diff --git a/src/ffi.rs b/src/ffi.rs
index 2118391b..9ceb7f31 100644
--- a/src/ffi.rs
+++ b/src/ffi.rs
@@ -272,6 +272,12 @@ extern "C" {
 
     pub fn ERR_get_error() -> c_ulong;
 
+    pub fn ERR_lib_error_string(err: c_ulong) -> *const c_char;
+    pub fn ERR_func_error_string(err: c_ulong) -> *const c_char;
+    pub fn ERR_reason_error_string(err: c_ulong) -> *const c_char;
+
+    pub fn ERR_load_crypto_strings();
+
     pub fn EVP_md5() -> *const EVP_MD;
     pub fn EVP_ripemd160() -> *const EVP_MD;
     pub fn EVP_sha1() -> *const EVP_MD;
@@ -345,6 +351,8 @@ extern "C" {
 
     pub fn SSL_library_init() -> c_int;
 
+    pub fn SSL_load_error_strings();
+
     #[cfg(feature = "sslv2")]
     pub fn SSLv2_method() -> *const SSL_METHOD;
     pub fn SSLv3_method() -> *const SSL_METHOD;
@@ -421,4 +429,3 @@ extern "C" {
     pub fn i2d_RSAPrivateKey(k: *mut RSA, buf: *const *mut u8) -> c_int;
     pub fn d2i_RSAPrivateKey(k: *const *mut RSA, buf: *const *const u8, len: c_uint) -> *mut RSA;
 }
-
diff --git a/src/ssl/error.rs b/src/ssl/error.rs
index 452f8aad..0c1af90a 100644
--- a/src/ssl/error.rs
+++ b/src/ssl/error.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 use libc::c_ulong;
 use std::io::IoError;
+use std::c_str::CString;
 
 use ffi;
 
@@ -20,24 +21,36 @@ pub enum OpensslError {
     /// An unknown error
     UnknownError {
         /// The library reporting the error
-        library: u8,
+        library: String,
         /// The function reporting the error
-        function: u16,
+        function: String,
         /// The reason for the error
-        reason: u16
+        reason: String
     }
 }
 
-fn get_lib(err: c_ulong) -> u8 {
-    ((err >> 24) & 0xff) as u8
+fn get_lib(err: c_ulong) -> String {
+    unsafe { CString::new(ffi::ERR_lib_error_string(err), false) }.to_string()
 }
 
-fn get_func(err: c_ulong) -> u16 {
-    ((err >> 12) & 0xfff) as u16
+fn get_func(err: c_ulong) -> String {
+    unsafe { CString::new(ffi::ERR_func_error_string(err), false).to_string() }
 }
 
-fn get_reason(err: c_ulong) -> u16 {
-    (err & 0xfff) as u16
+fn get_reason(err: c_ulong) -> String {
+    unsafe { CString::new(ffi::ERR_reason_error_string(err), false).to_string() }
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_uknown_error_should_have_correct_messages() {
+    let err = 336032784;
+    let library = get_lib(err);
+    let function = get_func(err);
+    let reason = get_reason(err);
+
+    assert_eq!(library.as_slice(),"SSL routines");
+    assert_eq!(function.as_slice(), "SSL23_GET_SERVER_HELLO");
+    assert_eq!(reason.as_slice(), "sslv3 alert handshake failure");
 }
 
 impl SslError {
diff --git a/src/ssl/mod.rs b/src/ssl/mod.rs
index 379a98cf..c7c024ed 100644
--- a/src/ssl/mod.rs
+++ b/src/ssl/mod.rs
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ fn init() {
     unsafe {
         INIT.doit(|| {
             ffi::SSL_library_init();
+            ffi::SSL_load_error_strings();
+            ffi::ERR_load_crypto_strings();
             let verify_idx = ffi::SSL_CTX_get_ex_new_index(0, ptr::null(), None,
                                                            None, None);
             assert!(verify_idx >= 0);