diff --git a/ChangeLog.d/verify-result-default-value.txt b/ChangeLog.d/verify-result-default-value.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d85dfe2670d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ChangeLog.d/verify-result-default-value.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+Changes
+   * Harden mbedtls_ssl_get_verify_result() against misuse.
+     Return failure if the handshake has not yet been attempted. Previously
+     the result of verification was zero-initialized so the function would
+     return 0 (indicating success).
diff --git a/library/ssl_tls.c b/library/ssl_tls.c
index 30cde279239..468cc0afb48 100644
--- a/library/ssl_tls.c
+++ b/library/ssl_tls.c
@@ -1048,6 +1048,8 @@ void mbedtls_ssl_transform_init(mbedtls_ssl_transform *transform)
 void mbedtls_ssl_session_init(mbedtls_ssl_session *session)
 {
     memset(session, 0, sizeof(mbedtls_ssl_session));
+    /* Set verify_result to indicate failure by default. */
+    session->verify_result = 0xFFFFFFFF;
 }
 
 MBEDTLS_CHECK_RETURN_CRITICAL
diff --git a/tests/suites/test_suite_ssl.data b/tests/suites/test_suite_ssl.data
index 92bda3efd1a..53cf1a07964 100644
--- a/tests/suites/test_suite_ssl.data
+++ b/tests/suites/test_suite_ssl.data
@@ -3524,3 +3524,6 @@ ssl_tls_exporter_rejects_bad_parameters:MBEDTLS_SSL_VERSION_TLS1_3:24:250:10
 TLS 1.3 Keying Material Exporter: Handshake not done
 depends_on:MBEDTLS_SSL_PROTO_TLS1_3:MBEDTLS_TEST_AT_LEAST_ONE_TLS1_3_CIPHERSUITE:MBEDTLS_SSL_TLS1_3_KEY_EXCHANGE_MODE_EPHEMERAL_ENABLED:PSA_WANT_ALG_RSA_PKCS1V15_SIGN:MBEDTLS_X509_RSASSA_PSS_SUPPORT
 ssl_tls_exporter_too_early:MBEDTLS_SSL_VERSION_TLS1_3:1:MBEDTLS_SSL_SERVER_CERTIFICATE
+
+Default verify_result before doing a handshake
+verify_result_without_handshake
diff --git a/tests/suites/test_suite_ssl.function b/tests/suites/test_suite_ssl.function
index 6797a4dd7e4..d5076e9c44a 100644
--- a/tests/suites/test_suite_ssl.function
+++ b/tests/suites/test_suite_ssl.function
@@ -5999,3 +5999,28 @@ exit:
     MD_OR_USE_PSA_DONE();
 }
 /* END_CASE */
+
+/* BEGIN_CASE depends_on:MBEDTLS_SSL_HANDSHAKE_WITH_CERT_ENABLED */
+void verify_result_without_handshake(void)
+{
+    /* Test the result of verification before we perform a handshake. */
+    mbedtls_ssl_context ssl;
+    mbedtls_ssl_config conf;
+
+    mbedtls_ssl_init(&ssl);
+
+    TEST_EQUAL(mbedtls_ssl_config_defaults(&conf,
+                                           MBEDTLS_SSL_IS_CLIENT,
+                                           MBEDTLS_SSL_TRANSPORT_STREAM,
+                                           MBEDTLS_SSL_PRESET_DEFAULT), 0);
+
+    mbedtls_ssl_conf_authmode(&conf, MBEDTLS_SSL_VERIFY_OPTIONAL);
+    mbedtls_ssl_conf_ca_chain(&conf, NULL, NULL);
+
+    TEST_EQUAL(mbedtls_ssl_setup(&ssl, &conf), 0);
+
+    uint32_t verify_result = mbedtls_ssl_get_verify_result(&ssl);
+
+    TEST_EQUAL(verify_result, 0xFFFFFFFF);
+}
+/* END_CASE */