diff --git a/.changeset/fix-pglite-socket-ssl-request.md b/.changeset/fix-pglite-socket-ssl-request.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..958380139
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/fix-pglite-socket-ssl-request.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@electric-sql/pglite-socket': patch
+---
+
+Handle the `SSLRequest` startup packet per the PostgreSQL wire protocol: when SSL is not available, respond with `N` so the client may continue with a cleartext `StartupMessage`. Improves interoperability with JDBC clients such as DBeaver that probe TLS first without requiring manual SSL mode tweaks. See https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/protocol-message-formats.html .
diff --git a/packages/pglite-socket/src/index.ts b/packages/pglite-socket/src/index.ts
index 8dfd4ce01..aeae7e26b 100644
--- a/packages/pglite-socket/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/pglite-socket/src/index.ts
@@ -343,6 +343,23 @@ export class PGLiteSocketHandler extends EventTarget {
       let totalProcessed = 0
 
       while (this.messageBuffer.length > 0) {
+        // SSLRequest: first Int32 is length (8); second Int32 is fixed 80877103.
+        // This and other frontend/backend message layouts are specified in PostgreSQL docs:
+        // https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/protocol-message-formats.html
+        // Rules: server must reply 'S' or 'N' before the client sends StartupMessage.
+        // pglite-socket has no TLS/SSL, so always 'N' (decline SSL).
+        if (this.messageBuffer.length >= 8) {
+          const len = this.messageBuffer.readInt32BE(0)
+          const code = this.messageBuffer.readInt32BE(4)
+          if (len === 8 && code === 80877103) {
+            if (this.socket?.writable) {
+              this.socket.write(Buffer.from('N'))
+            }
+            this.messageBuffer = this.messageBuffer.slice(8)
+            continue
+          }
+        }
+
         // Determine message length
         let messageLength = 0
         let isComplete = false
diff --git a/packages/pglite-socket/tests/ssl-request.test.ts b/packages/pglite-socket/tests/ssl-request.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3bb6e6960
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/pglite-socket/tests/ssl-request.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
+import { PGLiteSocketHandler } from '../src'
+
+/** Second Int32 of SSLRequest — https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/protocol-message-formats.html */
+const PG_PROTOCOL_SSL_REQUEST_CODE = 80877103
+
+function createNetSocketStub() {
+  const eventHandlers: Record<string, Array<(data?: unknown) => void>> = {}
+  const socket = {
+    writable: true,
+    remoteAddress: '127.0.0.1',
+    remotePort: 12345,
+    setNoDelay: vi.fn(),
+    write: vi.fn(),
+    removeAllListeners: vi.fn(),
+    end: vi.fn(),
+    destroy: vi.fn(),
+    on: vi.fn((event: string, callback: (data?: unknown) => void) => {
+      if (!eventHandlers[event]) eventHandlers[event] = []
+      eventHandlers[event].push(callback)
+      return socket
+    }),
+    emit(event: string, data?: unknown) {
+      eventHandlers[event]?.forEach((h) => h(data))
+    },
+  }
+  return socket as any
+}
+
+function createQueryQueueStub() {
+  return {
+    enqueue: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(0),
+    clearQueueForHandler: vi.fn(),
+    clearTransactionIfNeeded: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+    getQueueLength: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(0),
+  }
+}
+
+async function flushEventLoop(): Promise<void> {
+  await new Promise<void>((r) => setImmediate(r))
+  await new Promise<void>((r) => setImmediate(r))
+}
+
+describe('PGLiteSocketHandler PostgreSQL SSLRequest (protocol-message-formats)', () => {
+  let handler: PGLiteSocketHandler
+  let socketStub: ReturnType<typeof createNetSocketStub>
+  let queryQueueStub: ReturnType<typeof createQueryQueueStub>
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    queryQueueStub = createQueryQueueStub()
+    handler = new PGLiteSocketHandler({
+      queryQueue: queryQueueStub as any,
+    })
+    socketStub = createNetSocketStub()
+  })
+
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    if (handler?.isAttached) {
+      await handler.detach(true)
+    }
+  })
+
+  it("consumes SSLRequest (8 bytes) and writes 'N' without queueing PGlite protocol", async () => {
+    await handler.attach(socketStub)
+
+    const sslRequest = Buffer.alloc(8)
+    sslRequest.writeInt32BE(8, 0)
+    sslRequest.writeInt32BE(PG_PROTOCOL_SSL_REQUEST_CODE, 4)
+    socketStub.emit('data', sslRequest)
+
+    await flushEventLoop()
+
+    expect(socketStub.write).toHaveBeenCalledWith(Buffer.from('N'))
+    expect(queryQueueStub.enqueue).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+})