diff --git a/packages/bruno-app/src/components/Preferences/General/index.js b/packages/bruno-app/src/components/Preferences/General/index.js
index addb72a4d7..9855c27471 100644
--- a/packages/bruno-app/src/components/Preferences/General/index.js
+++ b/packages/bruno-app/src/components/Preferences/General/index.js
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ const General = ({ close }) => {
         filePath: get(preferences, 'request.customCaCertificate.filePath', null)
       },
       keepDefaultCaCertificates: {
-        enabled: get(preferences, 'request.keepDefaultCaCertificates.enabled', false)
+        enabled: get(preferences, 'request.keepDefaultCaCertificates.enabled', true)
       },
       timeout: preferences.request.timeout,
       storeCookies: get(preferences, 'request.storeCookies', true),
diff --git a/packages/bruno-app/src/providers/ReduxStore/slices/app.js b/packages/bruno-app/src/providers/ReduxStore/slices/app.js
index beb3d1fcd9..3cd2768806 100644
--- a/packages/bruno-app/src/providers/ReduxStore/slices/app.js
+++ b/packages/bruno-app/src/providers/ReduxStore/slices/app.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ const initialState = {
         filePath: null
       },
       keepDefaultCaCertificates: {
-        enabled: false
+        enabled: true
       },
       timeout: 0
     },
diff --git a/packages/bruno-cli/readme.md b/packages/bruno-cli/readme.md
index 1eedb839de..5cc98f3c01 100644
--- a/packages/bruno-cli/readme.md
+++ b/packages/bruno-cli/readme.md
@@ -32,18 +32,30 @@ Or run all requests in a collection's subfolder:
 bru run folder
 ```
 
-If you need to use an environment, you can specify it with the --env option:
+If you need to use an environment, you can specify it with the `--env` option:
 
 ```bash
 bru run folder --env Local
 ```
 
-If you need to collect the results of your API tests, you can specify the --output option:
+If you need to collect the results of your API tests, you can specify the `--output` option:
 
 ```bash
 bru run folder --output results.json
 ```
 
+If you need to run a set of requests that connect to peers with both publicly and privately signed certificates respectively, you can add private CA certificates via the `--cacert` option. By default, these certificates will be used in addition to the default truststore:
+
+```bash
+bru run folder --cacert myCustomCA.pem
+```
+
+If you need to limit the trusted CA to a specified set when validating the request peer, provide them via `--cacert` and in addition use `--ignore-truststore` to disable the default truststore:
+
+```bash
+bru run request.bru --cacert myCustomCA.pem --ignore-truststore
+```
+
 ## Scripting
 
 Bruno cli returns the following exit status codes:
diff --git a/packages/bruno-cli/src/commands/run.js b/packages/bruno-cli/src/commands/run.js
index 00f592bd29..35192b1281 100644
--- a/packages/bruno-cli/src/commands/run.js
+++ b/packages/bruno-cli/src/commands/run.js
@@ -190,6 +190,12 @@ const builder = async (yargs) => {
       type: 'string',
       description: 'CA certificate to verify peer against'
     })
+    .option('ignore-truststore', {
+      type: 'boolean',
+      default: false,
+      description:
+        'The specified custom CA certificate (--cacert) will be used exclusively and the default truststore is ignored, if this option is specified. Evaluated in combination with "--cacert" only.'
+    })
     .option('env', {
       describe: 'Environment variables',
       type: 'string'
@@ -241,12 +247,33 @@ const builder = async (yargs) => {
       '$0 run request.bru --output results.html --format html',
       'Run a request and write the results to results.html in html format in the current directory'
     )
-    .example('$0 run request.bru --tests-only', 'Run all requests that have a test');
+
+    .example('$0 run request.bru --tests-only', 'Run all requests that have a test')
+    .example(
+      '$0 run request.bru --cacert myCustomCA.pem',
+      'Use a custom CA certificate in combination with the default truststore when validating the peer of this request.'
+    )
+    .example(
+      '$0 run folder --cacert myCustomCA.pem --ignore-truststore',
+      'Use a custom CA certificate exclusively when validating the peers of the requests in the specified folder.'
+    );
 };
 
 const handler = async function (argv) {
   try {
-    let { filename, cacert, env, envVar, insecure, r: recursive, output: outputPath, format, testsOnly, bail } = argv;
+    let {
+      filename,
+      cacert,
+      ignoreTruststore,
+      env,
+      envVar,
+      insecure,
+      r: recursive,
+      output: outputPath,
+      format,
+      testsOnly,
+      bail
+    } = argv;
     const collectionPath = process.cwd();
 
     // todo
@@ -337,6 +364,7 @@ const handler = async function (argv) {
         }
       }
     }
+    options['ignoreTruststore'] = ignoreTruststore;
 
     if (['json', 'junit', 'html'].indexOf(format) === -1) {
       console.error(chalk.red(`Format must be one of "json", "junit or "html"`));
diff --git a/packages/bruno-cli/src/runner/run-single-request.js b/packages/bruno-cli/src/runner/run-single-request.js
index ec4767efb6..187f371cf7 100644
--- a/packages/bruno-cli/src/runner/run-single-request.js
+++ b/packages/bruno-cli/src/runner/run-single-request.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ const qs = require('qs');
 const chalk = require('chalk');
 const decomment = require('decomment');
 const fs = require('fs');
+const tls = require('tls');
 const { forOwn, isUndefined, isNull, each, extend, get, compact } = require('lodash');
 const FormData = require('form-data');
 const prepareRequest = require('./prepare-request');
@@ -106,7 +107,11 @@ const runSingleRequest = async function (
       const caCert = caCertArray.find((el) => el);
       if (caCert && caCert.length > 1) {
         try {
-          httpsAgentRequestFields['ca'] = fs.readFileSync(caCert);
+          let caCertBuffer = fs.readFileSync(caCert);
+          if (!options['ignoreTruststore']) {
+            caCertBuffer += '\n' + tls.rootCertificates.join('\n'); // Augment default truststore with custom CA certificates
+          }
+          httpsAgentRequestFields['ca'] = caCertBuffer;
         } catch (err) {
           console.log('Error reading CA cert file:' + caCert, err);
         }
diff --git a/packages/bruno-electron/src/store/preferences.js b/packages/bruno-electron/src/store/preferences.js
index 844e96b068..f9497abee4 100644
--- a/packages/bruno-electron/src/store/preferences.js
+++ b/packages/bruno-electron/src/store/preferences.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ const defaultPreferences = {
       filePath: null
     },
     keepDefaultCaCertificates: {
-      enabled: false
+      enabled: true
     },
     storeCookies: true,
     sendCookies: true,
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ const preferencesUtil = {
     return get(getPreferences(), 'request.customCaCertificate.enabled', false);
   },
   shouldKeepDefaultCaCertificates: () => {
-    return get(getPreferences(), 'request.keepDefaultCaCertificates.enabled', false);
+    return get(getPreferences(), 'request.keepDefaultCaCertificates.enabled', true);
   },
   getCustomCaCertificateFilePath: () => {
     return get(getPreferences(), 'request.customCaCertificate.filePath', null);