+    if (ssl == NULL)
+        return BAD_FUNC_ARG;
+
+    printf("\nwolfSSL client shutting down SMTP connection\n");
+
+    XMEMSET(tmpBuf, 0, sizeof(tmpBuf));
+
+    /* C: QUIT */
+    if (wolfSSL_write(ssl, starttlsCmd[5], (int)XSTRLEN(starttlsCmd[5])) !=
+                      (int)XSTRLEN(starttlsCmd[5]))
+        err_sys("failed to send SMTP QUIT command\n");
+
+    /* S: 221 2.0.0 Service closing transmission channel */
+    if (wolfSSL_read(ssl, tmpBuf, sizeof(tmpBuf)) < 0)
+        err_sys("failed to read SMTP closing down response\n");
+
+    printf("%s\n", tmpBuf);
+
+    ret = wolfSSL_shutdown(ssl);
+    if (wc_shutdown && ret == SSL_SHUTDOWN_NOT_DONE)
+        wolfSSL_shutdown(ssl);    /* bidirectional shutdown */
+
+    return SSL_SUCCESS;
+}
+
 
 static void Usage(void)
 {
@@ -364,6 +457,7 @@ static void Usage(void)
     printf("-N          Use Non-blocking sockets\n");
     printf("-r          Resume session\n");
     printf("-w          Wait for bidirectional shutdown\n");
+    printf("-M <prot>   Use STARTTLS, using <prot> protocol (smtp)\n");
 #ifdef HAVE_SECURE_RENEGOTIATION
     printf("-R          Allow Secure Renegotiation\n");
     printf("-i          Force client Initiated Secure Renegotiation\n");
@@ -465,6 +559,9 @@ THREAD_RETURN WOLFSSL_THREAD client_test(void* args)
     const char* ourCert    = cliCert;
     const char* ourKey     = cliKey;
 
+    int   doSTARTTLS    = 0;
+    char* starttlsProt = NULL;
+
 #ifdef WOLFSSL_TRUST_PEER_CERT
     const char* trustCert  = NULL;
 #endif
@@ -521,7 +618,8 @@ THREAD_RETURN WOLFSSL_THREAD client_test(void* args)
 
 #ifndef WOLFSSL_VXWORKS
     while ((ch = mygetopt(argc, argv,
-          "?gdeDusmNrwRitfxXUPCVh:p:v:l:A:c:k:Z:b:zS:F:L:ToO:aB:W:E:")) != -1) {
+          "?gdeDusmNrwRitfxXUPCVh:p:v:l:A:c:k:Z:b:zS:F:L:ToO:aB:W:E:M:"))
+            != -1) {
         switch (ch) {
             case '?' :
                 Usage();
@@ -762,6 +860,17 @@ THREAD_RETURN WOLFSSL_THREAD client_test(void* args)
                 #endif
                 break;
 
+            case 'M' :
+                doSTARTTLS = 1;
+                starttlsProt = myoptarg;
+
+                if (XSTRNCMP(starttlsProt, "smtp", 4) != 0) {
+                    Usage();
+                    exit(MY_EX_USAGE);
+                }
+
+                break;
+
             default:
                 Usage();
                 exit(MY_EX_USAGE);
@@ -1163,6 +1272,14 @@ THREAD_RETURN WOLFSSL_THREAD client_test(void* args)
     if (wolfSSL_set_fd(ssl, sockfd) != SSL_SUCCESS) {
         err_sys("error in setting fd");
     }
+
+    /* STARTTLS */
+    if (doSTARTTLS) {
+        if (StartTLS_Init(&sockfd) != SSL_SUCCESS) {
+            err_sys("error during STARTTLS protocol");
+        }
+    }
+
 #ifdef HAVE_CRL
     if (disableCRL == 0) {
         if (wolfSSL_EnableCRL(ssl, WOLFSSL_CRL_CHECKALL) != SSL_SUCCESS)
@@ -1225,6 +1342,22 @@ THREAD_RETURN WOLFSSL_THREAD client_test(void* args)
 #endif
     showPeer(ssl);
 
+    if (doSTARTTLS) {
+        if (XSTRNCMP(starttlsProt, "smtp", 4) == 0) {
+            if (SMTP_Shutdown(ssl, wc_shutdown) != SSL_SUCCESS) {
+                err_sys("error closing STARTTLS connection");
+            }
+        }
+
+        wolfSSL_free(ssl);
+        CloseSocket(sockfd);
+
+        wolfSSL_CTX_free(ctx);
+
+        ((func_args*)args)->return_code = 0;
+        return 0;
+    }
+
 #ifdef HAVE_ALPN
     if (alpnList != NULL) {
         char *protocol_name = NULL;
diff --git a/examples/client/client.h b/examples/client/client.h
index 6b5bd27e4..913339ac0 100644
--- a/examples/client/client.h
+++ b/examples/client/client.h
@@ -35,6 +35,12 @@ int ClientBenchmarkConnections(WOLFSSL_CTX* ctx, char* host, word16 port,
 int ClientBenchmarkThroughput(WOLFSSL_CTX* ctx, char* host, word16 port,
 	int doDTLS, int throughput);
 
+/* Initiates the STARTTLS command sequence over TCP */
+int StartTLS_Init(SOCKET_T* sockfd);
+
+/* Closes down the SMTP connection */
+int SMTP_Shutdown(WOLFSSL* ssl, int wc_shutdown);
+
 
 #endif /* WOLFSSL_CLIENT_H */