diff --git a/stud.c b/stud.c
index 1e83617..cfaca3d 100644
--- a/stud.c
+++ b/stud.c
@@ -889,6 +889,13 @@ static void shutdown_proxy(proxystate *ps, SHUTDOWN_REQUESTOR req) {
         close(ps->fd_up);
         close(ps->fd_down);
 
+        // Clear the SSL error queue - it might contain details
+        // of errors that we haven't consumed for whatever reason.
+        // If we don't, future calls to SSL_get_error will lead to 
+        // weird/confusing results that can throw off the handling
+        // of normal conditions like SSL_ERROR_WANT_READ.
+        ERR_clear_error();
+
         SSL_set_shutdown(ps->ssl, SSL_SENT_SHUTDOWN);
         SSL_free(ps->ssl);
 
@@ -1197,7 +1204,14 @@ static void client_handshake(struct ev_loop *loop, ev_io *w, int revents) {
             shutdown_proxy(ps, SHUTDOWN_SSL);
         }
         else {
-            LOG("{%s} Unexpected SSL error (in handshake): %d\n", w->fd == ps->fd_up ? "client" : "backend", err);
+            // Try and get more detail on the error from the SSL
+            // error queue. ERR_error_string requires a char buffer
+            // of 120 bytes.
+            unsigned long err_detail = ERR_get_error();
+            char err_msg[120];
+            ERR_error_string(err_detail, err_msg);
+
+            LOG("{%s} Unexpected SSL error (in handshake): %d, %s\n", w->fd == ps->fd_up ? "client" : "backend", err, err_msg);
             shutdown_proxy(ps, SHUTDOWN_SSL);
         }
     }