diff --git a/ssl/ssl_lib.c b/ssl/ssl_lib.c
index 4c20ac4bf1..956132f495 100644
--- a/ssl/ssl_lib.c
+++ b/ssl/ssl_lib.c
@@ -3337,7 +3337,7 @@ int SSL_CTX_set_cipher_list(SSL_CTX *ctx, const char *str)
      */
     if (sk == NULL)
         return 0;
-    else if (cipher_list_tls12_num(sk) == 0) {
+    if (ctx->method->num_ciphers() > 0 && cipher_list_tls12_num(sk) == 0) {
         ERR_raise(ERR_LIB_SSL, SSL_R_NO_CIPHER_MATCH);
         return 0;
     }
@@ -3349,17 +3349,19 @@ int SSL_set_cipher_list(SSL *s, const char *str)
 {
     STACK_OF(SSL_CIPHER) *sk;
     SSL_CONNECTION *sc = SSL_CONNECTION_FROM_SSL(s);
+    SSL_CTX *ctx;
 
     if (sc == NULL)
         return 0;
 
-    sk = ssl_create_cipher_list(s->ctx, sc->tls13_ciphersuites,
+    ctx = s->ctx;
+    sk = ssl_create_cipher_list(ctx, sc->tls13_ciphersuites,
                                 &sc->cipher_list, &sc->cipher_list_by_id, str,
                                 sc->cert);
     /* see comment in SSL_CTX_set_cipher_list */
     if (sk == NULL)
         return 0;
-    else if (cipher_list_tls12_num(sk) == 0) {
+    if (ctx->method->num_ciphers() > 0 && cipher_list_tls12_num(sk) == 0) {
         ERR_raise(ERR_LIB_SSL, SSL_R_NO_CIPHER_MATCH);
         return 0;
     }