diff --git a/library/ssl_client.c b/library/ssl_client.c
index 345e608938..0bd00cd91a 100644
--- a/library/ssl_client.c
+++ b/library/ssl_client.c
@@ -29,19 +29,20 @@ static int ssl_write_hostname_ext(mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl,
                                   size_t *olen)
 {
     unsigned char *p = buf;
+    const char *hostname = mbedtls_ssl_get_hostname_pointer(ssl);
     size_t hostname_len;
 
     *olen = 0;
 
-    if (ssl->hostname == NULL) {
+    if (hostname == NULL) {
         return 0;
     }
 
     MBEDTLS_SSL_DEBUG_MSG(3,
                           ("client hello, adding server name extension: %s",
-                           ssl->hostname));
+                           hostname));
 
-    hostname_len = strlen(ssl->hostname);
+    hostname_len = strlen(hostname);
 
     MBEDTLS_SSL_CHK_BUF_PTR(p, end, hostname_len + 9);
 
@@ -85,7 +86,7 @@ static int ssl_write_hostname_ext(mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl,
     MBEDTLS_PUT_UINT16_BE(hostname_len, p, 0);
     p += 2;
 
-    memcpy(p, ssl->hostname, hostname_len);
+    memcpy(p, hostname, hostname_len);
 
     *olen = hostname_len + 9;
 
@@ -881,13 +882,14 @@ static int ssl_prepare_client_hello(mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl)
 #if defined(MBEDTLS_SSL_PROTO_TLS1_3) && \
     defined(MBEDTLS_SSL_SESSION_TICKETS) && \
     defined(MBEDTLS_SSL_SERVER_NAME_INDICATION)
+    const char *context_hostname = mbedtls_ssl_get_hostname_pointer(ssl);
     if (ssl->tls_version == MBEDTLS_SSL_VERSION_TLS1_3  &&
         ssl->handshake->resume) {
-        int hostname_mismatch = ssl->hostname != NULL ||
+        int hostname_mismatch = context_hostname != NULL ||
                                 session_negotiate->hostname != NULL;
-        if (ssl->hostname != NULL && session_negotiate->hostname != NULL) {
+        if (context_hostname != NULL && session_negotiate->hostname != NULL) {
             hostname_mismatch = strcmp(
-                ssl->hostname, session_negotiate->hostname) != 0;
+                context_hostname, session_negotiate->hostname) != 0;
         }
 
         if (hostname_mismatch) {
@@ -898,7 +900,7 @@ static int ssl_prepare_client_hello(mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl)
         }
     } else {
         return mbedtls_ssl_session_set_hostname(session_negotiate,
-                                                ssl->hostname);
+                                                context_hostname);
     }
 #endif /* MBEDTLS_SSL_PROTO_TLS1_3 &&
           MBEDTLS_SSL_SESSION_TICKETS &&
diff --git a/library/ssl_misc.h b/library/ssl_misc.h
index 7495ae3bec..37d26b414a 100644
--- a/library/ssl_misc.h
+++ b/library/ssl_misc.h
@@ -2899,6 +2899,18 @@ int mbedtls_ssl_tls13_write_binders_of_pre_shared_key_ext(
     unsigned char *buf, unsigned char *end);
 #endif /* MBEDTLS_SSL_TLS1_3_KEY_EXCHANGE_MODE_SOME_PSK_ENABLED */
 
+#if defined(MBEDTLS_SSL_SERVER_NAME_INDICATION)
+/** Get the host name from the SSL context.
+ *
+ * \param[in]   ssl     SSL context
+ *
+ * \return The \p hostname pointer from the SSL context.
+ *         \c NULL if mbedtls_ssl_set_hostname() has never been called on
+ *         \p ssl or if it was last called with \p NULL.
+ */
+const char *mbedtls_ssl_get_hostname_pointer(const mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl);
+#endif /* MBEDTLS_SSL_SERVER_NAME_INDICATION */
+
 #if defined(MBEDTLS_SSL_PROTO_TLS1_3) && \
     defined(MBEDTLS_SSL_SESSION_TICKETS) && \
     defined(MBEDTLS_SSL_SERVER_NAME_INDICATION) && \
diff --git a/library/ssl_tls.c b/library/ssl_tls.c
index c773365bf6..c3b7497946 100644
--- a/library/ssl_tls.c
+++ b/library/ssl_tls.c
@@ -2757,6 +2757,46 @@ void mbedtls_ssl_conf_groups(mbedtls_ssl_config *conf,
 }
 
