diff --git a/src/main/java/com/ning/http/client/providers/netty/NettyConnectListener.java b/src/main/java/com/ning/http/client/providers/netty/NettyConnectListener.java
index 5542e3ae2c..373c4c882a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/ning/http/client/providers/netty/NettyConnectListener.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/ning/http/client/providers/netty/NettyConnectListener.java
@@ -77,7 +77,8 @@ public final void operationComplete(ChannelFuture f) throws Exception {
                 // TODO: channel.getRemoteAddress()).getHostName() is very expensive. Should cache the result.
                 if (!v.verify(InetSocketAddress.class.cast(channel.getRemoteAddress()).getHostName(),
                         sslHandler.getEngine().getSession())) {
-                    throw new ConnectException("HostnameVerifier exception.");
+                    future.abort(new ConnectException("HostnameVerifier exception."));
+                    return;
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/ning/http/client/providers/netty/NettyHostnameValidationFailureTest.java b/src/test/java/com/ning/http/client/providers/netty/NettyHostnameValidationFailureTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fb386ed952
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/com/ning/http/client/providers/netty/NettyHostnameValidationFailureTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2014 AsyncHttpClient Project
+ *
+ * AsyncHttpClient Project licenses this file to you under the Apache License, version 2.0
+ * (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with the
+ * License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at:
+ *
+ *    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+ * WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.  See the
+ * License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+ * under the License.
+ *
+ */
+package com.ning.http.client.providers.netty;
+
+import com.ning.http.client.AsyncHttpClient;
+import com.ning.http.client.AsyncHttpClientConfig;
+import com.ning.http.client.Response;
+import org.jboss.netty.logging.InternalLoggerFactory;
+import org.jboss.netty.logging.Slf4JLoggerFactory;
+import org.testng.annotations.Test;
+
+import javax.net.ssl.HostnameVerifier;
+import javax.net.ssl.SSLSession;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.net.ConnectException;
+import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
+
+import static org.testng.Assert.*;
+
+/**
+ *
+ */
+public class NettyHostnameValidationFailureTest {
+
+    @Test(groups = "standalone")
+    public void testHostnameValidationFailure()  {
+        //InternalLoggerFactory.setDefaultFactory(new Slf4JLoggerFactory());
+
+        AsyncHttpClientConfig.Builder builder = new AsyncHttpClientConfig.Builder()//
+                .setAllowPoolingConnection(true)//
+                .setHostnameVerifier(new HostnameVerifier() {
+                    public boolean verify(String arg0, SSLSession arg1) {
+                        return false;
+                    }
+                })
+                .setConnectionTimeoutInMs(60000);
+        AsyncHttpClient client = new AsyncHttpClient(builder.build());
+
+        try {
+            client.prepareGet("https://www.google.fr/").execute().get();
+            fail("Should have thrown an exception");
+        } catch (ExecutionException e) {
+            assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("HostnameVerifier exception."));
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            fail(e.getClass().getCanonicalName());
+        }  finally {
+            client.close();
+        }
+    }
+}