diff --git a/git-send-email.perl b/git-send-email.perl
index 9f31c68b82..2016d9c619 100755
--- a/git-send-email.perl
+++ b/git-send-email.perl
@@ -1214,11 +1214,14 @@ X-Mailer: git-send-email $gitversion
 			$smtp_server_port ||= 465; # ssmtp
 			require Net::SMTP::SSL;
 			$smtp_domain ||= maildomain();
+			require IO::Socket::SSL;
+			# Net::SMTP::SSL->new() does not forward any SSL options
+			IO::Socket::SSL::set_client_defaults(
+				ssl_verify_params());
 			$smtp ||= Net::SMTP::SSL->new($smtp_server,
 						      Hello => $smtp_domain,
 						      Port => $smtp_server_port,
-						      Debug => $debug_net_smtp,
-						      ssl_verify_params());
+						      Debug => $debug_net_smtp);
 		}
 		else {
 			require Net::SMTP;