diff --git a/frontend/src/components/C2ConfigCard.tsx b/frontend/src/components/C2ConfigCard.tsx
index 1363310..ced6190 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/C2ConfigCard.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/C2ConfigCard.tsx
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ export function C2ConfigCard({ engagementId }: C2ConfigCardProps): JSX.Element {
 
   const [url, setUrl] = useState('');
   const [token, setToken] = useState('');
-  const [verifyTls, setVerifyTls] = useState(true);
+  const [verifyTls, setVerifyTls] = useState(false);
   const [replaceToken, setReplaceToken] = useState(false);
   const [showDeleteConfirm, setShowDeleteConfirm] = useState(false);
   const [testResult, setTestResult] = useState<{ ok: boolean; message: string } | null>(null);
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ export function C2ConfigCard({ engagementId }: C2ConfigCardProps): JSX.Element {
       push('C2 configuration removed', 'success');
       setUrl('');
       setToken('');
-      setVerifyTls(true);
+      setVerifyTls(false);
       setReplaceToken(false);
     } catch (err) {
       push(extractApiError(err, 'Could not remove C2 configuration'), 'error');
@@ -166,19 +166,24 @@ export function C2ConfigCard({ engagementId }: C2ConfigCardProps): JSX.Element {
             )}
           </FormField>
 
-          <div className="flex items-center gap-sm">
-            <input
-              id="c2-verify-tls"
-              data-testid="c2-verify-tls"
-              type="checkbox"
-              checked={verifyTls}
-              onChange={(e) => setVerifyTls(e.target.checked)}
-              disabled={disabled}
-              className="h-4 w-4 accent-primary"
-            />
-            <label htmlFor="c2-verify-tls" className="text-[14px] text-ink">
-              Verify TLS certificate
-            </label>
+          <div className="flex flex-col gap-xs">
+            <div className="flex items-center gap-sm">
+              <input
+                id="c2-verify-tls"
+                data-testid="c2-verify-tls"
+                type="checkbox"
+                checked={verifyTls}
+                onChange={(e) => setVerifyTls(e.target.checked)}
+                disabled={disabled}
+                className="h-4 w-4 accent-primary"
+              />
+              <label htmlFor="c2-verify-tls" className="text-[14px] text-ink">
+                Verify TLS certificate
+              </label>
+            </div>
+            <p className="text-[12px] text-graphite">
+              Leave unchecked for lab Mythic with self-signed certificates.
+            </p>
           </div>
 
           <div className="flex items-center gap-md flex-wrap">