diff --git a/lib/fetch/common.c b/lib/fetch/common.c
index 8122c2e0..2c7fc4f2 100644
--- a/lib/fetch/common.c
+++ b/lib/fetch/common.c
@@ -963,8 +963,12 @@ fetch_ssl(conn_t *conn, const struct url *URL, int verbose)
 
 	(void)pthread_once(&ssl_init_once, ssl_init);
 
-	conn->ssl_meth = SSLv23_client_method();
-	conn->ssl_ctx = SSL_CTX_new(conn->ssl_meth);
+	conn->ssl_ctx = SSL_CTX_new(SSLv23_client_method());
+	if (conn->ssl_ctx == NULL) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "failed to create SSL context\n");
+		ERR_print_errors_fp(stderr);
+		return -1;
+	}
 	SSL_CTX_set_mode(conn->ssl_ctx, SSL_MODE_AUTO_RETRY);
 
 	fetch_ssl_setup_transport_layer(conn->ssl_ctx, verbose);
diff --git a/lib/fetch/common.h b/lib/fetch/common.h
index 4c261577..09a5d6b1 100644
--- a/lib/fetch/common.h
+++ b/lib/fetch/common.h
@@ -73,11 +73,6 @@ struct fetchconn {
 	SSL		*ssl;		/* SSL handle */
 	SSL_CTX		*ssl_ctx;	/* SSL context */
 	X509		*ssl_cert;	/* server certificate */
-#  if OPENSSL_VERSION_NUMBER < 0x00909000L
-	SSL_METHOD *ssl_meth;		/* SSL method */
-#  else
-	const SSL_METHOD *ssl_meth;	/* SSL method */
-#  endif
 #endif
 
 	char		*ftp_home;