diff --git a/PCbuild/_ssl.dsp b/PCbuild/_ssl.dsp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d87aecc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/PCbuild/_ssl.dsp
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+# Microsoft Developer Studio Project File - Name="_ssl" - Package Owner=<4>
+# Microsoft Developer Studio Generated Build File, Format Version 6.00
+# ** DO NOT EDIT **
+
+# TARGTYPE "Win32 (x86) External Target" 0x0106
+
+CFG=_ssl - Win32 Debug
+!MESSAGE This is not a valid makefile. To build this project using NMAKE,
+!MESSAGE use the Export Makefile command and run
+!MESSAGE 
+!MESSAGE NMAKE /f "_ssl.mak".
+!MESSAGE 
+!MESSAGE You can specify a configuration when running NMAKE
+!MESSAGE by defining the macro CFG on the command line. For example:
+!MESSAGE 
+!MESSAGE NMAKE /f "_ssl.mak" CFG="_ssl - Win32 Debug"
+!MESSAGE 
+!MESSAGE Possible choices for configuration are:
+!MESSAGE 
+!MESSAGE "_ssl - Win32 Release" (based on "Win32 (x86) External Target")
+!MESSAGE "_ssl - Win32 Debug" (based on "Win32 (x86) External Target")
+!MESSAGE 
+
+# Begin Project
+# PROP AllowPerConfigDependencies 0
+# PROP Scc_ProjName ""
+# PROP Scc_LocalPath ""
+
+!IF  "$(CFG)" == "_ssl - Win32 Release"
+
+# PROP BASE Use_MFC 0
+# PROP BASE Use_Debug_Libraries 0
+# PROP BASE Output_Dir "Release"
+# PROP BASE Intermediate_Dir "Release"
+# PROP BASE Cmd_Line "NMAKE /f _ssl.mak"
+# PROP BASE Rebuild_Opt "/a"
+# PROP BASE Target_File "_ssl.exe"
+# PROP BASE Bsc_Name "_ssl.bsc"
+# PROP BASE Target_Dir ""
+# PROP Use_MFC 0
+# PROP Use_Debug_Libraries 0
+# PROP Output_Dir "."
+# PROP Intermediate_Dir "x86-temp-release\_ssl"
+# PROP Cmd_Line "python build_ssl.py"
+# PROP Rebuild_Opt "-a"
+# PROP Target_File "_ssl.pyd"
+# PROP Bsc_Name ""
+# PROP Target_Dir ""
+
+!ELSEIF  "$(CFG)" == "_ssl - Win32 Debug"
+
+# PROP BASE Use_MFC 0
+# PROP BASE Use_Debug_Libraries 1
+# PROP BASE Output_Dir "x86-temp-debug\_ssl"
+# PROP BASE Intermediate_Dir "x86-temp-debug\_ssl"
+# PROP BASE Cmd_Line "NMAKE /f _ssl.mak"
+# PROP BASE Rebuild_Opt "/a"
+# PROP BASE Target_File "_ssl_d.pyd"
+# PROP BASE Bsc_Name "_ssl_d.bsc"
+# PROP BASE Target_Dir ""
+# PROP Use_MFC 0
+# PROP Use_Debug_Libraries 1
+# PROP Output_Dir "."
+# PROP Intermediate_Dir "x86-temp-debug\_ssl"
+# PROP Cmd_Line "python -u build_ssl.py -d"
+# PROP Rebuild_Opt "-a"
+# PROP Target_File "_ssl_d.pyd"
+# PROP Bsc_Name ""
+# PROP Target_Dir ""
+
+!ENDIF 
+
+# Begin Target
+
+# Name "_ssl - Win32 Release"
+# Name "_ssl - Win32 Debug"
+
+!IF  "$(CFG)" == "_ssl - Win32 Release"
+
+!ELSEIF  "$(CFG)" == "_ssl - Win32 Debug"
+
+!ENDIF 
+
+# Begin Source File
+
+SOURCE=..\Modules\_ssl.c
+# End Source File
+# End Target
+# End Project
diff --git a/PCbuild/_ssl.mak b/PCbuild/_ssl.mak
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8e441b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/PCbuild/_ssl.mak
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+
+!IFDEF DEBUG
+MODULE=_ssl_d.pyd
+TEMP_DIR=x86-temp-debug/_ssl
+CFLAGS=/Od /Zi /MDd /LDd /DDEBUG /D_DEBUG
+SSL_LIB_DIR=$(SSL_DIR)/out32.dbg
+!ELSE
+MODULE=_ssl.pyd
+TEMP_DIR=x86-temp-release/_ssl
+CFLAGS=/Ox /MD /LD
+SSL_LIB_DIR=$(SSL_DIR)/out32
+!ENDIF
+
+INCLUDES=-I ../Include -I ../PC -I $(SSL_DIR)/inc32
+LIBS=gdi32.lib wsock32.lib /libpath:$(SSL_LIB_DIR) libeay32.lib ssleay32.lib
+
+SOURCE=../Modules/_ssl.c 
+
+$(MODULE): $(SOURCE) ../PC/*.h ../Include/*.h
+    cl /nologo $(SOURCE) $(CFLAGS) /Fo$(TEMP_DIR)\$*.obj $(INCLUDES) /link /out:$(MODULE) $(LIBS)
diff --git a/PCbuild/build_ssl.py b/PCbuild/build_ssl.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a1f8004
--- /dev/null
+++ b/PCbuild/build_ssl.py
@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+# Script for building the _ssl module for Windows.
+# Uses Perl to setup the OpenSSL environment correctly
+# and build OpenSSL, then invokes a simple nmake session
+# for _ssl.pyd itself.
+
+# THEORETICALLY, you can:
+# * Unpack the latest SSL release one level above your main Python source
+#   directory.  It is likely you will already find the zlib library and
+#   any other external packages there.
+# * Install ActivePerl and ensure it is somewhere on your path.
+# * Run this script from the PCBuild directory.
+#
+# it should configure and build SSL, then build the ssl Python extension
+# without intervention.
+
+import os, sys, re
+
+# Find all "foo.exe" files on the PATH.
+def find_all_on_path(filename, extras = None):
+    entries = os.environ["PATH"].split(os.pathsep)
+    ret = []
+    for p in entries:
+        fname = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(p, filename))
