diff --git a/include/boost/asio/ssl/old/detail/openssl_context_service.hpp b/include/boost/asio/ssl/old/detail/openssl_context_service.hpp
index 9b45e358..61eac6ef 100644
--- a/include/boost/asio/ssl/old/detail/openssl_context_service.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/asio/ssl/old/detail/openssl_context_service.hpp
@@ -85,6 +85,13 @@ class openssl_context_service
       impl = ::SSL_CTX_new(::SSLv2_server_method());
       break;
 #endif // defined(OPENSSL_NO_SSL2)
+#if defined(OPENSSL_NO_SSL3)
+    case context_base::sslv3:
+    case context_base::sslv3_client:
+    case context_base::sslv3_server:
+      boost::asio::detail::throw_error(boost::asio::error::invalid_argument);
+      break;
+#else // defined(OPENSSL_NO_SSL3)
     case context_base::sslv3:
       impl = ::SSL_CTX_new(::SSLv3_method());
       break;
@@ -94,6 +101,7 @@ class openssl_context_service
     case context_base::sslv3_server:
       impl = ::SSL_CTX_new(::SSLv3_server_method());
       break;
+#endif // defined(OPENSSL_NO_SSL3)
     case context_base::tlsv1:
       impl = ::SSL_CTX_new(::TLSv1_method());
       break;