diff --git a/client/mysql.cc b/client/mysql.cc
index 2001056dea1fa10906d14a063fe9eeffbbe9faf9..a0bc6f52f296b37d51587073d499d0ba591cf987 100644
--- a/client/mysql.cc
+++ b/client/mysql.cc
@@ -3212,10 +3212,9 @@ com_status(String *buffer __attribute__((unused)),
       mysql_free_result(result);
     } 
 #ifdef HAVE_OPENSSL
-    if (mysql.net.vio && mysql.net.vio->ssl_arg &&
-	SSL_get_cipher((SSL*) mysql.net.vio->ssl_arg))
+    if (mysql_get_ssl_cipher(&mysql))
       tee_fprintf(stdout, "SSL:\t\t\tCipher in use is %s\n",
-		  SSL_get_cipher((SSL*) mysql.net.vio->ssl_arg));
+		  mysql_get_ssl_cipher(&mysql));
     else
 #endif /* HAVE_OPENSSL */
       tee_puts("SSL:\t\t\tNot in use", stdout);
diff --git a/include/mysql.h b/include/mysql.h
index 925a452537858ad8307a7a49b87ce4bc4934fb4c..6217ce631b527aa35f360e6b76a5c05c76a75805 100644
--- a/include/mysql.h
+++ b/include/mysql.h
@@ -409,6 +409,7 @@ MYSQL *		STDCALL mysql_init(MYSQL *mysql);
 my_bool		STDCALL mysql_ssl_set(MYSQL *mysql, const char *key,
 				      const char *cert, const char *ca,
 				      const char *capath, const char *cipher);
+const char *    STDCALL mysql_get_ssl_cipher(MYSQL *mysql);
 my_bool		STDCALL mysql_change_user(MYSQL *mysql, const char *user, 
 					  const char *passwd, const char *db);
 MYSQL *		STDCALL mysql_real_connect(MYSQL *mysql, const char *host,
diff --git a/sql-common/client.c b/sql-common/client.c
index 84df31b74400522f0d5d82d55b5fc4bf4619f8bb..1303b26c325442e574307e4bea2d8d4d0afa7748 100644
--- a/sql-common/client.c
+++ b/sql-common/client.c
@@ -1535,6 +1535,27 @@ mysql_ssl_free(MYSQL *mysql __attribute__((unused)))
   mysql->connector_fd = 0;
   DBUG_VOID_RETURN;
 }
+
+
+/*
+  Return the SSL cipher (if any) used for current
+  connection to the server.
+
+  SYNOPSYS
+    mysql_get_ssl_cipher()
+      mysql pointer to the mysql connection
+
+*/
+
+const char * STDCALL
+mysql_get_ssl_cipher(MYSQL *mysql)
+{
+  DBUG_ENTER("mysql_get_ssl_cipher");
+  if (mysql->net.vio && mysql->net.vio->ssl_arg)
+    SSL_get_cipher_name((SSL*)mysql->net.vio->ssl_arg);
+  DBUG_RETURN(NULL);
+}
+
 #endif /* HAVE_OPENSSL */