diff --git a/src/class_receiveDataThread.py b/src/class_receiveDataThread.py
index c227648a..c745569e 100644
--- a/src/class_receiveDataThread.py
+++ b/src/class_receiveDataThread.py
@@ -81,7 +81,9 @@ class receiveDataThread(threading.Thread):
                         shared.numberOfBytesReceivedLastSecond = 0
             dataLen = len(self.data)
             try:
-                if (self.services & shared.NODE_SSL == shared.NODE_SSL) and self.connectionIsOrWasFullyEstablished:
+                if ((self.services & shared.NODE_SSL == shared.NODE_SSL) and
+                    self.connectionIsOrWasFullyEstablished and
+                    shared.haveSSL(not self.initiatedConnection)):
                     dataRecv = self.sslSock.recv(1024)
                 else:
                     dataRecv = self.sock.recv(1024)
@@ -251,7 +253,8 @@ class receiveDataThread(threading.Thread):
         self.connectionIsOrWasFullyEstablished = True
 
         self.sslSock = self.sock
-        if (self.services & shared.NODE_SSL == shared.NODE_SSL and (self.initiatedConnection or sys.version_info >= (2, 7, 9))):
+        if (self.services & shared.NODE_SSL == shared.NODE_SSL and
+            shared.haveSSL(not self.initiatedConnection)):
             self.sslSock = ssl.wrap_socket(self.sock, keyfile = os.path.join(shared.codePath(), 'sslkeys', 'key.pem'), certfile = os.path.join(shared.codePath(), 'sslkeys', 'cert.pem'), server_side = not self.initiatedConnection, ssl_version=ssl.PROTOCOL_TLSv1, do_handshake_on_connect=False, ciphers='AECDH-AES256-SHA')
             if hasattr(self.sslSock, "context"):
                 self.sslSock.context.set_ecdh_curve("secp256k1")
@@ -267,7 +270,7 @@ class receiveDataThread(threading.Thread):
                 except:
                     break
         # Command the corresponding sendDataThread to set its own connectionIsOrWasFullyEstablished variable to True also
-        self.sendDataThreadQueue.put((0, 'connectionIsOrWasFullyEstablished', (self.services, self.sslSock)))
+        self.sendDataThreadQueue.put((0, 'connectionIsOrWasFullyEstablished', (self.services, self.sslSock, self.initiatedConnection)))
 
         if not self.initiatedConnection:
             shared.clientHasReceivedIncomingConnections = True
diff --git a/src/class_sendDataThread.py b/src/class_sendDataThread.py
index 665bbb1b..869f7425 100644
--- a/src/class_sendDataThread.py
+++ b/src/class_sendDataThread.py
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ class sendDataThread(threading.Thread):
         self.name = "sendData-" + self.peer.host
         self.streamNumber = streamNumber
         self.services = 0
+        self.initiatedConnection = False
         self.remoteProtocolVersion = - \
             1  # This must be set using setRemoteProtocolVersion command which is sent through the self.sendDataThreadQueue queue.
         self.lastTimeISentData = int(
@@ -82,7 +83,9 @@ class sendDataThread(threading.Thread):
                             uploadRateLimitBytes = 999999999 # float("inf") doesn't work
                         else:
                             uploadRateLimitBytes = shared.config.getint('bitmessagesettings', 'maxuploadrate') * 1000
-                if self.services & shared.NODE_SSL == shared.NODE_SSL and self.connectionIsOrWasFullyEstablished:
+                if ((self.services & shared.NODE_SSL == shared.NODE_SSL) and
+                    self.connectionIsOrWasFullyEstablished and
+                    shared.haveSSL(not self.initiatedConnection)):
                     amountSent = self.sslSock.send(data[:1000])
                 else:
                     amountSent = self.sock.send(data[:1000])
@@ -172,7 +175,7 @@ class sendDataThread(threading.Thread):
                         break
                 elif command == 'connectionIsOrWasFullyEstablished':
                     self.connectionIsOrWasFullyEstablished = True
-                    self.services, self.sslSock = data
+                    self.services, self.sslSock, self.initiatedConnection = data
             else:
                 logger.error('sendDataThread ID: ' + str(id(self)) + ' ignoring command ' + command + ' because the thread is not in stream' + str(deststream))
 
diff --git a/src/shared.py b/src/shared.py
index 6cc29116..72a48516 100644
--- a/src/shared.py
+++ b/src/shared.py
@@ -149,11 +149,18 @@ def encodeHost(host):
     else:
         return socket.inet_pton(socket.AF_INET6, host)
 
-def assembleVersionMessage(remoteHost, remotePort, myStreamNumber):
+def haveSSL(server = False):
+    # python < 2.7.9's ssl library does not support ECDSA server due to missing initialisation of available curves, but client works ok
+    if server == False:
+        return True
+    elif sys.version_info >= (2,7,9):
+        return True
+    return False
+        
+def assembleVersionMessage(remoteHost, remotePort, myStreamNumber, server = False):
     payload = ''
     payload += pack('>L', 3)  # protocol version.
-    payload += pack('>q', NODE_NETWORK|(NODE_SSL if sys.version_info >= (2, 7, 9) else 0))  # bitflags of the services I offer.
-    # python < 2.7.9's ssl library does not support ECDSA server due to missing initialisation of available curves, but client works ok
+    payload += pack('>q', NODE_NETWORK|(NODE_SSL if haveSSL(server) else 0))  # bitflags of the services I offer.
     payload += pack('>q', int(time.time()))
 
     payload += pack(