diff -ur src/configure upd/configure
--- src/configure	2014-05-19 07:19:40.000000000 +0200
+++ upd/configure	2014-05-20 16:46:14.000000000 +0200
@@ -817,6 +817,9 @@
 enable_big_digits
 with_computed_gotos
 with_ensurepip
+with_ssl
+with_ssl_includes
+with_ssl_libs
 '
       ac_precious_vars='build_alias
 host_alias
@@ -1502,6 +1505,12 @@
                           default on supported compilers)
   --with(out)-ensurepip=[=upgrade]
                           "install" or "upgrade" using bundled pip
+  --with-ssl=PATH         specify an alternate OpenSSL installation directory
+  --with-ssl-includes=PATH
+                          specify an alternate OpenSSL includes directory
+						  defaults to SSL_PATH/include when --with-ssl set
+  --with-ssl-libs=PATH    specify an alternate OpenSSL libraries directory
+                          defaults to SSL_PATH/lib when --with-ssl set  
 
 Some influential environment variables:
   MACHDEP     name for machine-dependent library files
@@ -9101,6 +9110,44 @@
 $as_echo "default" >&6; }
 fi
 
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for --with-ssl" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for --with-ssl... " >&6; }
+
+# Check whether --with-ssl was given.
+if test "${with_ssl+set}" = set; then :
+  withval=$with_ssl;
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $withval" >&5
+$as_echo "$withval" >&6; }
+else
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: default" >&5
+$as_echo "default" >&6; }
+fi
+
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for --with-ssl-includes" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for --with-ssl-includes... " >&6; }
+
+# Check whether --with-ssl-includes was given.
+if test "${with_ssl_includes+set}" = set; then :
+  withval=$with_ssl_includes;
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $withval" >&5
+$as_echo "$withval" >&6; }
+else
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: default" >&5
+$as_echo "default" >&6; }
+fi
+
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for --with-ssl-libs" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for --with-ssl-libs... " >&6; }
+
+# Check whether --with-ssl-libs was given.
+if test "${with_ssl_libs+set}" = set; then :
+  withval=$with_ssl_libs;
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $withval" >&5
+$as_echo "$withval" >&6; }
+else
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: default" >&5
+$as_echo "default" >&6; }
+fi
 
 # Most SVR4 platforms (e.g. Solaris) need -lsocket and -lnsl.
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for t_open in -lnsl" >&5
diff -ur src/setup.py upd/setup.py
--- src/setup.py	2014-05-19 07:19:40.000000000 +0200
+++ upd/setup.py	2014-05-20 16:42:55.000000000 +0200
@@ -162,6 +162,13 @@
         log.info("WARNING: multiple copies of %s found"%module)
     return os.path.join(list[0], module)
 
+def get_config_args_option( option ):
+    for arg in sysconfig.get_config_var("CONFIG_ARGS").split():
+        params = arg.strip("'").split('=', 1)
+        if params[0] == option:
+            return '' if len(params) < 1 else params[1]
+    return None
+    
 class PyBuildExt(build_ext):
 
     def __init__(self, dist):
@@ -750,22 +757,29 @@
         exts.append( Extension('_socket', ['socketmodule.c'],
                                depends = ['socketmodule.h']) )
         # Detect SSL support for the socket module (via _ssl)
-        search_for_ssl_incs_in = [
-                              '/usr/local/ssl/include',
-                              '/usr/contrib/ssl/include/'
-                             ]
-        ssl_incs = find_file('openssl/ssl.h', inc_dirs,
-                             search_for_ssl_incs_in
-                             )
-        if ssl_incs is not None:
-            krb5_h = find_file('krb5.h', inc_dirs,
-                               ['/usr/kerberos/include'])
-            if krb5_h:
-                ssl_incs += krb5_h
-        ssl_libs = find_library_file(self.compiler, 'ssl',lib_dirs,
-                                     ['/usr/local/ssl/lib',
-                                      '/usr/contrib/ssl/lib/'
-                                     ] )
+        with_ssl = get_config_args_option('--with-ssl')
+        with_ssl_include = get_config_args_option('--with-ssl-includes')
+        with_ssl_libs = get_config_args_option('--with-ssl-libs')
+        if with_ssl or (with_ssl_include and with_ssl_libs):
+            ssl_incs = [with_ssl_include or os.path.join(with_ssl, 'include')]
+            ssl_libs = [with_ssl_libs or os.path.join(with_ssl, 'lib')]
+        else:
+            search_for_ssl_incs_in = [
+                                  '/usr/local/ssl/include',
+                                  '/usr/contrib/ssl/include/'
+                                 ]
+            ssl_incs = find_file('openssl/ssl.h', inc_dirs,
+                                 search_for_ssl_incs_in
+                                 )
+            if ssl_incs is not None:
+                krb5_h = find_file('krb5.h', inc_dirs,
+                                   ['/usr/kerberos/include'])
+                if krb5_h:
+                    ssl_incs += krb5_h
+            ssl_libs = find_library_file(self.compiler, 'ssl',lib_dirs,
+                                         ['/usr/local/ssl/lib',
+                                          '/usr/contrib/ssl/lib/'
+                                         ] )
 
         if (ssl_incs is not None and
             ssl_libs is not None):
@@ -782,9 +796,8 @@
         openssl_ver_re = re.compile(
             '^\s*#\s*define\s+OPENSSL_VERSION_NUMBER\s+(0x[0-9a-fA-F]+)' )
 
-        # look for the openssl version header on the compiler search path.
-        opensslv_h = find_file('openssl/opensslv.h', [],
-                inc_dirs + search_for_ssl_incs_in)
+        # look for the openssl version header of the selected openssl.
+        opensslv_h = find_file('openssl/opensslv.h', [], ssl_incs)
         if opensslv_h:
             name = os.path.join(opensslv_h[0], 'openssl/opensslv.h')
             if host_platform == 'darwin' and is_macosx_sdk_path(name):