diff --git a/src/openvpn/multi.c b/src/openvpn/multi.c
index a2af071a..c2ffcb9d 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/multi.c
+++ b/src/openvpn/multi.c
@@ -1833,10 +1833,19 @@ multi_client_set_protocol_options(struct context *c)
             {
                 struct gc_arena gc = gc_new();
                 const char *peer_ciphers = tls_peer_ncp_list(peer_info, &gc);
-                msg(M_INFO, "PUSH: No common cipher between server and client."
-                    "Expect this connection not to work. "
-                    "Server ncp-ciphers: '%s', client supported ciphers '%s'",
-                    o->ncp_ciphers, peer_ciphers);
+                if (strlen(peer_ciphers) > 0)
+                {
+                    msg(M_INFO, "PUSH: No common cipher between server and "
+                        "client. Expect this connection not to work. Server "
+                        "ncp-ciphers: '%s', client supported ciphers '%s'",
+                        o->ncp_ciphers, peer_ciphers);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    msg(M_INFO, "No NCP data received from peer, falling back "
+                        "to --cipher '%s'. Peer reports in OCC --cipher '%s'",
+                        o->ciphername, np(tls_multi->remote_ciphername));
+                }
                 gc_free(&gc);
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/openvpn/ssl_ncp.c b/src/openvpn/ssl_ncp.c
index ea1dc960..fe7f5855 100644
--- a/src/openvpn/ssl_ncp.c
+++ b/src/openvpn/ssl_ncp.c
@@ -225,6 +225,12 @@ ncp_get_best_cipher(const char *server_list, const char *server_cipher,
 
     const char *peer_ncp_list = tls_peer_ncp_list(peer_info, &gc_tmp);
 
+    /* non-NCP client without OCC?  "assume nothing" */
+    if (remote_cipher == NULL )
+    {
+        remote_cipher = "";
+    }
+
     char *tmp_ciphers = string_alloc(server_list, &gc_tmp);
 
     const char *token = strsep(&tmp_ciphers, ":");