diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index ccc1653c..dc251d00 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -1,24 +1,119 @@
 name: Release Pytest agent
 
 on:
-  release:
-    types: [published]
+  push:
+    branches: ['master']
+    paths-ignore:
+      - '.github/**'
+      - CHANGELOG.md
+      - README.rst
+      - CONTRIBUTING.rst
+
+env:
+  VERSION_FILE: setup.py
+  VERSION_EXTRACT_PATTERN: >-
+    __version__\s*=\s*'([^']+)
+  VERSION_REPLACE_PATTERN: >-
+    __version__ = '\1'
+  TMP_SUFFIX: _updated
+  CHANGE_LOG_FILE: CHANGELOG.md
 
 jobs:
   deploy:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
-    - name: Set up Python
-      uses: actions/setup-python@v2
-      with:
-        python-version: '3.6'
-    - name: Install dependencies
-      run: python -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
-    - name: Build package
-      run: python setup.py sdist bdist_wheel
-    - name: Publish package
-      uses: pypa/gh-action-pypi-publish@release/v1
-      with:
-        user: ${{ secrets.PYPI_USERNAME }}
-        password: ${{ secrets.PYPI_PASSWORD }}
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+
+      - name: Generate versions
+        uses: HardNorth/github-version-generate@v1.1.2
+        with:
+          version-source: file
+          version-file: ${{ env.VERSION_FILE }}
+          version-file-extraction-pattern: ${{ env.VERSION_EXTRACT_PATTERN }}
+
+      - name: Setup git credentials
+        uses: oleksiyrudenko/gha-git-credentials@v2
+        with:
+          name: 'reportportal.io'
+          email: 'support@reportportal.io'
+          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Tagging new version
+        id: newVersionTag
+        run: |
+          git tag -a ${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }} -m "Release ${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}"
+          git push --tags
+
+      - name: Set up Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v2
+        with:
+          python-version: '3.6'
+
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: python -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
+
+      - name: Build package
+        run: python setup.py sdist bdist_wheel
+
+      - name: Publish package
+        uses: pypa/gh-action-pypi-publish@release/v1
+        with:
+          user: ${{ secrets.PYPI_USERNAME }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.PYPI_PASSWORD }}
+
+      - name: Checkout develop branch
+        uses: actions/checkout@v2
+        with:
+          ref: 'develop'
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: Update CHANGELOG.md
+        id: changelogUpdate
+        run: |
+          sed '/\[Unreleased\]/q' ${{ env.CHANGE_LOG_FILE }} >> ${{ env.CHANGE_LOG_FILE }}${{ env.TMP_SUFFIX }}
+          sed -E '1,/#?#\s*\[Unreleased\]/d' ${{ env.CHANGE_LOG_FILE }} | sed -E '/#?#\s*\[/q' | \
+          { echo -e '\n## [${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}]'; sed '$d'; } >> ${{ env.CHANGE_LOG_FILE }}${{ env.TMP_SUFFIX }}
+          grep -E '#?#\s*\[[0-9]' ${{ env.CHANGE_LOG_FILE }} | head -n1 >> ${{ env.CHANGE_LOG_FILE }}${{ env.TMP_SUFFIX }}
+          sed -E '1,/#?#\s*\[[0-9]/d' ${{ env.CHANGE_LOG_FILE }} >> ${{ env.CHANGE_LOG_FILE }}${{ env.TMP_SUFFIX }}
+          rm ${{ env.CHANGE_LOG_FILE }}
+          mv ${{ env.CHANGE_LOG_FILE }}${{ env.TMP_SUFFIX }} ${{ env.CHANGE_LOG_FILE }}
+          git add ${{ env.CHANGE_LOG_FILE }}
+          git commit -m "Changelog update"
+
+      - name: Read changelog Entry
+        id: readChangelogEntry
+        uses: mindsers/changelog-reader-action@v1.3.1
+        with:
+          version: ${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}
+          path: ./${{ env.CHANGE_LOG_FILE }}
+
+      - name: Create Release
+        id: createRelease
+        uses: actions/create-release@v1
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        with:
+          tag_name: ${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}
+          release_name: Release ${{ env.RELEASE_VERSION }}
+          body: ${{ steps.readChangelogEntry.outputs.log_entry }}
+          draft: false
+          prerelease: false
+
+      - name: Merge release branch into develop
+        id: mergeIntoDevelop
+        run: |
+          git merge -m 'Merge master branch into develop after a release' origin/master
+          git status | (! grep -Fq 'both modified:') || git status | grep -F 'both modified:' \
+          | { echo -e 'Unable to merge master into develop, merge conflicts:'; (! grep -Eo '[^ ]+$') }
+
+      - name: Update version file
+        id: versionFileUpdate
+        run: |
+          export CURRENT_VERSION_VALUE=`echo '${{ env.CURRENT_VERSION }}' | sed -E 's/(.*)/${{ env.VERSION_REPLACE_PATTERN }}/'`
+          export NEXT_VERSION_VALUE=`echo '${{ env.NEXT_VERSION }}' | sed -E 's/(.*)/${{ env.VERSION_REPLACE_PATTERN }}/'`
+          sed "s/${CURRENT_VERSION_VALUE}/${NEXT_VERSION_VALUE}/g" ${{ env.VERSION_FILE }} > ${{ env.VERSION_FILE }}${{ env.TMP_SUFFIX }}
+          rm ${{ env.VERSION_FILE }}
+          mv ${{ env.VERSION_FILE }}${{ env.TMP_SUFFIX }} ${{ env.VERSION_FILE }}
+          git add ${{ env.VERSION_FILE }}
+          git commit -m "Version update"
+          git push
diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
index e5fc22bb..b37ec457 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        python-version: [2.7, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8]
+        python-version: [2.7, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, '3.10']
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v2
     - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..36d2f762
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# Changelog
+
+## [Unreleased]
+### Fixed
+- Issue [#304](https://github.com/reportportal/agent-python-pytest/issues/304):
+SSL certificate flag handling issue, by @HardNorth
+
+## [5.1.0]
+### Changed
+- Agent complete rewrite, by @HardNorth
diff --git a/pytest_reportportal/config.py b/pytest_reportportal/config.py
index 5b7b1e74..0a11a2d3 100644
--- a/pytest_reportportal/config.py
+++ b/pytest_reportportal/config.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 """This module contains class that stores RP agent configuration data."""
 
