diff --git a/lib/ftp.c b/lib/ftp.c
index 203afe6ba..ec8d9f11d 100644
--- a/lib/ftp.c
+++ b/lib/ftp.c
@@ -2946,10 +2946,8 @@ static CURLcode ftp_connect(struct connectdata *conn,
       return result;
   }
 
-  if(conn->handler->protocol & CURLPROTO_FTPS) {
+  if(conn->handler->flags & PROTOPT_SSL) {
     /* BLOCKING */
-    /* FTPS is simply ftp with SSL for the control channel */
-    /* now, perform the SSL initialization for this socket */
     result = Curl_ssl_connect(conn, FIRSTSOCKET);
     if(result)
       return result;
diff --git a/lib/http.c b/lib/http.c
index f6b6a3e14..5759a7ff2 100644
--- a/lib/http.c
+++ b/lib/http.c
@@ -1013,7 +1013,7 @@ CURLcode Curl_add_buffer_send(Curl_send_buffer *in,
     return res;
   }
 
-  if(conn->handler->protocol & CURLPROTO_HTTPS) {
+  if(conn->handler->flags & PROTOPT_SSL) {
     /* We never send more than CURL_MAX_WRITE_SIZE bytes in one single chunk
        when we speak HTTPS, as if only a fraction of it is sent now, this data
        needs to fit into the normal read-callback buffer later on and that
@@ -1292,7 +1292,7 @@ CURLcode Curl_http_connect(struct connectdata *conn, bool *done)
   }
 #endif /* CURL_DISABLE_PROXY */
 
-  if(conn->given->protocol & CURLPROTO_HTTPS) {
+  if(conn->given->flags & PROTOPT_SSL) {
     /* perform SSL initialization */
     if(data->state.used_interface == Curl_if_multi) {
       result = https_connecting(conn, done);
@@ -1331,7 +1331,7 @@ static int http_getsock_do(struct connectdata *conn,
 static CURLcode https_connecting(struct connectdata *conn, bool *done)
 {
   CURLcode result;
-  DEBUGASSERT((conn) && (conn->handler->protocol & CURLPROTO_HTTPS));
+  DEBUGASSERT((conn) && (conn->handler->flags & PROTOPT_SSL));
 
   /* perform SSL initialization for this socket */
   result = Curl_ssl_connect_nonblocking(conn, FIRSTSOCKET, done);
@@ -1349,7 +1349,7 @@ static int https_getsock(struct connectdata *conn,
                          curl_socket_t *socks,
                          int numsocks)
 {
-  if(conn->handler->protocol & CURLPROTO_HTTPS) {
+  if(conn->handler->flags & PROTOPT_SSL) {
     struct ssl_connect_data *connssl = &conn->ssl[FIRSTSOCKET];
 
     if(!numsocks)
diff --git a/lib/imap.c b/lib/imap.c
index 06135a309..a01da3eec 100644
--- a/lib/imap.c
+++ b/lib/imap.c
@@ -629,12 +629,10 @@ static CURLcode imap_multi_statemach(struct connectdata *conn,
   struct imap_conn *imapc = &conn->proto.imapc;
   CURLcode result;
 
-  if((conn->handler->protocol & CURLPROTO_IMAPS) && !imapc->ssldone) {
+  if((conn->handler->flags & PROTOPT_SSL) && !imapc->ssldone)
     result = Curl_ssl_connect_nonblocking(conn, FIRSTSOCKET, &imapc->ssldone);
-  }
-  else {
+  else
     result = Curl_pp_multi_statemach(&imapc->pp);
-  }
 
   *done = (bool)(imapc->state == IMAP_STOP);
 
@@ -744,11 +742,9 @@ static CURLcode imap_connect(struct connectdata *conn,
       return result;
   }
 
-  if((conn->handler->protocol & CURLPROTO_IMAPS) &&
+  if((conn->handler->flags & PROTOPT_SSL) &&
      data->state.used_interface != Curl_if_multi) {
     /* BLOCKING */
-    /* IMAPS is simply imap with SSL for the control channel */
-    /* now, perform the SSL initialization for this socket */
     result = Curl_ssl_connect(conn, FIRSTSOCKET);
     if(result)
       return result;
diff --git a/lib/ldap.c b/lib/ldap.c
index 69667fdf8..6733ef46b 100644
--- a/lib/ldap.c
+++ b/lib/ldap.c
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ static CURLcode Curl_ldap(struct connectdata *conn, bool *done)
   }
 
   /* Get the URL scheme ( either ldap or ldaps ) */
-  if(conn->given->protocol & CURLPROTO_LDAPS)
+  if(conn->given->flags & PROTOPT_SSL)
     ldap_ssl = 1;
   infof(data, "LDAP local: trying to establish %s connection\n",
           ldap_ssl ? "encrypted" : "cleartext");
diff --git a/lib/pop3.c b/lib/pop3.c
index 6d5afa876..f53661285 100644
--- a/lib/pop3.c
+++ b/lib/pop3.c
@@ -676,10 +676,8 @@ static CURLcode pop3_connect(struct connectdata *conn,
       return result;
   }
 
-  if(conn->handler->protocol & CURLPROTO_POP3S) {
+  if(conn->handler->flags & PROTOPT_SSL) {
     /* BLOCKING */
-    /* POP3S is simply pop3 with SSL for the control channel */
-    /* now, perform the SSL initialization for this socket */
     result = Curl_ssl_connect(conn, FIRSTSOCKET);
     if(result)
       return result;
diff --git a/lib/smtp.c b/lib/smtp.c
index 170c32dbb..e0e4216d3 100644
--- a/lib/smtp.c
+++ b/lib/smtp.c
@@ -1027,12 +1027,10 @@ static CURLcode smtp_multi_statemach(struct connectdata *conn,
   struct smtp_conn *smtpc = &conn->proto.smtpc;
   CURLcode result;
 
-  if((conn->handler->protocol & CURLPROTO_SMTPS) && !smtpc->ssldone) {
+  if((conn->handler->flags & PROTOPT_SSL) && !smtpc->ssldone)
     result = Curl_ssl_connect_nonblocking(conn, FIRSTSOCKET, &smtpc->ssldone);
-  }
-  else {
+  else
     result = Curl_pp_multi_statemach(&smtpc->pp);
-  }
 
   *done = (bool)(smtpc->state == SMTP_STOP);