diff --git a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/SslHandler.java b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/SslHandler.java
index 818287a362..e859b77755 100644
--- a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/SslHandler.java
+++ b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/SslHandler.java
@@ -1991,7 +1991,8 @@ public class SslHandler extends ByteToMessageDecoder {
                 return;
             }
 
-            SSLException exception = new SSLException("handshake timed out");
+            SSLException exception =
+                    new SslHandshakeTimeoutException("handshake timed out after " + handshakeTimeoutMillis + "ms");
             try {
                 if (localHandshakePromise.tryFailure(exception)) {
                     SslUtils.handleHandshakeFailure(ctx, exception, true);
diff --git a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/SslHandshakeTimeoutException.java b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/SslHandshakeTimeoutException.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fbddbcc2b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/SslHandshakeTimeoutException.java
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2020 The Netty Project
+ *
+ * The Netty Project licenses this file to you 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:
+ *
+ *   http://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.
+ */
+package io.netty.handler.ssl;
+
+import javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException;
+
+/**
+ * {@link SSLHandshakeException} that is used when a handshake failed due a configured timeout.
+ */
+public final class SslHandshakeTimeoutException extends SSLHandshakeException {
+
+    SslHandshakeTimeoutException(String reason) {
+        super(reason);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/handler/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/SslHandlerTest.java b/handler/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/SslHandlerTest.java
index d94a9c5e65..9f06c683bd 100644
--- a/handler/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/SslHandlerTest.java
+++ b/handler/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/SslHandlerTest.java
@@ -55,14 +55,12 @@ import io.netty.util.concurrent.FutureListener;
 import io.netty.util.concurrent.ImmediateEventExecutor;
 import io.netty.util.concurrent.ImmediateExecutor;
 import io.netty.util.concurrent.Promise;
-import io.netty.util.internal.PlatformDependent;
 import org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
 import java.nio.channels.ClosedChannelException;
 import java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException;
-import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Queue;
 import java.util.concurrent.BlockingQueue;
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletionException;
@@ -190,12 +188,12 @@ public class SslHandlerTest {
         assertFalse(ch.finishAndReleaseAll());
     }
 
-    @Test(expected = SSLException.class, timeout = 3000)
+    @Test(expected = SslHandshakeTimeoutException.class, timeout = 3000)
     public void testClientHandshakeTimeout() throws Throwable {
         testHandshakeTimeout(true);
     }
 
-    @Test(expected = SSLException.class, timeout = 3000)
+    @Test(expected = SslHandshakeTimeoutException.class, timeout = 3000)
     public void testServerHandshakeTimeout() throws Throwable {
         testHandshakeTimeout(false);
     }