diff --git a/Modules/_ssl.c b/Modules/_ssl.c
index bee1040..76cd7dd 100644
--- a/Modules/_ssl.c
+++ b/Modules/_ssl.c
@@ -64,10 +64,19 @@
 static PyTypeObject PySSL_Type;
 static PyObject *PySSL_SSLwrite(PySSLObject *self, PyObject *args);
 static PyObject *PySSL_SSLread(PySSLObject *self, PyObject *args);
-static int wait_for_timeout(PySocketSockObject *s, int writing);
+static int check_socket_and_wait_for_timeout(PySocketSockObject *s, 
+					     int writing);
 
 #define PySSLObject_Check(v)	((v)->ob_type == &PySSL_Type)
 
+typedef enum {
+	SOCKET_IS_NONBLOCKING,
+	SOCKET_IS_BLOCKING,
+	SOCKET_HAS_TIMED_OUT,
+	SOCKET_HAS_BEEN_CLOSED,
+	SOCKET_OPERATION_OK
+} timeout_state;
+
 /* XXX It might be helpful to augment the error message generated
    below with the name of the SSL function that generated the error.
    I expect it's obvious most of the time.
@@ -170,7 +179,7 @@
 	char *errstr = NULL;
 	int ret;
 	int err;
-	int timedout;
+	int sockstate;
 
 	self = PyObject_New(PySSLObject, &PySSL_Type); /* Create new object */
 	if (self == NULL){
@@ -239,7 +248,7 @@
 
 	/* Actually negotiate SSL connection */
 	/* XXX If SSL_connect() returns 0, it's also a failure. */
-	timedout = 0;
+	sockstate = 0;
 	do {
 		Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
 		ret = SSL_connect(self->ssl);
@@ -249,13 +258,20 @@
                         goto fail;
 		}
 		if (err == SSL_ERROR_WANT_READ) {
-			timedout = wait_for_timeout(Sock, 0);
+			sockstate = check_socket_and_wait_for_timeout(Sock, 0);
 		} else if (err == SSL_ERROR_WANT_WRITE) {
-			timedout = wait_for_timeout(Sock, 1);
+			sockstate = check_socket_and_wait_for_timeout(Sock, 1);
+		} else {
+			sockstate = SOCKET_OPERATION_OK;
 		}
-		if (timedout) {
-			errstr = "The connect operation timed out";
+	    if (sockstate == SOCKET_HAS_TIMED_OUT) {
+			PyErr_SetString(PySSLErrorObject, "The connect operation timed out");
 			goto fail;
+		} else if (sockstate == SOCKET_HAS_BEEN_CLOSED) {
+			PyErr_SetString(PySSLErrorObject, "Underlying socket has been closed.");
+			goto fail;
+		} else if (sockstate == SOCKET_IS_NONBLOCKING) {
+			break;
 		}
 	} while (err == SSL_ERROR_WANT_READ || err == SSL_ERROR_WANT_WRITE);
 	if (ret <= 0) {
@@ -334,22 +350,25 @@
 
 /* If the socket has a timeout, do a select() on the socket.
    The argument writing indicates the direction.
-   Return non-zero if the socket timed out, zero otherwise.
+   Returns one of the possibilities in the timeout_state enum (above).
  */
+
 static int
-wait_for_timeout(PySocketSockObject *s, int writing)
+check_socket_and_wait_for_timeout(PySocketSockObject *s, int writing)
 {
 	fd_set fds;
 	struct timeval tv;
 	int rc;
 
 	/* Nothing to do unless we're in timeout mode (not non-blocking) */
-	if (s->sock_timeout <= 0.0)
-		return 0;
+	if (s->sock_timeout < 0.0)
+		return SOCKET_IS_BLOCKING;
+	else if (s->sock_timeout == 0.0)
+		return SOCKET_IS_NONBLOCKING;
 
 	/* Guard against closed socket */
 	if (s->sock_fd < 0)
-		return 0;
+		return SOCKET_HAS_BEEN_CLOSED;
 
 	/* Construct the arguments to select */
 	tv.tv_sec = (int)s->sock_timeout;
@@ -365,8 +384,9 @@
 		rc = select(s->sock_fd+1, &fds, NULL, NULL, &tv);
 	Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
 
