diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 6cbb39dfe59..00afa0329a6 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -114,6 +114,8 @@ Library
 Build
 -----
 
+- Switch to OpenSSL 0.9.8l on Windows.
+
 - Issue #6603: Change READ_TIMESTAMP macro in ceval.c so that it
   compiles correctly under gcc on x86-64.  This fixes a reported
   problem with the --with-tsc build on x86-64.
diff --git a/PCbuild/pyproject.vsprops b/PCbuild/pyproject.vsprops
index fb313d21272..0f3568adb05 100644
--- a/PCbuild/pyproject.vsprops
+++ b/PCbuild/pyproject.vsprops
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@
 	/>
 	<UserMacro
 		Name="opensslDir"
-		Value="$(externalsDir)\openssl-0.9.8g"
+		Value="$(externalsDir)\openssl-0.9.8l"
 	/>
 	<UserMacro
 		Name="tcltkDir"
diff --git a/PCbuild/readme.txt b/PCbuild/readme.txt
index b16daf152b5..44b7b8fd020 100644
--- a/PCbuild/readme.txt
+++ b/PCbuild/readme.txt
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ _ssl
 
     Get the source code through
 
-    svn export http://svn.python.org/projects/external/openssl-0.9.8g
+    svn export http://svn.python.org/projects/external/openssl-0.9.8l
 
     ** NOTE: if you use the Tools\buildbot\external(-amd64).bat approach for
     obtaining external sources then you don't need to manually get the source
diff --git a/Tools/buildbot/external-common.bat b/Tools/buildbot/external-common.bat
index f252cc504ad..839a4cddec5 100644
--- a/Tools/buildbot/external-common.bat
+++ b/Tools/buildbot/external-common.bat
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ cd ..
 @rem if exist tk-8.4.18.1 rd /s/q tk-8.4.18.1
 @rem if exist db-4.4.20 rd /s/q db-4.4.20
 @rem if exist db-4.7.25.0 rd /s/q db-4.7.25.0
-@rem if exist openssl-0.9.8g rd /s/q openssl-0.9.8g
+@rem if exist openssl-0.9.8l rd /s/q openssl-0.9.8l
 @rem if exist sqlite-3.5.9 rd /s/q sqlite-3.5.9    
 
 @rem bzip
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ if exist db-4.4.20 rd /s/q db-4.4.20
 if not exist db-4.7.25.0 svn export http://svn.python.org/projects/external/db-4.7.25.0
 
 @rem OpenSSL
-if not exist openssl-0.9.8g svn export http://svn.python.org/projects/external/openssl-0.9.8g
+if not exist openssl-0.9.8l svn export http://svn.python.org/projects/external/openssl-0.9.8l
 
 @rem tcl/tk
 if not exist tcl-8.5.2.1 (