diff --git a/lib/cli/command.reload.js b/lib/cli/command.reload.js
index bfa49f95e..50d8a8ddc 100644
--- a/lib/cli/command.reload.js
+++ b/lib/cli/command.reload.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 "use strict";
 
-var error = "Could not contact BrowserSync server.";
+var error   = "Could not contact BrowserSync server.";
 
 /**
  * $ browser-sync reload <options>
@@ -14,16 +14,25 @@ var error = "Could not contact BrowserSync server.";
 module.exports = function (opts) {
 
     var flags = opts.cli.flags;
-    var proto = require("../http-protocol");
+    if (!flags.url) {
+        flags.url = "http://localhost:" + (flags.port || 3000);
+    }
+    var proto  = require("../http-protocol");
+    var scheme = flags.url.match(/^https/) ? "https" : "http";
 
-    var url   = proto.getUrl({method: "reload", args: flags.files}, "http://localhost:" + (flags.port || 3000));
+    var url    = proto.getUrl({method: "reload", args: flags.files}, flags.url);
 
-    require("http").get(url, function (res) {
+    require(scheme).get(url, function (res) {
         if (res.statusCode !== 200) {
             require("logger").logger.error(error);
             return opts.cb(new Error(error));
         } else {
             opts.cb(null, res);
         }
+    }).on("error", function (err) {
+        if (err.code === "ECONNREFUSED") {
+            err.message = "BrowserSync not running at " + flags.url;
+        }
+        return opts.cb(err);
     });
 };
diff --git a/lib/cli/opts.reload.json b/lib/cli/opts.reload.json
index e9411cc45..359288b48 100644
--- a/lib/cli/opts.reload.json
+++ b/lib/cli/opts.reload.json
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {
     "files": "File paths to reload",
-    "port":  "Target a running instance by port number"
+    "port":  "Target a running instance by port number",
+    "url":   "Provide the full the url to the running BrowserSync instance"
 }
diff --git a/test/specs/commands/reload.js b/test/specs/commands/reload.js
index 9b5ec1553..38e32b7cd 100644
--- a/test/specs/commands/reload.js
+++ b/test/specs/commands/reload.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ var browserSync = require(path.resolve("./"));
 
 var pkg         = require(path.resolve("package.json"));
 var sinon       = require("sinon");
+var assert      = require("chai").assert;
 var cli         = require(path.resolve(pkg.bin));
 
 describe("E2E CLI `reload` with no files arg", function () {
@@ -59,4 +60,44 @@ describe("E2E CLI `reload` with no files arg", function () {
                 });
             });
     });
+    it("should make a http request with files arg over HTTPS", function (done) {
+
+        browserSync.reset();
+        process.env.NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED = 0;
+
+        browserSync
+            .create()
+            .init({server: "test/fixtures", open: false, https: true}, function (err, bs) {
+
+                var spy = sinon.spy(bs.events, "emit");
+
+                cli({
+                    cli: {
+                        input: ["reload"],
+                        flags: {
+                            url: bs.options.getIn(["urls", "local"]),
+                            files: "core.css"
+                        }
+                    },
+                    cb: function () {
+                        sinon.assert.calledWithExactly(spy, "file:changed", {path: "core.css", log: true, namespace: "core"});
+                        bs.cleanup();
+                        done();
+                    }
+                });
+            });
+    });
+    it("should handle ECONNREFUSED errors nicely", function (done) {
+        cli({
+            cli: {
+                input: ["reload"],
+                flags: {}
+            },
+            cb: function (err) {
+                assert.equal(err.code, "ECONNREFUSED");
+                assert.equal(err.message, "BrowserSync not running at http://localhost:3000");
+                done();
+            }
+        });
+    });
 });