diff --git a/Lib/smtplib.py b/Lib/smtplib.py
index 69d7f71..9300474 100755
--- a/Lib/smtplib.py
+++ b/Lib/smtplib.py
@@ -754,9 +754,10 @@
 
         def _get_socket(self, host, port, timeout):
             if self.debuglevel > 0: print>>stderr, 'connect:', (host, port)
-            self.sock = socket.create_connection((host, port), timeout)
-            self.sock = ssl.wrap_socket(self.sock, self.keyfile, self.certfile)
-            self.file = SSLFakeFile(self.sock)
+            new_socket = socket.create_connection((host, port), timeout)
+            new_socket = ssl.wrap_socket(new_socket, self.keyfile, self.certfile)
+            self.file = SSLFakeFile(new_socket)
+            return new_socket
 
     __all__.append("SMTP_SSL")
 
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_smtpnet.py b/Lib/test/test_smtpnet.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c38eeee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Lib/test/test_smtpnet.py
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+import unittest
+from test import test_support
+import smtplib
+
+test_support.requires(
+    "network",
+    "use of network resource is not enabled and "
+    "test requires Internet access for communication with smtp.gmail.com:465",
+    )
+
+class SmtpSSLTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    testServer = 'smtp.gmail.com'
+    remotePort = 465
+
+    def test_connect(self):
+        server = smtplib.SMTP_SSL(self.testServer, self.remotePort)
+        server.ehlo()
+        server.quit()
+
+def test_main():
+    test_support.run_unittest(SmtpSSLTest)
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    test_main()
diff --git a/Misc/ACKS b/Misc/ACKS
index abcad74..ccb7827 100644
--- a/Misc/ACKS
+++ b/Misc/ACKS
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 
 David Abrahams
 Jim Ahlstrom
+Farhan Ahmad
 Jyrki Alakuijala
 Billy G. Allie
 Kevin Altis
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@
 Donovan Baarda
 Attila Babo
 Alfonso Baciero
+Marcin Bachry
 Dwayne Bailey
 Stig Bakken
 Greg Ball
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index db2d60d..358d6ed 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -302,6 +302,9 @@
 Library
 -------
 
+- Issue #4066: smtplib.SMTP_SSL._get_socket now correctly returns the socket.
+  Patch by Farhan Ahmad, test by Marcin Bachry.
+
 - Issue #6062: In distutils, fixed the package option of build_ext. Feedback 
   and tests on pywin32 by Tim Golden.