diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 70560f754..2c4a2a088 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -49,13 +49,38 @@ import os
 import subprocess
 import sys
 import textwrap
+import time
 import SCons.Action
 
 sys.path.append(os.path.join('src', 'beast', 'site_scons'))
 
 import Beast
 
-#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+#------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def parse_time(t):
+    return time.strptime(t, '%a %b %d %H:%M:%S %Z %Y')
+
+CHECK_PLATFORMS = 'Darwin', 'Debian', 'Ubuntu'
+CHECK_COMMAND = 'openssl version -a'
+CHECK_LINE = 'built on: '
+BUILD_TIME = 'Mon Apr  7 20:33:19 UTC 2014'
+OPENSSL_ERROR = ('Your openSSL was built on %s; '
+                 'rippled needs a version built on or after %s.')
+
+def check_openssl():
+    if Beast.system.platform in CHECK_PLATFORMS:
+        for line in subprocess.check_output(CHECK_COMMAND.split()).splitlines():
+            if line.startswith(CHECK_LINE):
+                line = line[len(CHECK_LINE):]
+                if parse_time(line) < parse_time(BUILD_TIME):
+                    raise Exception(OPENSSL_ERROR % (line, BUILD_TIME))
+                else:
+                    break
+        else:
+            raise Exception("Didn't find any '%s' line in '$ %s'" %
+                            (CHECK_LINE, CHECK_COMMAND))
+
 
 def import_environ(env):
     '''Imports environment settings into the construction environment'''
@@ -187,6 +212,8 @@ def config_base(env):
             CXXCOMSTR='Compiling ' + Beast.blue('$SOURCES'),
             LINKCOMSTR='Linking ' + Beast.blue('$TARGET'),
             )
+    check_openssl()
+
     #git = Beast.Git(env) #  TODO(TOM)
     if False: #git.exists:
         env.Append(CPPDEFINES={'GIT_COMMIT_ID' : '"%s"' % git.commit_id})
diff --git a/src/beast/site_scons/Beast.py b/src/beast/site_scons/Beast.py
index 3a4ba9d00..0b096d402 100644
--- a/src/beast/site_scons/Beast.py
+++ b/src/beast/site_scons/Beast.py
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ class __System(object):
         else:
             raise Exception('Unknown system platform "' + self.name + '"')
 
+        self.platform = self.distro or self.name
+
     def __str__(self):
         return self.__display