diff --git a/dev-cpp/usockets/metadata.xml b/dev-cpp/usockets/metadata.xml
index 73dd5769c2..50cf8d2854 100644
--- a/dev-cpp/usockets/metadata.xml
+++ b/dev-cpp/usockets/metadata.xml
@@ -7,5 +7,6 @@
     </maintainer>
     <use>
       <flag name="libuv">Enable bindings to use the libuv dispatcher</flag>
+      <flag name="openssl">Enable openssl support</flag>
     </use>
 </pkgmetadata>
diff --git a/dev-cpp/usockets/usockets-0.3.5.ebuild b/dev-cpp/usockets/usockets-0.3.5.ebuild
index a77e1a036f..5d5a20ee7b 100644
--- a/dev-cpp/usockets/usockets-0.3.5.ebuild
+++ b/dev-cpp/usockets/usockets-0.3.5.ebuild
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ PATCHES=(
 
 src_compile() {
 	# the Makefile uses environment variables
-	emake WITH_OPENSSL=$(usex ssl 1 0) \
+	emake WITH_OPENSSL=$(usex openssl 1 0) \
 		  WITH_LIBUV=$(usex libuv 1 0) \
 		  WITH_ASAN=$(usex debug 1 0) \
 		  default