diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
index e35cfc45b4..b9702548aa 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
@@ -829,6 +829,9 @@ Release 2.7.0 - UNRELEASED
     HADOOP-11546. Checkstyle failing: Unable to instantiate 
     DoubleCheckedLockingCheck. (ozawa)
 
+    HADOOP-11548. checknative should display a nicer error message when openssl
+    support is not compiled in. (Anu Engineer via cnauroth)
+
 Release 2.6.1 - UNRELEASED
 
   INCOMPATIBLE CHANGES
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/CMakeLists.txt b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/CMakeLists.txt
index ddb3abf4dc..942b19c752 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -185,7 +185,6 @@ find_path(OPENSSL_INCLUDE_DIR NAMES openssl/evp.h)
 SET(CMAKE_FIND_LIBRARY_SUFFIXES ${STORED_CMAKE_FIND_LIBRARY_SUFFIXES})
 SET(USABLE_OPENSSL 0)
 if (OPENSSL_LIBRARY AND OPENSSL_INCLUDE_DIR)
-    GET_FILENAME_COMPONENT(HADOOP_OPENSSL_LIBRARY ${OPENSSL_LIBRARY} NAME)
     INCLUDE(CheckCSourceCompiles)
     SET(OLD_CMAKE_REQUIRED_INCLUDES ${CMAKE_REQUIRED_INCLUDES})
     SET(CMAKE_REQUIRED_INCLUDES ${OPENSSL_INCLUDE_DIR})
@@ -198,6 +197,7 @@ if (OPENSSL_LIBRARY AND OPENSSL_INCLUDE_DIR)
     endif(NOT HAS_NEW_ENOUGH_OPENSSL)
 endif (OPENSSL_LIBRARY AND OPENSSL_INCLUDE_DIR)
 if (USABLE_OPENSSL)
+    GET_FILENAME_COMPONENT(HADOOP_OPENSSL_LIBRARY ${OPENSSL_LIBRARY} NAME)
     SET(OPENSSL_SOURCE_FILES
         "${D}/crypto/OpensslCipher.c"
         "${D}/crypto/random/OpensslSecureRandom.c")