+        if os.path.isfile(fname) and fname not in ret:
+            ret.append(fname)
+    if extras:
+        for p in extras:
+            fname = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(p, filename))
+            if os.path.isfile(fname) and fname not in ret:
+                ret.append(fname)
+    return ret
+
+# Find a suitable Perl installation for OpenSSL.
+# cygwin perl does *not* work.  ActivePerl does.
+# Being a Perl dummy, the simplest way I can check is if the "Win32" package
+# is available.
+def find_working_perl(perls):
+    for perl in perls:
+        fh = os.popen(perl + ' -e "use Win32;"')
+        fh.read()
+        rc = fh.close()
+        if rc:
+            continue
+        return perl
+    print "Can not find a suitable PERL:"
+    if perls:
+        print " the following perl interpreters were found:"
+        for p in perls:
+            print " ", p
+        print " None of these versions appear suitable for building OpenSSL"
+    else:
+        print " NO perl interpreters were found on this machine at all!"
+    print " Please install ActivePerl and ensure it appears on your path"
+    print "The Python SSL module was not built"
+    return None
+
+# Locate the best SSL directory given a few roots to look into.
+def find_best_ssl_dir(sources):
+    candidates = []
+    for s in sources:
+        try:
+            s = os.path.abspath(s)
+            fnames = os.listdir(s)
+        except os.error:
+            fnames = []
+        for fname in fnames:
+            fqn = os.path.join(s, fname)
+            if os.path.isdir(fqn) and fname.startswith("openssl-"):
+                candidates.append(fqn)
+    # Now we have all the candidates, locate the best.
+    best_parts = []
+    best_name = None
+    for c in candidates:
+        parts = re.split("[.-]", os.path.basename(c))[1:]
+        # eg - openssl-0.9.7-beta1 - ignore all "beta" or any other qualifiers
+        if len(parts) >= 4:
+            continue
+        if parts > best_parts:
+            best_parts = parts
+            best_name = c
+    if best_name is not None:
+        print "Found an SSL directory at '%s'" % (best_name,)
+    else:
+        print "Could not find an SSL directory in '%s'" % (sources,)
+    return best_name
+
+def main():
+    debug = "-d" in sys.argv
+    build_all = "-a" in sys.argv
+    make_flags = ""
+    if build_all:
+        make_flags = "-a"
+    # perl should be on the path, but we also look in "\perl" and "c:\\perl"
+    # as "well known" locations
+    perls = find_all_on_path("perl.exe", ["\\perl\\bin", "C:\\perl\\bin"])
+    perl = find_working_perl(perls)
+    if perl is None:
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    print "Found a working perl at '%s'" % (perl,)
+    # Look for SSL 2 levels up from pcbuild - ie, same place zlib etc all live.
+    ssl_dir = find_best_ssl_dir(("../..",))
+    if ssl_dir is None:
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    old_cd = os.getcwd()
+    try:
+        os.chdir(ssl_dir)
+        # If the ssl makefiles do not exist, we invoke Perl to generate them.
+        if not os.path.isfile(os.path.join(ssl_dir, "32.mak")) or \
+           not os.path.isfile(os.path.join(ssl_dir, "d32.mak")):
+            print "Creating the makefiles..."
+            # Put our working Perl at the front of our path
+            os.environ["PATH"] = os.path.split(perl)[0] + \
+                                          os.pathsep + \
+                                          os.environ["PATH"]
+            rc = os.system("ms\\32all.bat")
+
+        # Now run make.
+        print "Executing nmake over the ssl makefiles..."
+        if debug:
+            rc = os.system("nmake /nologo -f d32.mak")
+            if rc:
+                print "Executing d32.mak failed"
+                print rc
+                sys.exit(rc)
+        else:
+            rc = os.system("nmake /nologo -f 32.mak")
+            if rc:
+                print "Executing 32.mak failed"
+                print rc
+                sys.exit(rc)
+    finally:
+        os.chdir(old_cd)
+    # And finally, we can build the _ssl module itself for Python.
+    defs = "SSL_DIR=%s" % (ssl_dir,)
+    if debug:
+        defs = defs + " " + "DEBUG=1"
+    rc = os.system('nmake /nologo -f _ssl.mak ' + defs + " " + make_flags)
+    sys.exit(rc)
+
+if __name__=='__main__':
+    main()
diff --git a/PCbuild/pcbuild.dsw b/PCbuild/pcbuild.dsw
index 25b4a33..b5ef113 100644
--- a/PCbuild/pcbuild.dsw
+++ b/PCbuild/pcbuild.dsw
@@ -48,6 +48,27 @@
 
