diff --git a/boring-sys/Cargo.toml b/boring-sys/Cargo.toml
index 18efb17c..36327950 100644
--- a/boring-sys/Cargo.toml
+++ b/boring-sys/Cargo.toml
@@ -55,9 +55,6 @@ features = ["rpk", "pq-experimental", "underscore-wildcards"]
 rustdoc-args = ["--cfg", "docsrs"]
 
 [features]
-default = ["ssl"]
-ssl = []
-
 # Use a FIPS-validated version of boringssl.
 fips = []
 
diff --git a/boring-sys/build/config.rs b/boring-sys/build/config.rs
index 33867a68..7af00f4b 100644
--- a/boring-sys/build/config.rs
+++ b/boring-sys/build/config.rs
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ pub(crate) struct Features {
     pub(crate) pq_experimental: bool,
     pub(crate) rpk: bool,
     pub(crate) underscore_wildcards: bool,
-    pub(crate) ssl: bool,
 }
 
 pub(crate) struct Env {
@@ -111,7 +110,6 @@ impl Features {
         let pq_experimental = env::var_os("CARGO_FEATURE_PQ_EXPERIMENTAL").is_some();
         let rpk = env::var_os("CARGO_FEATURE_RPK").is_some();
         let underscore_wildcards = env::var_os("CARGO_FEATURE_UNDERSCORE_WILDCARDS").is_some();
-        let ssl = env::var_os("CARGO_FEATURE_SSL").is_some();
 
         Self {
             fips,
@@ -119,7 +117,6 @@ impl Features {
             pq_experimental,
             rpk,
             underscore_wildcards,
-            ssl,
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/boring-sys/build/main.rs b/boring-sys/build/main.rs
index 8c16ec2e..3ff818b3 100644
--- a/boring-sys/build/main.rs
+++ b/boring-sys/build/main.rs
@@ -587,9 +587,7 @@ fn built_boring_source_path(config: &Config) -> &PathBuf {
             cfg.define("FIPS", "1");
         }
 
-        if config.features.ssl {
-            cfg.build_target("ssl").build();
-        }
+        cfg.build_target("ssl").build();
         cfg.build_target("crypto").build()
     })
 }
@@ -676,9 +674,7 @@ fn main() {
     }
 
     println!("cargo:rustc-link-lib=static=crypto");
-    if config.features.ssl {
-        println!("cargo:rustc-link-lib=static=ssl");
-    }
+    println!("cargo:rustc-link-lib=static=ssl");
 
     let include_path = config.env.include_path.clone().unwrap_or_else(|| {
         if let Some(bssl_path) = &config.env.path {
diff --git a/boring-sys/src/lib.rs b/boring-sys/src/lib.rs
index 221e843c..b707ec0e 100644
--- a/boring-sys/src/lib.rs
+++ b/boring-sys/src/lib.rs
@@ -46,21 +46,18 @@ pub const fn ERR_GET_REASON(l: c_uint) -> c_int {
 }
 
 pub fn init() {
-    #[cfg(feature = "ssl")]
-    {
-        use std::ptr;
-        use std::sync::Once;
+    use std::ptr;
+    use std::sync::Once;
 
-        // explicitly initialize to work around https://github.com/openssl/openssl/issues/3505
-        static INIT: Once = Once::new();
+    // explicitly initialize to work around https://github.com/openssl/openssl/issues/3505
+    static INIT: Once = Once::new();
 
-        let init_options = OPENSSL_INIT_LOAD_SSL_STRINGS;
+    let init_options = OPENSSL_INIT_LOAD_SSL_STRINGS;
 
-        INIT.call_once(|| {
-            assert_eq!(
-                unsafe { OPENSSL_init_ssl(init_options.try_into().unwrap(), ptr::null_mut()) },
-                1
-            )
-        });
-    }
+    INIT.call_once(|| {
+        assert_eq!(
+            unsafe { OPENSSL_init_ssl(init_options.try_into().unwrap(), ptr::null_mut()) },
+            1
+        )
+    });
 }
diff --git a/boring/Cargo.toml b/boring/Cargo.toml
index 4fb7e3c8..96bfbc92 100644
--- a/boring/Cargo.toml
+++ b/boring/Cargo.toml
@@ -17,9 +17,6 @@ features = ["rpk", "pq-experimental", "underscore-wildcards"]
 rustdoc-args = ["--cfg", "docsrs"]
 
 [features]
-default = ["ssl"]
-ssl = ["boring-sys/ssl"]
-
 # Controlling the build
 
 # Use a FIPS-validated version of boringssl.
diff --git a/boring/src/dh.rs b/boring/src/dh.rs
index 74f49b8b..96a8c63d 100644
--- a/boring/src/dh.rs
+++ b/boring/src/dh.rs
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@ impl Dh<Params> {
 
 use crate::ffi::DH_set0_pqg;
 
-#[cfg(feature = "ssl")] // Many of these tests use SslContext to verify the result.
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use crate::bn::BigNum;
diff --git a/boring/src/lib.rs b/boring/src/lib.rs
index 5c7d288b..6779586a 100644
--- a/boring/src/lib.rs
+++ b/boring/src/lib.rs
@@ -96,6 +96,10 @@ extern crate bitflags;
 #[macro_use]
 extern crate foreign_types;
 extern crate boring_sys as ffi;
+extern crate libc;
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+extern crate hex;
 
 #[doc(inline)]
 pub use crate::ffi::init;
@@ -134,7 +138,6 @@ pub mod rsa;
 pub mod sha;
 pub mod sign;
 pub mod srtp;
-#[cfg(feature = "ssl")]
 pub mod ssl;
 pub mod stack;
 pub mod string;
diff --git a/boring/src/x509/mod.rs b/boring/src/x509/mod.rs
index 91cb34c2..6e6b966c 100644
--- a/boring/src/x509/mod.rs
+++ b/boring/src/x509/mod.rs
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ use crate::ffi;
 use crate::hash::{DigestBytes, MessageDigest};
 use crate::nid::Nid;
 use crate::pkey::{HasPrivate, HasPublic, PKey, PKeyRef, Public};
-#[cfg(feature = "ssl")]
 use crate::ssl::SslRef;
 use crate::stack::{Stack, StackRef, Stackable};
 use crate::string::OpensslString;
@@ -62,7 +61,6 @@ foreign_type_and_impl_send_sync! {
 impl X509StoreContext {
     /// Returns the index which can be used to obtain a reference to the `Ssl` associated with a
     /// context.
-    #[cfg(feature = "ssl")]
     #[corresponds(SSL_get_ex_data_X509_STORE_CTX_idx)]
     pub fn ssl_idx() -> Result<Index<X509StoreContext, SslRef>, ErrorStack> {
         unsafe { cvt_n(ffi::SSL_get_ex_data_X509_STORE_CTX_idx()).map(|idx| Index::from_raw(idx)) }