diff --git a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/OpenSsl.java b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/OpenSsl.java
index 0036949928..ac06375ac0 100644
--- a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/OpenSsl.java
+++ b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/OpenSsl.java
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ public final class OpenSsl {
 
     private static final InternalLogger logger = InternalLoggerFactory.getInstance(OpenSsl.class);
     private static final Throwable UNAVAILABILITY_CAUSE;
-    private static final String IGNORABLE_ERROR_PREFIX = "error:00000000:";
 
     static {
         Throwable cause = null;
@@ -79,8 +78,8 @@ public final class OpenSsl {
         return UNAVAILABILITY_CAUSE;
     }
 
-    static boolean isError(String error) {
-        return error != null && !error.startsWith(IGNORABLE_ERROR_PREFIX);
+    static boolean isError(long errorCode) {
+        return errorCode != SSL.SSL_ERROR_NONE;
     }
 
     private OpenSsl() { }
diff --git a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/OpenSslClientContext.java b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/OpenSslClientContext.java
index 1f1a8b3152..d325282c20 100644
--- a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/OpenSslClientContext.java
+++ b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/OpenSslClientContext.java
@@ -115,11 +115,11 @@ public final class OpenSslClientContext extends OpenSslContext {
                 if (certChainFile != null) {
                     /* Load the certificate chain. We must skip the first cert when server mode */
                     if (!SSLContext.setCertificateChainFile(ctx, certChainFile.getPath(), true)) {
-                        String error = SSL.getLastError();
+                        long error = SSL.getLastErrorNumber();
                         if (OpenSsl.isError(error)) {
                             throw new SSLException(
                                     "failed to set certificate chain: "
-                                            + certChainFile + " (" + SSL.getLastError() + ')');
+                                            + certChainFile + " (" + SSL.getErrorString(error) + ')');
                         }
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/OpenSslEngine.java b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/OpenSslEngine.java
index d7e2877442..c1cc03a6c7 100644
--- a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/OpenSslEngine.java
+++ b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/OpenSslEngine.java
@@ -504,17 +504,18 @@ public final class OpenSslEngine extends SSLEngine {
         }
 
         // Check for OpenSSL errors caused by the priming read
-        String error = SSL.getLastError();
+        long error = SSL.getLastErrorNumber();
         if (OpenSsl.isError(error)) {
+            String err = SSL.getErrorString(error);
             if (logger.isInfoEnabled()) {
                 logger.info(
                         "SSL_read failed: primingReadResult: " + lastPrimingReadResult +
-                                "; OpenSSL error: '" + error + '\'');
+                                "; OpenSSL error: '" + err + '\'');
             }
 
             // There was an internal error -- shutdown
             shutdown();
-            throw new SSLException(error);
+            throw new SSLException(err);
         }
 
         // There won't be any application data until we're done handshaking
@@ -953,16 +954,17 @@ public final class OpenSslEngine extends SSLEngine {
         int code = SSL.doHandshake(ssl);
         if (code <= 0) {
             // Check for OpenSSL errors caused by the handshake
-            String error = SSL.getLastError();
+            long error = SSL.getLastErrorNumber();
             if (OpenSsl.isError(error)) {
+                String err = SSL.getErrorString(error);
                 if (logger.isInfoEnabled()) {
                     logger.info(
-                            "SSL_do_handshake failed: OpenSSL error: '" + error + '\'');
+                            "SSL_do_handshake failed: OpenSSL error: '" + err + '\'');
                 }
 
                 // There was an internal error -- shutdown
                 shutdown();
-                throw new SSLException(error);
+                throw new SSLException(err);
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/OpenSslServerContext.java b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/OpenSslServerContext.java
index 01bf6a3905..3361508167 100644
--- a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/OpenSslServerContext.java
+++ b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/OpenSslServerContext.java
@@ -189,10 +189,11 @@ public final class OpenSslServerContext extends OpenSslContext {
 
                 /* Load the certificate chain. We must skip the first cert when server mode */
                 if (!SSLContext.setCertificateChainFile(ctx, certChainFile.getPath(), true)) {
-                    String error = SSL.getLastError();
+                    long error = SSL.getLastErrorNumber();
                     if (OpenSsl.isError(error)) {
+                        String err = SSL.getErrorString(error);
                         throw new SSLException(
-                                "failed to set certificate chain: " + certChainFile + " (" + SSL.getLastError() + ')');
+                                "failed to set certificate chain: " + certChainFile + " (" + err + ')');
                     }
                 }
 
@@ -200,8 +201,12 @@ public final class OpenSslServerContext extends OpenSslContext {
                 try {
                     if (!SSLContext.setCertificate(
                             ctx, certChainFile.getPath(), keyFile.getPath(), keyPassword, SSL.SSL_AIDX_RSA)) {
-                        throw new SSLException("failed to set certificate: " +
-                                certChainFile + " and " + keyFile + " (" + SSL.getLastError() + ')');
+                        long error = SSL.getLastErrorNumber();
+                        if (OpenSsl.isError(error)) {
+                            String err = SSL.getErrorString(error);
+                            throw new SSLException("failed to set certificate: " +
+                                    certChainFile + " and " + keyFile + " (" + err + ')');
+                        }
                     }
                 } catch (SSLException e) {
                     throw e;