 ###############################################################################
 
+Project: "_ssl"=".\_ssl.dsp" - Package Owner=<4>
+
+Package=<5>
+{{{
+}}}
+
+Package=<4>
+{{{
+    Begin Project Dependency
+    Project_Dep_Name pythoncore
+    End Project Dependency
+    Begin Project Dependency
+    Project_Dep_Name _sre
+    End Project Dependency
+    Begin Project Dependency
+    Project_Dep_Name python
+    End Project Dependency
+}}}
+
+###############################################################################
+
 Project: "_symtable"=".\_symtable.dsp" - Package Owner=<4>
 
 Package=<5>
diff --git a/PCbuild/readme.txt b/PCbuild/readme.txt
index 94594d0..c662f7b 100644
--- a/PCbuild/readme.txt
+++ b/PCbuild/readme.txt
@@ -199,7 +199,37 @@
 """
     XXX This isn't encouraging, but I don't know what to do about it.
 
+_ssl
+    Python wrapper for the secure sockets library.  
 
+    Get the latest source code for OpenSSL from
+        http://www.openssl.org
+
+    Unpack into the "dist" directory, retaining the folder name from
+    the archive - for example, the latest stable OpenSSL will install as
+        dist/openssl-0.9.6g
+
+    You can (theoretically) use any version of OpenSSL you like - the
+    build process will automatically select the latest version.
+
+    You must also install ActivePerl from
+        http://www.activestate.com/Products/ActivePerl/
+    as this is used by the OpenSSL build process.  Complain to them <wink>
+
+    The MSVC project simply invokes PCBuild/build_ssl.py to perform
+    the build.  This Python script locates and builds your OpenSSL 
+    installation, then invokes a simple makefile to build the final .pyd.
+
+    build_ssl.py attempts to catch the most common errors (such as not
+    being able to find OpenSSL sources, or not being able to find a Perl
+    that works with OpenSSL) and give a reasonable error message.
+    If you have a problem that doesn't seem to be handled correctly
+    (eg, you know you have ActivePerl but we can't find it), please take
+    a peek at build_ssl.py and suggest patches.  Note that build_ssl.py
+    should be able to be run directly from the command-line.
+
+    build_ssl.py/MSVC isn't clever enough to clean OpenSSL - you must do this 
+    by hand.
 
 YOUR OWN EXTENSION DLLs
 -----------------------