diff --git a/Modules/_ssl.c b/Modules/_ssl.c
--- a/Modules/_ssl.c
+++ b/Modules/_ssl.c
@@ -1841,26 +1841,6 @@ static PyObject *PySSL_SSLread(PySSLSock
         BIO_set_nbio(SSL_get_wbio(self->ssl), nonblocking);
     }
 
-    /* first check if there are bytes ready to be read */
-    PySSL_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
-    count = SSL_pending(self->ssl);
-    PySSL_END_ALLOW_THREADS
-
-    if (!count) {
-        sockstate = check_socket_and_wait_for_timeout(sock, 0);
-        if (sockstate == SOCKET_HAS_TIMED_OUT) {
-            PyErr_SetString(PySocketModule.timeout_error,
-                            "The read operation timed out");
-            goto error;
-        } else if (sockstate == SOCKET_TOO_LARGE_FOR_SELECT) {
-            PyErr_SetString(PySSLErrorObject,
-                            "Underlying socket too large for select().");
-            goto error;
-        } else if (sockstate == SOCKET_HAS_BEEN_CLOSED) {
-            count = 0;
-            goto done;
-        }
-    }
     do {
         PySSL_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
         count = SSL_read(self->ssl, mem, len);