diff --git a/luprex/core/cpp/driver-common.cpp b/luprex/core/cpp/driver-common.cpp
index 2e7b8e44..87c61565 100644
--- a/luprex/core/cpp/driver-common.cpp
+++ b/luprex/core/cpp/driver-common.cpp
@@ -278,7 +278,9 @@ class Driver {
         } else if (error == SSL_ERROR_WANT_WRITE) {
             chan.ready_on_pollout = true;
         } else {
-            close_channel(chan, drvssl::errors_string());
+            std::string error = drvssl::error_string();
+            if (error == "") error = "unknown error";
+            close_channel(chan, error);
         }
     }
 
@@ -349,7 +351,7 @@ class Driver {
     }
 
     void advance_channel(ChanInfo &chan) {
-        drvssl::assert_errors_empty();
+        drvssl::clear_all_errors();
         switch (chan.state) {
             case CHAN_PLAINTEXT:
                 advance_plaintext(chan);
@@ -367,7 +369,6 @@ class Driver {
                 assert(false);
                 break;
         }
-        drvssl::assert_errors_empty();
     }
 
     void handle_socket_input_output() {
@@ -527,7 +528,6 @@ class Driver {
         ssl_client_insecure_ctx_.reset(drvssl::new_context(SSL_VERIFY_NONE));
         ssl_load_certificate_authorities(ssl_client_secure_ctx_.get());
         drvssl::ctx_load_dummy_cert(ssl_server_ctx_.get());
-        drvssl::assert_errors_empty();
 
         handle_lua_source();
         recorder_.drv_invoke_event_init(argc, argv);
diff --git a/luprex/core/cpp/driver-linux.cpp b/luprex/core/cpp/driver-linux.cpp
index e8bf0410..4bdecbbd 100644
--- a/luprex/core/cpp/driver-linux.cpp
+++ b/luprex/core/cpp/driver-linux.cpp
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ static SOCKET open_connection(const char *host, const char *port, std::string &e
     if (sock <= 0) goto error_errno;
 
     set_nonblocking(sock);
+
     status = connect(sock, goodaddr->ai_addr, goodaddr->ai_addrlen);
     if ((status != 0) && (errno != EINPROGRESS)) goto error_errno;
 
@@ -220,7 +221,7 @@ static int console_read(char *bytes, int nbytes) {
 }
 
 static void ssl_load_certificate_authorities(SSL_CTX *ctx) {
-    SSL_CTX_set_default_verify_paths(ctx);
+    assert(SSL_CTX_set_default_verify_paths(ctx) == 1);
 }
 
 static void disable_randomization(int argc, char *argv[]) {
@@ -259,7 +260,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
     disable_randomization(argc, argv);
     enable_tty_raw();
-    OPENSSL_init_ssl(0, NULL);
+    assert(OPENSSL_init_ssl(0, NULL) == 1);
+    drvssl::clear_all_errors();
     SourceDB::register_lua_builtins();
     Driver driver;
     return driver.drive(argc, argv);
diff --git a/luprex/core/cpp/driver-ssl.cpp b/luprex/core/cpp/driver-ssl.cpp
index d41f0e8f..fddf19e9 100644
--- a/luprex/core/cpp/driver-ssl.cpp
+++ b/luprex/core/cpp/driver-ssl.cpp
@@ -61,46 +61,36 @@ const char *dummy_key =
     "HcKc9a4WXhC7yu79e5BnKWltHXY=\n"
     "-----END PRIVATE KEY-----\n";
 
-std::string errors_string(bool lastonly) {
-    std::string err;
-    const char *file, *data;
-    int line, flags;
-    // const char *func;
-
+std::string error_string() {
+    // Get the last code.
+    int code = 0;
     while (true) {
-        // Newer versions of the SSL API support this.
-        // unsigned long code =
-        //    ERR_get_error_all(&file, &line, &func, &data, &flags);
-        // Older versions of the SSL API support this.
-        unsigned long code =
-            ERR_get_error_line_data(&file, &line, &data, &flags);
-        if (code == 0) break;
-        std::string reason;
+        int icode = ERR_get_error();
+        if (icode == 0) break;
+        code = icode;
+    }
+
+    // Fetch and clear errno.
+    int terrno = errno;
+    errno = 0;
+    
+    if (code != 0) {
         const char *rc = ERR_reason_error_string(code);
         if (rc != nullptr) {
-            reason = rc;
+            return rc;
         } else {
-            reason = "sys:" + strerror_str(ERR_GET_REASON(code));
-        }
-        if (err.empty() || lastonly) {
-            err = reason;
-        } else {
-            err = err + ", " + reason;
-        }
-        if ((data != nullptr) && (data[0] != 0)) {
-            err = err + " " + data;
+            return strerror_str(ERR_GET_REASON(code));
         }
+    } else if (terrno != 0) {
+        return strerror_str(terrno);
+    } else {
+        return "";
     }
-    return err;
 }
 
-void assert_errors_empty() {
-    int code = ERR_peek_error();
-    if (code != 0) {
-        std::cerr << "SSL should not have errors at this point." << std::endl;
-        ERR_print_errors_fp(stderr);
-        exit(1);
-    }
+void clear_all_errors() {
+    ERR_clear_error();
+    errno = 0;
 }
 
 SSL_CTX *new_context(int verify) {
diff --git a/luprex/core/cpp/driver-ssl.hpp b/luprex/core/cpp/driver-ssl.hpp
index 1e3fa9aa..27db5569 100644
--- a/luprex/core/cpp/driver-ssl.hpp
+++ b/luprex/core/cpp/driver-ssl.hpp
@@ -46,14 +46,14 @@ struct ErrClearErrorOnExit {
     }
 };
 
-std::string errors_string(bool lastonly = true);
-void assert_errors_empty();
+// Return the OpenSSL error as a string.
+std::string error_string();
+void clear_all_errors();
 SSL_CTX *new_context(int verify);
 void ctx_load_dummy_cert(SSL_CTX *ctx);
 void ctx_load_cert_from_directory(SSL_CTX *ctx, const std::string &dir);
 
 } // namespace drvssl
 
-
 #endif // DRIVER_SSL_HPP