diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 7be717ea1f..87e9629df2 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
                                                          -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 Changes with Apache 2.5.0
 
+  *) mod_ssl: bring SNI behavior into better conformance with RFC 6066:
+     no longer send warning-level unrecognized_name(112) alerts,
+     and limit startup warnings to cases where an OpenSSL version
+     without TLS extension support is used. PR 56241. [Kaspar Brand]
+
   *) mod_proxy_html: Do not delete the wrong data from HTML code when a
      "http-equiv" meta tag specifies a Content-Type behind any other
      "http-equiv" meta tag. PR 56287 [Micha Lenk <micha lenk info>]
diff --git a/modules/ssl/ssl_engine_init.c b/modules/ssl/ssl_engine_init.c
index ed29b7fe0d..ab5fa5e51a 100644
--- a/modules/ssl/ssl_engine_init.c
+++ b/modules/ssl/ssl_engine_init.c
@@ -1404,13 +1404,16 @@ apr_status_t ssl_init_ConfigureServer(server_rec *s,
 
 apr_status_t ssl_init_CheckServers(server_rec *base_server, apr_pool_t *p)
 {
-    server_rec *s, *ps;
+    server_rec *s;
     SSLSrvConfigRec *sc;
+#ifndef HAVE_TLSEXT
+    server_rec *ps;
     apr_hash_t *table;
     const char *key;
     apr_ssize_t klen;
 
     BOOL conflict = FALSE;
+#endif
 
     /*
      * Give out warnings when a server has HTTPS configured
@@ -1438,11 +1441,11 @@ apr_status_t ssl_init_CheckServers(server_rec *base_server, apr_pool_t *p)
         }
     }
 
+#ifndef HAVE_TLSEXT
     /*
      * Give out warnings when more than one SSL-aware virtual server uses the
-     * same IP:port. This doesn't work because mod_ssl then will always use
-     * just the certificate/keys of one virtual host (which one cannot be said
-     * easily - but that doesn't matter here).
+     * same IP:port and an OpenSSL version without support for TLS extensions
+     * (SNI in particular) is used.
      */
     table = apr_hash_make(p);
 
@@ -1460,17 +1463,10 @@ apr_status_t ssl_init_CheckServers(server_rec *base_server, apr_pool_t *p)
         klen = strlen(key);
 
         if ((ps = (server_rec *)apr_hash_get(table, key, klen))) {
-#ifndef HAVE_TLSEXT
-            int level = APLOG_WARNING;
-            const char *problem = "conflict";
-#else
-            int level = APLOG_DEBUG;
-            const char *problem = "overlap";
-#endif
-            ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, level, 0, base_server,
-                         "Init: SSL server IP/port %s: "
+            ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_WARNING, 0, base_server,
+                         "Init: SSL server IP/port conflict: "
                          "%s (%s:%d) vs. %s (%s:%d)",
-                         problem, ssl_util_vhostid(p, s),
+                         ssl_util_vhostid(p, s),
                          (s->defn_name ? s->defn_name : "unknown"),
                          s->defn_line_number,
                          ssl_util_vhostid(p, ps),
@@ -1484,17 +1480,14 @@ apr_status_t ssl_init_CheckServers(server_rec *base_server, apr_pool_t *p)
     }
 
     if (conflict) {
-#ifndef HAVE_TLSEXT
         ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_WARNING, 0, base_server, APLOGNO(01917)
-                     "Init: You should not use name-based "
-                     "virtual hosts in conjunction with SSL!!");
-#else
-        ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_WARNING, 0, base_server, APLOGNO(02292)
-                     "Init: Name-based SSL virtual hosts only "
-                     "work for clients with TLS server name indication "
-                     "support (RFC 4366)");
-#endif
+                     "Init: Name-based SSL virtual hosts require "
+                     "an OpenSSL version with support for TLS extensions "
+                     "(RFC 6066 - Server Name Indication / SNI), "
+                     "but the currently used library version (%s) is "
+                     "lacking this feature", SSLeay_version(SSLEAY_VERSION));
     }
+#endif
 
     return APR_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/modules/ssl/ssl_engine_kernel.c b/modules/ssl/ssl_engine_kernel.c
index 7cd0762a28..db1ceba68f 100644
--- a/modules/ssl/ssl_engine_kernel.c
+++ b/modules/ssl/ssl_engine_kernel.c
@@ -1918,7 +1918,7 @@ void ssl_callback_Info(const SSL *ssl, int where, int rc)
 #ifdef HAVE_TLSEXT
 /*
  * This callback function is executed when OpenSSL encounters an extended
- * client hello with a server name indication extension ("SNI", cf. RFC 4366).
+ * client hello with a server name indication extension ("SNI", cf. RFC 6066).
  */
 int ssl_callback_ServerNameIndication(SSL *ssl, int *al, modssl_ctx_t *mctx)
 {
@@ -1940,7 +1940,21 @@ int ssl_callback_ServerNameIndication(SSL *ssl, int *al, modssl_ctx_t *mctx)
                               "No matching SSL virtual host for servername "
                               "%s found (using default/first virtual host)",
                               servername);
-                return SSL_TLSEXT_ERR_ALERT_WARNING;
+                /*
+                 * RFC 6066 section 3 says "It is NOT RECOMMENDED to send
+                 * a warning-level unrecognized_name(112) alert, because
+                 * the client's behavior in response to warning-level alerts
+                 * is unpredictable."
+                 *
+                 * To maintain backwards compatibility in mod_ssl, we
+                 * no longer send any alert (neither warning- nor fatal-level),
+                 * i.e. we take the second action suggested in RFC 6066:
+                 * "If the server understood the ClientHello extension but
+                 * does not recognize the server name, the server SHOULD take
+                 * one of two actions: either abort the handshake by sending
+                 * a fatal-level unrecognized_name(112) alert or continue
+                 * the handshake."
+                 */
             }
         }
     }