diff --git a/examples/client/client.c b/examples/client/client.c
index 5755e022d..66db505a8 100644
--- a/examples/client/client.c
+++ b/examples/client/client.c
@@ -209,6 +209,7 @@ THREAD_RETURN WOLFSSL_THREAD client_test(void* args)
     int    nonBlocking = 0;
     int    resumeSession = 0;
     int    shutdown      = 0;
+    int    ret;
     int    scr           = 0;    /* allow secure renegotiation */
     int    forceScr      = 0;    /* force client initiaed scr */
     int    trackMemory   = 0;
@@ -649,13 +650,7 @@ THREAD_RETURN WOLFSSL_THREAD client_test(void* args)
             if (wolfSSL_connect(ssl) != SSL_SUCCESS)
                 err_sys("SSL_connect failed");
 
-            if (shutdown) {     /* bidirectional shutdown if true */
-                if (!wolfSSL_shutdown(ssl))
-                    wolfSSL_shutdown(ssl);
-            }
-            else {
-                wolfSSL_shutdown(ssl);
-            }
+            wolfSSL_shutdown(ssl);
             wolfSSL_free(ssl);
             CloseSocket(sockfd);
         }
@@ -815,13 +810,9 @@ THREAD_RETURN WOLFSSL_THREAD client_test(void* args)
 #endif
 
     if (doDTLS == 0) {           /* don't send alert after "break" command */
-        if (shutdown) {     /* bidirectional shutdown if true */
-            if (!wolfSSL_shutdown(ssl))  /* echoserver interprets as new conn */
-                wolfSSL_shutdown(ssl);
-        }
-        else {
-            wolfSSL_shutdown(ssl);
-        }
+        ret = wolfSSL_shutdown(ssl);
+        if (shutdown && ret == SSL_SHUTDOWN_NOT_DONE)
+            wolfSSL_shutdown(ssl);    /* bidirectional shutdown */
     }
 #ifdef ATOMIC_USER
     if (atomicUser)
@@ -898,13 +889,10 @@ THREAD_RETURN WOLFSSL_THREAD client_test(void* args)
         /* try to send session break */
         wolfSSL_write(sslResume, msg, msgSz); 
 
-        if (shutdown) {     /* bidirectional shutdown if true */
-            if (!wolfSSL_shutdown(sslResume))
-                wolfSSL_shutdown(sslResume);
-        }
-        else {
-            wolfSSL_shutdown(sslResume);
-        }
+        ret = wolfSSL_shutdown(sslResume);
+        if (shutdown && ret == SSL_SHUTDOWN_NOT_DONE)
+            wolfSSL_shutdown(sslResume);    /* bidirectional shutdown */
+
         wolfSSL_free(sslResume);
         CloseSocket(sockfd);
     }
diff --git a/examples/server/server.c b/examples/server/server.c
index a2c5d0176..64a989d65 100644
--- a/examples/server/server.c
+++ b/examples/server/server.c
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ static void Usage(void)
     printf("-r          Create server ready file, for external monitor\n");
     printf("-N          Use Non-blocking sockets\n");
     printf("-S <str>    Use Host Name Indication\n");
-    printf("-w           Wait for bidirectional shutdown\n");
+    printf("-w          Wait for bidirectional shutdown\n");
 #ifdef HAVE_OCSP
     printf("-o          Perform OCSP lookup on peer certificate\n");
     printf("-O <url>    Perform OCSP lookup using <url> as responder\n");
@@ -175,6 +175,7 @@ THREAD_RETURN CYASSL_THREAD server_test(void* args)
     int    pkCallbacks  = 0;
     int    serverReadyFile = 0;
     int    shutdown        = 0;
+    int    ret;
     char*  cipherList = NULL;
     const char* verifyCert = cliCert;
     const char* ourCert    = svrCert;
@@ -566,13 +567,9 @@ THREAD_RETURN CYASSL_THREAD server_test(void* args)
         Task_yield();
     #endif
 
-    if (shutdown) {                /* bidirectional shutdown if true */
-        if (!SSL_shutdown(ssl))
-            SSL_shutdown(ssl);
-    }
-    else {
-        SSL_shutdown(ssl);
-    }
+    ret = SSL_shutdown(ssl);
+    if (shutdown && ret == SSL_SHUTDOWN_NOT_DONE)
+        SSL_shutdown(ssl);    /* bidirectional shutdown */
     SSL_free(ssl);
     SSL_CTX_free(ctx);
     
diff --git a/src/ssl.c b/src/ssl.c
index 5025eab84..5ef43fc8f 100644
--- a/src/ssl.c
+++ b/src/ssl.c
@@ -917,6 +917,7 @@ int wolfSSL_recv(WOLFSSL* ssl, void* data, int sz, int flags)
 /* SSL_SUCCESS on ok */
 int wolfSSL_shutdown(WOLFSSL* ssl)
 {
+    int  ret = SSL_FATAL_ERROR;
     byte tmp;
     WOLFSSL_ENTER("SSL_shutdown()");
 
@@ -937,27 +938,30 @@ int wolfSSL_shutdown(WOLFSSL* ssl)
             return SSL_FATAL_ERROR;
         }
         ssl->options.sentNotify = 1;  /* don't send close_notify twice */
-        WOLFSSL_LEAVE("SSL_shutdown()", ssl->error);
-
         if (ssl->options.closeNotify)
-            return 1;
+            ret = SSL_SUCCESS;
         else
-            return 0;
+            ret = SSL_SHUTDOWN_NOT_DONE;
+
+        WOLFSSL_LEAVE("SSL_shutdown()", ret);
+        return ret;
     }
 
     /* call wolfSSL_shutdown again for bidirectional shudown */
     if (ssl->options.sentNotify && !ssl->options.closeNotify) {
-        ssl->error = wolfSSL_read(ssl, &tmp, 0);
-        if (ssl->error < 0) {
+        ret = wolfSSL_read(ssl, &tmp, 0);
+        if (ret < 0) {
             WOLFSSL_ERROR(ssl->error);
-            return SSL_FATAL_ERROR;
+            ret = SSL_FATAL_ERROR;
+        } else if (ssl->options.closeNotify) {
+            ssl->error = SSL_ERROR_SYSCALL;   /* simulate OpenSSL behavior */
+            ret = SSL_SUCCESS;
         }
-        WOLFSSL_LEAVE("SSL_shutdown()", ssl->error);
-        ssl->error = SSL_ERROR_SYSCALL;   /* simulate OpenSSL behavior */
-        if(ssl->options.closeNotify)
-            return SSL_SUCCESS;
     }
-    return SSL_FATAL_ERROR;
+
+    WOLFSSL_LEAVE("SSL_shutdown()", ret);
+
+    return ret;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/wolfssl/ssl.h b/wolfssl/ssl.h
index 4385a15a0..721d33272 100644
--- a/wolfssl/ssl.h
+++ b/wolfssl/ssl.h
@@ -644,6 +644,7 @@ enum { /* ssl Constants */
     SSL_ERROR_NONE      =  0,   /* for most functions */
     SSL_FAILURE         =  0,   /* for some functions */
     SSL_SUCCESS         =  1,
+    SSL_SHUTDOWN_NOT_DONE =  2,  /* call wolfSSL_shutdown again to complete */
 
     SSL_BAD_CERTTYPE    = -8,
     SSL_BAD_STAT        = -7,