diff --git a/modules/ssl/ssl_engine_config.c b/modules/ssl/ssl_engine_config.c
index 27e7a53..b53f3f8 100644
--- a/modules/ssl/ssl_engine_config.c
+++ b/modules/ssl/ssl_engine_config.c
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ static void modssl_ctx_init(modssl_ctx_t *mctx, apr_pool_t *p)
     mctx->ticket_key          = NULL;
 #endif
 
-    mctx->protocol            = SSL_PROTOCOL_DEFAULT;
+    mctx->protocol            = SSL_PROTOCOL_NONE;
     mctx->protocol_set        = 0;
 
     mctx->pphrase_dialog_type = SSL_PPTYPE_UNSET;
@@ -263,6 +263,7 @@ static void modssl_ctx_cfg_merge(apr_pool_t *p,
     if (add->protocol_set) {
         mrg->protocol_set = 1;
         mrg->protocol = add->protocol;
+        mrg->protocol_set = 1;
     }
     else {
         mrg->protocol_set = base->protocol_set;
 
diff --git a/modules/ssl/ssl_engine_init.c b/modules/ssl/ssl_engine_init.c
index bfad47a..b0fcf81 100644
--- a/modules/ssl/ssl_engine_init.c
+++ b/modules/ssl/ssl_engine_init.c
@@ -577,6 +577,7 @@ static apr_status_t ssl_init_ctx_protocol(server_rec *s,
     MODSSL_SSL_METHOD_CONST SSL_METHOD *method = NULL;
     char *cp;
     int protocol = mctx->protocol;
+    int protocol_set = mctx->protocol_set;
     SSLSrvConfigRec *sc = mySrvConfig(s);
 #if OPENSSL_VERSION_NUMBER >= 0x10100000L
     int prot;
@@ -586,12 +587,18 @@ static apr_status_t ssl_init_ctx_protocol(server_rec *s,
      *  Create the new per-server SSL context
      */
     if (protocol == SSL_PROTOCOL_NONE) {
-        ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_EMERG, 0, s, APLOGNO(02231)
-                "No SSL protocols available [hint: SSLProtocol]");
-        return ssl_die(s);
-    }
+        if (protocol_set) {
+            ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_EMERG, 0, s, APLOGNO(02231)
+                    "No SSL protocols available [hint: SSLProtocol]");
+            return ssl_die(s);
+        }
 
-    cp = apr_pstrcat(p,
+        ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_TRACE3, 0, s, 
+                     "Using OpenSSL/system default SSL/TLS protocols");
+        cp = "default";
+    }
+    else {
+        cp = apr_pstrcat(p,
 #ifndef OPENSSL_NO_SSL3
                      (protocol & SSL_PROTOCOL_SSLV3 ? "SSLv3, " : ""),
 #endif
@@ -604,7 +611,8 @@ static apr_status_t ssl_init_ctx_protocol(server_rec *s,
 #endif
 #endif
                      NULL);
-    cp[strlen(cp)-2] = NUL;
+        cp[strlen(cp)-2] = NUL;
+    }
 
     ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_TRACE3, 0, s,
                  "Creating new SSL context (protocols: %s)", cp);
@@ -705,13 +713,15 @@ static apr_status_t ssl_init_ctx_protocol(server_rec *s,
         prot = SSL3_VERSION;
 #endif
     } else {
-        SSL_CTX_free(ctx);
-        mctx->ssl_ctx = NULL;
-        ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_EMERG, 0, s, APLOGNO(03378)
-                "No SSL protocols available [hint: SSLProtocol]");
-        return ssl_die(s);
+        if (protocol_set) {
+            SSL_CTX_free(ctx);
+            mctx->ssl_ctx = NULL;
+            ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_EMERG, 0, s, APLOGNO(03378)
+                    "No SSL protocols available [hint: SSLProtocol]");
+            return ssl_die(s);
+        }
     }
-    SSL_CTX_set_max_proto_version(ctx, prot);
+    if (protocol != SSL_PROTOCOL_NONE) SSL_CTX_set_max_proto_version(ctx, prot);
 
     /* Next we scan for the minimal protocol version we should provide,
      * but we do not allow holes between max and min */
@@ -731,7 +741,7 @@ static apr_status_t ssl_init_ctx_protocol(server_rec *s,
         prot = SSL3_VERSION;
     }
 #endif
-    SSL_CTX_set_min_proto_version(ctx, prot);
+    if (protocol != SSL_PROTOCOL_NONE) SSL_CTX_set_min_proto_version(ctx, prot);
 #endif /* if OPENSSL_VERSION_NUMBER < 0x10100000L */
 
 #ifdef SSL_OP_CIPHER_SERVER_PREFERENCE
