diff --git a/scripts/http-slowloris-check.nse b/scripts/http-slowloris-check.nse
index 8006091d8..d8482aa64 100644
--- a/scripts/http-slowloris-check.nse
+++ b/scripts/http-slowloris-check.nse
@@ -91,7 +91,8 @@ the http server's resources causing Denial Of Service.
   local report = vulns.Report:new(SCRIPT_NAME, host, port)
   slowloris.state = vulns.STATE.NOT_VULN
 
-  local sd, response, Bestopt = comm.tryssl(host, port, "GET / \r\n\r\n") -- first determine if we need ssl
+  local sd, response, Bestopt = comm.tryssl(host, port, "GET / HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n") -- first determine if we need ssl
+  if sd then sd:close() end
   if Bestopt == "none" then
     stdnse.debug1("Error determining SSL: %s", response)
     return nil
diff --git a/scripts/http-slowloris.nse b/scripts/http-slowloris.nse
index 2ea43f31c..33d1102a3 100644
--- a/scripts/http-slowloris.nse
+++ b/scripts/http-slowloris.nse
@@ -202,9 +202,10 @@ local function do_monitor(host, port)
     "Host: " .. host.ip ..
     "\r\nUser-Agent: " .. http.USER_AGENT .. "\r\n\r\n"
   local opts = {}
-  local _
+  local sd,_
 
-  _, _, Bestopt = comm.tryssl(host, port, "GET / \r\n\r\n", opts) -- first determine if we need ssl
+  sd, _, Bestopt = comm.tryssl(host, port, "GET / HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n", opts) -- first determine if we need ssl
+  if sd then sd:close() end
 
   while not StopAll do
     local monitor = nmap.new_socket()