diff --git a/nsock/tests/run_tests.sh b/nsock/tests/run_tests.sh
index f2b45f68d..d8c468dec 100755
--- a/nsock/tests/run_tests.sh
+++ b/nsock/tests/run_tests.sh
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ cleanup_all() {
 main() {
   setup_echo_udp $PORT_UDP
   setup_echo_tcp $PORT_TCP
-  setup_echo_tcpssl $PORT_TCPSSL
+  $EXEC_MAIN --ssl && setup_echo_tcpssl $PORT_TCPSSL
 
   $TRACER $EXEC_MAIN
 
diff --git a/nsock/tests/tests_main.c b/nsock/tests/tests_main.c
index 29b963747..bfa6b93d9 100644
--- a/nsock/tests/tests_main.c
+++ b/nsock/tests/tests_main.c
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 
 #include "test-common.h"
+#include "string.h"
 
 
 #ifndef WIN32
@@ -36,7 +37,9 @@ extern const struct test_case TestGHHeaps;
 extern const struct test_case TestHeapOrdering;
 extern const struct test_case TestCancelTCP;
 extern const struct test_case TestCancelUDP;
+#ifdef HAVE_OPENSSL
 extern const struct test_case TestCancelSSL;
+#endif
 
 
 static const struct test_case *TestCases[] = {
@@ -58,7 +61,9 @@ static const struct test_case *TestCases[] = {
   /* ---- cancel.c */
   &TestCancelTCP,
   &TestCancelUDP,
+#ifdef HAVE_OPENSSL
   &TestCancelSSL,
+#endif
   NULL
 };
 
@@ -94,6 +99,15 @@ static int win_init(void) {
 int main(int ac, char **av) {
   int rc, i;
 
+  /* simple "do we have ssl" check for run_tests.sh */
+  if (ac == 2 && !strncmp(av[1], "--ssl", 5)) {
+#ifdef HAVE_SSL
+    return 0;
+#else
+    return 1;
+#endif
+  }
+
 #ifdef WIN32
   win_init();
 #endif