-	/* Return 1 on timeout, 0 otherwise */
-	return rc == 0;
+	/* Return SOCKET_TIMED_OUT on timeout, SOCKET_OPERATION_OK otherwise
+	   (when we are able to write or when there's something to read) */
+	return rc == 0 ? SOCKET_HAS_TIMED_OUT : SOCKET_OPERATION_OK;
 }
 
 static PyObject *PySSL_SSLwrite(PySSLObject *self, PyObject *args)
@@ -374,16 +394,19 @@
 	char *data;
 	int len;
 	int count;
-	int timedout;
+	int sockstate;
 	int err;
 
 	if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "s#:write", &data, &count))
 		return NULL;
 
-	timedout = wait_for_timeout(self->Socket, 1);
-	if (timedout) {
+	sockstate = check_socket_and_wait_for_timeout(self->Socket, 1);
+	if (sockstate == SOCKET_HAS_TIMED_OUT) {
 		PyErr_SetString(PySSLErrorObject, "The write operation timed out");
 		return NULL;
+	} else if (sockstate == SOCKET_HAS_BEEN_CLOSED) {
+		PyErr_SetString(PySSLErrorObject, "Underlying socket has been closed.");
+		return NULL;
 	}
 	do {
 		err = 0;
@@ -395,13 +418,20 @@
 			return NULL;
 		}
 		if (err == SSL_ERROR_WANT_READ) {
-			timedout = wait_for_timeout(self->Socket, 0);
+			sockstate = check_socket_and_wait_for_timeout(self->Socket, 0);
 		} else if (err == SSL_ERROR_WANT_WRITE) {
-			timedout = wait_for_timeout(self->Socket, 1);
+			sockstate = check_socket_and_wait_for_timeout(self->Socket, 1);
+		} else {
+			sockstate = SOCKET_OPERATION_OK;
 		}
-		if (timedout) {
+	    if (sockstate == SOCKET_HAS_TIMED_OUT) {
 			PyErr_SetString(PySSLErrorObject, "The write operation timed out");
 			return NULL;
+		} else if (sockstate == SOCKET_HAS_BEEN_CLOSED) {
+			PyErr_SetString(PySSLErrorObject, "Underlying socket has been closed.");
+			return NULL;
+		} else if (sockstate == SOCKET_IS_NONBLOCKING) {
+			break;
 		}
 	} while (err == SSL_ERROR_WANT_READ || err == SSL_ERROR_WANT_WRITE);
 	if (len > 0)
@@ -421,7 +451,7 @@
 	PyObject *buf;
 	int count = 0;
 	int len = 1024;
-	int timedout;
+	int sockstate;
 	int err;
 
 	if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "|i:read", &len))
@@ -430,8 +460,8 @@
 	if (!(buf = PyString_FromStringAndSize((char *) 0, len)))
 		return NULL;
 
-	timedout = wait_for_timeout(self->Socket, 0);
-	if (timedout) {
+	sockstate = check_socket_and_wait_for_timeout(self->Socket, 0);
+	if (sockstate == SOCKET_HAS_TIMED_OUT) {
 		PyErr_SetString(PySSLErrorObject, "The read operation timed out");
 		Py_DECREF(buf);
 		return NULL;
@@ -447,14 +477,18 @@
 			return NULL;
 		}
 		if (err == SSL_ERROR_WANT_READ) {
-			timedout = wait_for_timeout(self->Socket, 0);
+			sockstate = check_socket_and_wait_for_timeout(self->Socket, 0);
 		} else if (err == SSL_ERROR_WANT_WRITE) {
-			timedout = wait_for_timeout(self->Socket, 1);
+			sockstate = check_socket_and_wait_for_timeout(self->Socket, 1);
+		} else {
+			sockstate = SOCKET_OPERATION_OK;
 		}
-		if (timedout) {
+	    if (sockstate == SOCKET_HAS_TIMED_OUT) {
 			PyErr_SetString(PySSLErrorObject, "The read operation timed out");
 			Py_DECREF(buf);
 			return NULL;
+		} else if (sockstate == SOCKET_IS_NONBLOCKING) {
+			break;
 		}
 	} while (err == SSL_ERROR_WANT_READ || err == SSL_ERROR_WANT_WRITE);
  	if (count <= 0) {