+from distutils.util import strtobool
 from os import getenv
 
 try:
@@ -64,7 +65,11 @@ def __init__(self, pytest_config):
                                            'true', '1', 'yes', 'y')
         self.rp_uuid = getenv('RP_UUID') or self.find_option(pytest_config,
                                                              'rp_uuid')
-        self.rp_verify_ssl = self.find_option(pytest_config, 'rp_verify_ssl')
+        rp_verify_ssl = self.find_option(pytest_config, 'rp_verify_ssl', True)
+        try:
+            self.rp_verify_ssl = bool(strtobool(rp_verify_ssl))
+        except (ValueError, AttributeError):
+            self.rp_verify_ssl = rp_verify_ssl
 
     # noinspection PyMethodMayBeStatic
     def find_option(self, pytest_config, option_name, default=None):
@@ -85,4 +90,6 @@ def find_option(self, pytest_config, option_name, default=None):
                 getattr(pytest_config.option, option_name, None) or
                 pytest_config.getini(option_name)
         )
+        if isinstance(value, bool):
+            return value
         return value if value else default
diff --git a/pytest_reportportal/config.pyi b/pytest_reportportal/config.pyi
index 54c896bf..b90a635d 100644
--- a/pytest_reportportal/config.pyi
+++ b/pytest_reportportal/config.pyi
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 from _pytest.config import Config as Config
-from typing import List, Optional, Text, Union
+from typing import List, Optional, Text, Union, Any
 
 class AgentConfig:
     rp_rerun: Optional[bool] = ...
@@ -28,8 +28,9 @@ class AgentConfig:
     rp_retries: int = ...
     rp_skip_connection_test: bool = ...
     rp_uuid: Text = ...
-    rp_verify_ssl: bool = ...
+    rp_verify_ssl: Union[bool, Text] = ...
 
     def __init__(self, pytest_config: Config) -> None: ...
 
-    def find_option(self, pytest_config, param: Text) -> Union[Text, bool, list]: ...
+    def find_option(self, pytest_config, param: Text,
+                    default: Any = ...) -> Union[Text, bool, list]: ...
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 06caa7ae..91beab6d 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 from setuptools import setup
 
 
-__version__ = '5.1.0'
+__version__ = '5.1.1'
 
 
 def read_file(fname):
@@ -33,10 +33,11 @@ def read_file(fname):
     classifiers=[
         'Framework :: Pytest',
         'Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7',
-        'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5',
         'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6',
         'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7',
-        'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8'
+        'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8',
+        'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9',
+        'Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10'
         ],
     entry_points={
         'pytest11': [
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_config.py b/tests/unit/test_config.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..900a8405
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/test_config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#  Copyright (c) 2022 https://reportportal.io .
+#  Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+#  you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+#  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#  https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+#  Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#  distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+#  WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+#  See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+#  limitations under the License
+
+import pytest
+from pytest_reportportal.config import AgentConfig
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ['verify_ssl', 'expected_result'],
+    [
+        ('True', True),
+        ('False', False),
+        ('true', True),
+        ('false', False),
+        (True, True),
+        (False, False),
+        ('path/to/certificate', 'path/to/certificate'),
+        (None, True)
+    ]
+)
+def test_verify_ssl_true(mocked_config, verify_ssl, expected_result):
+    mocked_config.getini.side_effect = \
+        lambda x: verify_ssl if x == 'rp_verify_ssl' else None
+    config = AgentConfig(mocked_config)
+
+    assert config.rp_verify_ssl == expected_result