diff --git a/src/Proxy.cpp b/src/Proxy.cpp
index f311d49..ae8141c 100644
--- a/src/Proxy.cpp
+++ b/src/Proxy.cpp
@@ -216,17 +216,19 @@ void Proxy::run(string &peer_address)
           #ifdef HAVE_SSL
             try
             {
-	      LINF("STARTTLS issued by remote, TLS enabled");
-              outside.writeLine("220 You can speak now, line is secure!!");
               outside.enableSSL(true);
+              LINF("STARTTLS issued by remote, TLS enabled");
+              outside.writeLine("220 You can speak now, line is secure!!");
             }
             catch(Exception &e)
             {
+              LINF("STARTTLS issued by remote, but enableSSL failed!");
               LERR(e);
+              outside.writeLine("454 Tried to enable SSL but failed");
             }
           #else
             outside.writeLine("454 TLS temporarily not available");
-	    LINF("STARTTLS issued by remote, TLS was not enabled because this build lacks SSL support");
+            LINF("STARTTLS issued by remote, TLS was not enabled because this build lacks SSL support");
           #endif //HAVE_SSL
           strtemp="";
         }
diff --git a/src/Socket.cpp b/src/Socket.cpp
index 801c424..a33c9a6 100644
--- a/src/Socket.cpp
+++ b/src/Socket.cpp
@@ -159,6 +159,8 @@ Socket::~Socket()
  */
 void Socket::enableSSL(bool server)
 {
+  int retval;
+
   if(server)
     ssl=SSL_new(ssl_ctx_server);
   else
@@ -172,9 +174,13 @@ void Socket::enableSSL(bool server)
     throw Exception(_("Error creating ssl structure"),__FILE__,__LINE__);
 
   if(server)
-    SSL_accept(ssl);
+    retval=SSL_accept(ssl);
   else
-    SSL_connect(ssl);
+    retval=SSL_connect(ssl);
+
+  //SSL_accept and SSL_connect have the same semantics so we handle them together
+  if(1!=retval)
+    throw Exception(_("Error enabling SSL on the socket"),__FILE__,__LINE__);
 }
 #endif //HAVE_SSL