diff --git a/plugins/python-build/bin/python-build b/plugins/python-build/bin/python-build
index 20b17342..7d0b2a16 100755
--- a/plugins/python-build/bin/python-build
+++ b/plugins/python-build/bin/python-build
@@ -1420,7 +1420,7 @@ use_freebsd_pkg() {
   # check if FreeBSD
   if [ "FreeBSD" = "$(uname -s)" ]; then
     # use openssl if installed from Ports Collection
-    if [ -f /usr/local/include/openssl/ssl.h ]; then
+    if pkg info -e openssl; then
       package_option python configure --with-openssl="/usr/local"
     fi
 
diff --git a/plugins/python-build/test/build.bats b/plugins/python-build/test/build.bats
index 76a6b6a5..8a0dee1c 100644
--- a/plugins/python-build/test/build.bats
+++ b/plugins/python-build/test/build.bats
@@ -259,6 +259,38 @@ make install
 OUT
 }
 
+@test "openssl is linked from Ports in FreeBSD if present" {
+  cached_tarball "Python-3.6.2"
+
+  for i in {1..7}; do stub uname '-s : echo FreeBSD'; done
+  stub uname '-r : echo 11.0-RELEASE'
+  for i in {1..2}; do stub uname '-s : echo FreeBSD'; done
+  stub sysctl '-n hw.ncpu : echo 1'
+
+  stub pkg "info -e openssl : true"
+  for in in {1..2}; do stub pkg false; done
+
+  stub_make_install
+
+  export -n MAKE_OPTS
+  run_inline_definition <<DEF
+install_package "Python-3.6.2" "http://python.org/ftp/python/3.6.2/Python-3.6.2.tar.gz"
+DEF
+  assert_success
+
+  unstub uname
+  unstub make
+  unstub pkg
+  unstub sysctl
+
+  assert_build_log <<OUT
+Python-3.6.2: CPPFLAGS="-I${TMP}/install/include" LDFLAGS="-L${TMP}/install/lib -Wl,-rpath,${TMP}/install/lib" PKG_CONFIG_PATH=""
+Python-3.6.2: --prefix=$INSTALL_ROOT --enable-shared --libdir=$INSTALL_ROOT/lib --with-openssl=/usr/local
+make -j 1
+make install
+OUT
+}
+
 @test "readline and sqlite3 are linked from Ports in FreeBSD" {
   cached_tarball "Python-3.6.2"
 
@@ -269,6 +301,7 @@ OUT
     for i in {1..2}; do stub uname '-s : echo FreeBSD'; done
     stub sysctl '-n hw.ncpu : echo 1'
 
+    stub pkg false
     stub pkg "$([[ $lib == readline ]] && echo "info -e $lib : true" || echo false)"
     if [[ $lib == sqlite3 ]]; then stub pkg "info -e $lib : true"; fi
 
@@ -538,7 +571,7 @@ OUT
   for i in {1..7}; do stub uname '-s : echo FreeBSD'; done
   stub uname '-r : echo 11.0-RELEASE'
   for i in {1..2}; do stub uname '-s : echo FreeBSD'; done
-  for i in {1..2}; do stub pkg false; done
+  for i in {1..3}; do stub pkg false; done
 
   stub sysctl '-n hw.ncpu : echo 1'
   stub_make_install