diff --git a/Lib/ssl.py b/Lib/ssl.py
index d78d96d..2c81a54 100644
--- a/Lib/ssl.py
+++ b/Lib/ssl.py
@@ -402,6 +402,8 @@
         Return zero-length string on EOF."""
 
         self._checkClosed()
+        if not self._sslobj:
+            raise ValueError("Read on closed or unwrapped SSL socket.")
         try:
             if buffer is not None:
                 v = self._sslobj.read(len, buffer)
@@ -422,6 +424,8 @@
         number of bytes of DATA actually transmitted."""
 
         self._checkClosed()
+        if not self._sslobj:
+            raise ValueError("Write on closed or unwrapped SSL socket.")
         return self._sslobj.write(data)
 
     def getpeercert(self, binary_form=False):
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_ssl.py b/Lib/test/test_ssl.py
index 210040b..6998dda 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_ssl.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_ssl.py
@@ -2311,6 +2311,21 @@
             self.assertEqual(cm.exception.reason, 'TLSV1_ALERT_INTERNAL_ERROR')
             self.assertIn("TypeError", stderr.getvalue())
 
+        def test_read_write_after_close_raises_valuerror(self):
+            context = ssl.SSLContext(ssl.PROTOCOL_SSLv23)
+            context.verify_mode = ssl.CERT_REQUIRED
+            context.load_verify_locations(CERTFILE)
+            context.load_cert_chain(CERTFILE)
+            server = ThreadedEchoServer(context=context, chatty=False)
+
+            with server:
+                s = context.wrap_socket(socket.socket())
+                s.connect((HOST, server.port))
+                s.close()
+
+                self.assertRaises(ValueError, s.read, 1024)
+                self.assertRaises(ValueError, s.write, 'hello')
+
 
 def test_main(verbose=False):
     if support.verbose:
diff --git a/Misc/ACKS b/Misc/ACKS
index ebda56f..43da4af 100644
--- a/Misc/ACKS
+++ b/Misc/ACKS
@@ -1021,6 +1021,7 @@
 Burton Radons
 Jeff Ramnani
 Brodie Rao
+Senko Rasic
 Antti Rasinen
 Sridhar Ratnakumar
 Ysj Ray
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index f24fc91..5b83f8a 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -159,6 +159,9 @@
 Library
 -------
 
+- Issue #9177: Calling read() or write() now raises ValueError, not
+  AttributeError, on a closed SSL socket.  Patch by Senko Rasic.
+
 - Issue #18513: Fix behaviour of cmath.rect w.r.t. signed zeros on OS X 10.8 +
   gcc.