diff --git a/Modules/_ssl.c b/Modules/_ssl.c
index eef6588..44f9386 100644
--- a/Modules/_ssl.c
+++ b/Modules/_ssl.c
@@ -464,7 +464,6 @@
 
 	/* Actually negotiate SSL connection */
 	/* XXX If SSL_do_handshake() returns 0, it's also a failure. */
-	sockstate = 0;
 	do {
 		PySSL_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
 		ret = SSL_do_handshake(self->ssl);
@@ -1198,7 +1197,6 @@
 		goto error;
 	}
 	do {
-		err = 0;
 		PySSL_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
 		len = SSL_write(self->ssl, buf.buf, buf.len);
 		err = SSL_get_error(self->ssl, len);
@@ -1317,7 +1315,6 @@
 		}
 	}
 	do {
-		err = 0;
 		PySSL_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
 		count = SSL_read(self->ssl, PyString_AsString(buf), len);
 		err = SSL_get_error(self->ssl, count);