diff --git a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/SslHandler.java b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/SslHandler.java
index d59b504c709..83ce18e747f 100644
--- a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/SslHandler.java
+++ b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/SslHandler.java
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 import io.netty.util.concurrent.PromiseNotifier;
 import io.netty.util.internal.ObjectUtil;
 import io.netty.util.internal.PlatformDependent;
+import io.netty.util.internal.ThrowableUtil;
 import io.netty.util.internal.UnstableApi;
 import io.netty.util.internal.logging.InternalLogger;
 import io.netty.util.internal.logging.InternalLoggerFactory;
@@ -1062,7 +1063,15 @@ private SSLEngineResult wrap(ByteBufAllocator alloc, SSLEngine engine, ByteBuf i
     public void channelInactive(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) throws Exception {
         boolean handshakeFailed = handshakePromise.cause() != null;
 
+        // Channel closed, we will generate 'ClosedChannelException' now.
         ClosedChannelException exception = new ClosedChannelException();
+
+        // Add a supressed exception if the handshake was not completed yet.
+        if (isStateSet(STATE_HANDSHAKE_STARTED) && !handshakePromise.isDone()) {
+            ThrowableUtil.addSuppressed(exception,
+                    new StacklessSSLHandshakeException("Connection closed while SSL/TLS handshake was in progress"));
+        }
+
         // Make sure to release SSLEngine,
         // and notify the handshake future if the connection has been closed during handshake.
         setHandshakeFailure(ctx, exception, !isStateSet(STATE_OUTBOUND_CLOSED), isStateSet(STATE_HANDSHAKE_STARTED),
diff --git a/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/StacklessSSLHandshakeException.java b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/StacklessSSLHandshakeException.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3c315892fea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/handler/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/StacklessSSLHandshakeException.java
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2023 The Netty Project
+ *
+ * The Netty 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:
+ *
+ *   https://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 io.netty.handler.ssl;
+
+import javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException;
+
+/**
+ * A {@link SSLHandshakeException} that does not fill in the stack trace.
+ */
+final class StacklessSSLHandshakeException extends SSLHandshakeException {
+
+    private static final long serialVersionUID = -1244781947804415549L;
+
+    /**
+     * Constructs an exception reporting an error found by
+     * an SSL subsystem during handshaking.
+     *
+     * @param reason describes the problem.
+     */
+    StacklessSSLHandshakeException(String reason) {
+        super(reason);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Throwable fillInStackTrace() {
+        // This is a performance optimization to not fill in the
+        // stack trace as this is a stackless exception.
+        return this;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/handler/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/SslHandlerTest.java b/handler/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/SslHandlerTest.java
index 70aef23b602..bd8e0ac79e5 100644
--- a/handler/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/SslHandlerTest.java
+++ b/handler/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/ssl/SslHandlerTest.java
@@ -568,8 +568,8 @@ public void testCloseFutureNotified() throws Exception {
 
         assertFalse(ch.finishAndReleaseAll());
 
-        assertTrue(handler.handshakeFuture().cause() instanceof ClosedChannelException);
-        assertTrue(handler.sslCloseFuture().cause() instanceof ClosedChannelException);
+        assertThat(handler.handshakeFuture().cause(), instanceOf(ClosedChannelException.class));
+        assertThat(handler.sslCloseFuture().cause(), instanceOf(ClosedChannelException.class));
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -590,11 +590,11 @@ public void userEventTriggered(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Object evt) throws Exc
 
         SslCompletionEvent evt = events.take();
         assertTrue(evt instanceof SslHandshakeCompletionEvent);
-        assertTrue(evt.cause() instanceof ClosedChannelException);
+        assertThat(evt.cause(), instanceOf(ClosedChannelException.class));
 
         evt = events.take();
         assertTrue(evt instanceof SslCloseCompletionEvent);
-        assertTrue(evt.cause() instanceof ClosedChannelException);
+        assertThat(evt.cause(), instanceOf(ClosedChannelException.class));
         assertTrue(events.isEmpty());
     }