diff --git a/scrapy/core/downloader/webclient.py b/scrapy/core/downloader/webclient.py
index 985cc4ae5..b75af5ce4 100644
--- a/scrapy/core/downloader/webclient.py
+++ b/scrapy/core/downloader/webclient.py
@@ -151,6 +151,11 @@ class ScrapyClientContextFactory(ClientContextFactory):
     # see https://github.com/scrapy/scrapy/issues/82
     # and https://github.com/scrapy/scrapy/issues/26
 
+    def __init__(self):
+        # see this issue on why we use TLSv1_METHOD by default
+        # https://github.com/scrapy/scrapy/issues/194
+        self.method = SSL.TLSv1_METHOD
+
     def getContext(self):
         ctx = ClientContextFactory.getContext(self)
         # Enable all workarounds to SSL bugs as documented by