diff --git a/src/ssl.c b/src/ssl.c
index bcbbbf5a2..8e297c4eb 100755
--- a/src/ssl.c
+++ b/src/ssl.c
@@ -5621,6 +5621,7 @@ int wolfSSL_CTX_load_verify_locations(WOLFSSL_CTX* ctx, const char* file,
                                      const char* path)
 {
     int ret = SSL_SUCCESS;
+    int fileRet;
 
     WOLFSSL_ENTER("wolfSSL_CTX_load_verify_locations");
 
@@ -5644,16 +5645,21 @@ int wolfSSL_CTX_load_verify_locations(WOLFSSL_CTX* ctx, const char* file,
     #endif
 
         /* try to load each regular file in path */
-        ret = wc_ReadDirFirst(readCtx, path, &name);
-        while (ret == 0 && name) {
+        fileRet = wc_ReadDirFirst(readCtx, path, &name);
+        while (fileRet == 0 && name) {
             ret = ProcessFile(ctx, name, SSL_FILETYPE_PEM, CA_TYPE,
                                                           NULL, 0, NULL);
             if (ret != SSL_SUCCESS)
                 break;
-            ret = wc_ReadDirNext(readCtx, path, &name);
+            fileRet = wc_ReadDirNext(readCtx, path, &name);
         }
         wc_ReadDirClose(readCtx);
 
+        /* pass directory read failure to response code */
+        if (ret == SSL_SUCCESS && fileRet != -1) {
+            ret = fileRet;
+        }
+
     #ifdef WOLFSSL_SMALL_STACK
         XFREE(readCtx, ctx->heap, DYNAMIC_TYPE_DIRCTX);
     #endif
diff --git a/wolfcrypt/src/wc_port.c b/wolfcrypt/src/wc_port.c
index 2104ace74..3345e0f55 100755
--- a/wolfcrypt/src/wc_port.c
+++ b/wolfcrypt/src/wc_port.c
@@ -197,9 +197,10 @@ int wolfCrypt_Cleanup(void)
 #if !defined(NO_FILESYSTEM) && !defined(NO_WOLFSSL_DIR)
 
 /* File Handling Helpers */
+/* returns 0 if file found, -1 if no files or negative error */
 int wc_ReadDirFirst(ReadDirCtx* ctx, const char* path, char** name)
 {
-    int ret = 0;
+    int ret = -1; /* default to no files found */
 
     if (name)
         *name = NULL;
@@ -258,9 +259,10 @@ int wc_ReadDirFirst(ReadDirCtx* ctx, const char* path, char** name)
     return ret;
 }
 
+/* returns 0 if file found, -1 if no more files */
 int wc_ReadDirNext(ReadDirCtx* ctx, const char* path, char** name)
 {
-    int ret = -1;
+    int ret = -1; /* default to no file found */
 
     if (name)
         *name = NULL;