 #if defined(MBEDTLS_X509_CRT_PARSE_C)
+
+#if defined(MBEDTLS_SSL_HANDSHAKE_WITH_CERT_ENABLED)
+/** Whether mbedtls_ssl_set_hostname() has been called.
+ *
+ * \param[in]   ssl     SSL context
+ *
+ * \return \c 1 if mbedtls_ssl_set_hostname() has been called on \p ssl
+ *         (including `mbedtls_ssl_set_hostname(ssl, NULL)`),
+ *         otherwise \c 0.
+ */
+static int mbedtls_ssl_has_set_hostname_been_called(
+    const mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl)
+{
+    /* We can't tell the difference between the case where
+     * mbedtls_ssl_set_hostname() has not been called at all, and
+     * the case where it was last called with NULL. For the time
+     * being, we assume the latter, i.e. we behave as if there had
+     * been an implicit call to mbedtls_ssl_set_hostname(ssl, NULL). */
+    return ssl->hostname != NULL;
+}
+#endif
+
+/* Micro-optimization: don't export this function if it isn't needed outside
+ * of this source file. */
+#if !defined(MBEDTLS_SSL_SERVER_NAME_INDICATION)
+static
+#endif
+const char *mbedtls_ssl_get_hostname_pointer(const mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl)
+{
+    return ssl->hostname;
+}
+
+static void mbedtls_ssl_free_hostname(mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl)
+{
+    if (ssl->hostname != NULL) {
+        mbedtls_zeroize_and_free(ssl->hostname, strlen(ssl->hostname));
+    }
+    ssl->hostname = NULL;
+}
+
 int mbedtls_ssl_set_hostname(mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl, const char *hostname)
 {
     /* Initialize to suppress unnecessary compiler warning */
@@ -2774,10 +2814,7 @@ int mbedtls_ssl_set_hostname(mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl, const char *hostname)
 
     /* Now it's clear that we will overwrite the old hostname,
      * so we can free it safely */
-
-    if (ssl->hostname != NULL) {
-        mbedtls_zeroize_and_free(ssl->hostname, strlen(ssl->hostname));
-    }
+    mbedtls_ssl_free_hostname(ssl);
 
     /* Passing NULL as hostname shall clear the old one */
 
@@ -5571,9 +5608,7 @@ void mbedtls_ssl_free(mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl)
     }
 
 #if defined(MBEDTLS_X509_CRT_PARSE_C)
-    if (ssl->hostname != NULL) {
-        mbedtls_zeroize_and_free(ssl->hostname, strlen(ssl->hostname));
-    }
+    mbedtls_ssl_free_hostname(ssl);
 #endif
 
 #if defined(MBEDTLS_SSL_DTLS_HELLO_VERIFY) && defined(MBEDTLS_SSL_SRV_C)
@@ -9784,6 +9819,21 @@ int mbedtls_ssl_check_cert_usage(const mbedtls_x509_crt *cert,
     return ret;
 }
 
+static int get_hostname_for_verification(mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl,
+                                         const char **hostname)
+{
+    if (!mbedtls_ssl_has_set_hostname_been_called(ssl)) {
+        MBEDTLS_SSL_DEBUG_MSG(1, ("Certificate verification without having set hostname"));
+    }
+
+    *hostname = mbedtls_ssl_get_hostname_pointer(ssl);
+    if (*hostname == NULL) {
+        MBEDTLS_SSL_DEBUG_MSG(2, ("Certificate verification without CN verification"));
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 int mbedtls_ssl_verify_certificate(mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl,
                                    int authmode,
                                    mbedtls_x509_crt *chain,
@@ -9809,7 +9859,13 @@ int mbedtls_ssl_verify_certificate(mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl,
         p_vrfy = ssl->conf->p_vrfy;
     }
 
-    int ret = 0;
+    const char *hostname = "";
+    int ret = get_hostname_for_verification(ssl, &hostname);
+    if (ret != 0) {
+        MBEDTLS_SSL_DEBUG_RET(1, "get_hostname_for_verification", ret);
+        return ret;
+    }
+
     int have_ca_chain_or_callback = 0;
 #if defined(MBEDTLS_X509_TRUSTED_CERTIFICATE_CALLBACK)
     if (ssl->conf->f_ca_cb != NULL) {
@@ -9822,7 +9878,7 @@ int mbedtls_ssl_verify_certificate(mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl,
             ssl->conf->f_ca_cb,
             ssl->conf->p_ca_cb,
             ssl->conf->cert_profile,
-            ssl->hostname,
+            hostname,
             &ssl->session_negotiate->verify_result,
             f_vrfy, p_vrfy);
     } else
@@ -9849,7 +9905,7 @@ int mbedtls_ssl_verify_certificate(mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl,
             chain,
             ca_chain, ca_crl,
             ssl->conf->cert_profile,
-            ssl->hostname,
+            hostname,
             &ssl->session_negotiate->verify_result,
             f_vrfy, p_vrfy, rs_ctx);
     }