diff -r a9a38b274b8a Lib/ssl.py
--- a/Lib/ssl.py	Sat Jun 19 21:58:37 2010 +0200
+++ b/Lib/ssl.py	Sun Jun 20 00:13:12 2010 +0200
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ from _ssl import (
 
 from socket import getnameinfo as _getnameinfo
 from socket import error as socket_error
-from socket import dup as _dup
 from socket import socket, AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM
 import base64        # for DER-to-PEM translation
 import traceback
@@ -148,7 +147,7 @@ class SSLSocket(socket):
                             family=sock.family,
                             type=sock.type,
                             proto=sock.proto,
-                            fileno=_dup(sock.fileno()))
+                            fileno=sock.fileno())
             self.settimeout(sock.gettimeout())
             # see if it's connected
             try:
@@ -158,7 +157,7 @@ class SSLSocket(socket):
                     raise
             else:
                 connected = True
-            sock.close()
+            sock.forget()
         elif fileno is not None:
             socket.__init__(self, fileno=fileno)
         else:
diff -r a9a38b274b8a Modules/socketmodule.c
--- a/Modules/socketmodule.c	Sat Jun 19 21:58:37 2010 +0200
+++ b/Modules/socketmodule.c	Sun Jun 20 00:13:12 2010 +0200
@@ -1869,6 +1869,21 @@ PyDoc_STRVAR(close_doc,
 \n\
 Close the socket.  It cannot be used after this call.");
 
+static PyObject *
+sock_forget(PySocketSockObject *s)
+{
+    s->sock_fd = -1;
+    Py_INCREF(Py_None);
+    return Py_None;
+}
+
+PyDoc_STRVAR(forget_doc,
+"forget()\n\
+\n\
+Close the socket object without closing the underlying file descriptor.\
+The object cannot be used after this call, but the file descriptor\
+can be reused for other purposes.");
+
 static int
 internal_connect(PySocketSockObject *s, struct sockaddr *addr, int addrlen,
                  int *timeoutp)
@@ -2759,6 +2774,8 @@ static PyMethodDef sock_methods[] = {
                       connect_ex_doc},
     {"fileno",            (PyCFunction)sock_fileno, METH_NOARGS,
                       fileno_doc},
+    {"forget",            (PyCFunction)sock_forget, METH_NOARGS,
+                      forget_doc},
 #ifdef HAVE_GETPEERNAME
     {"getpeername",       (PyCFunction)sock_getpeername,
                       METH_NOARGS, getpeername_doc},