diff --git a/Lib/smtplib.py b/Lib/smtplib.py
--- a/Lib/smtplib.py
+++ b/Lib/smtplib.py
@@ -159,30 +159,10 @@
 
 try:
     import ssl
+    _have_ssl = True
 except ImportError:
     _have_ssl = False
-else:
-    class SSLFakeFile:
-        """A fake file like object that really wraps a SSLObject.
 
-        It only supports what is needed in smtplib.
-        """
-        def __init__(self, sslobj):
-            self.sslobj = sslobj
-
-        def readline(self):
-            str = ""
-            chr = None
-            while chr != "\n":
-                chr = self.sslobj.read(1)
-                if not chr: break
-                str += chr
-            return str
-
-        def close(self):
-            pass
-
-    _have_ssl = True
 
 class SMTP:
     """This class manages a connection to an SMTP or ESMTP server.
@@ -753,9 +733,7 @@
         def _get_socket(self, host, port, timeout):
             if self.debuglevel > 0: print>>stderr, 'connect:', (host, port)
             sock = socket.create_connection((host, port), timeout)
-            sock = ssl.wrap_socket(sock, self.keyfile, self.certfile)
-            self.file = sock.makefile('rb')
-            return sock
+            return ssl.wrap_socket(sock, self.keyfile, self.certfile)
 
     __all__.append("SMTP_SSL")