diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/commons/httpclient/protocol/SSLProtocolSocketFactory.java b/src/java/org/apache/commons/httpclient/protocol/SSLProtocolSocketFactory.java
index fa0acc7..e6ce513 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/commons/httpclient/protocol/SSLProtocolSocketFactory.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/commons/httpclient/protocol/SSLProtocolSocketFactory.java
@@ -44,9 +44,15 @@ import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.LinkedList;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Locale;
-import java.util.StringTokenizer;
+import java.util.NoSuchElementException;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
+import javax.naming.InvalidNameException;
+import javax.naming.NamingException;
+import javax.naming.directory.Attribute;
+import javax.naming.directory.Attributes;
+import javax.naming.ldap.LdapName;
+import javax.naming.ldap.Rdn;
 import javax.net.ssl.SSLException;
 import javax.net.ssl.SSLSession;
 import javax.net.ssl.SSLSocket;
@@ -424,28 +430,39 @@ public class SSLProtocolSocketFactory implements SecureProtocolSocketFactory {
 		return dots;
 	}
 
-	private static String getCN(X509Certificate cert) {
-        // Note:  toString() seems to do a better job than getName()
-        //
-        // For example, getName() gives me this:
-        // 1.2.840.113549.1.9.1=#16166a756c6975736461766965734063756362632e636f6d
-        //
-        // whereas toString() gives me this:
-        // EMAILADDRESS=juliusdavies@cucbc.com        
-		String subjectPrincipal = cert.getSubjectX500Principal().toString();
-		
-		return getCN(subjectPrincipal);
-
+	private static String getCN(final X509Certificate cert) {
+		final String subjectPrincipal = cert.getSubjectX500Principal().toString();
+		try {
+			return extractCN(subjectPrincipal);
+		} catch (SSLException ex) {
+			return null;
+		}
 	}
-	private static String getCN(String subjectPrincipal) {
-		StringTokenizer st = new StringTokenizer(subjectPrincipal, ",");
-		while(st.hasMoreTokens()) {
-			String tok = st.nextToken().trim();
-			if (tok.length() > 3) {
-				if (tok.substring(0, 3).equalsIgnoreCase("CN=")) {
-					return tok.substring(3);
+
+	private static String extractCN(final String subjectPrincipal) throws SSLException {
+		if (subjectPrincipal == null) {
+			return null;
+		}
+		try {
+			final LdapName subjectDN = new LdapName(subjectPrincipal);
+			final List<Rdn> rdns = subjectDN.getRdns();
+			for (int i = rdns.size() - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+				final Rdn rds = rdns.get(i);
+				final Attributes attributes = rds.toAttributes();
+				final Attribute cn = attributes.get("cn");
+				if (cn != null) {
+					try {
+						final Object value = cn.get();
+						if (value != null) {
+							return value.toString();
+						}
+					} catch (NoSuchElementException ignore) {
+					} catch (NamingException ignore) {
+					}
 				}
 			}
+		} catch (InvalidNameException e) {
+			throw new SSLException(subjectPrincipal + " is not a valid X500 distinguished name");
 		}
 		return null;
 	}
