diff --git b/lib/gnutls_handshake.c a/lib/gnutls_handshake.c
index 5930941..e904f2e 100644
--- b/lib/gnutls_handshake.c
+++ a/lib/gnutls_handshake.c
@@ -2510,7 +2510,8 @@ static int _gnutls_recv_supplemental(gnutls_session_t session)
  * are non fatal errors, only in the specific case of a rehandshake.
  * Their meaning is that the client rejected the rehandshake request or
  * in the case of %GNUTLS_E_GOT_APPLICATION_DATA it could also mean that
- * some data were pending.
+ * some data were pending. A client may receive that error code if
+ * it initiates the handshake and the server doesn't agreed.
  *
  * Returns: %GNUTLS_E_SUCCESS on success, otherwise a negative error code.
  **/
diff --git b/lib/gnutls_record.c a/lib/gnutls_record.c
index 157d12a..40c20fe 100644
--- b/lib/gnutls_record.c
+++ a/lib/gnutls_record.c
@@ -837,7 +837,7 @@ record_add_to_buffers(gnutls_session_t session,
 			 * reasons). Otherwise it is an unexpected packet
 			 */
 			if (type == GNUTLS_ALERT
-			    || (htype == GNUTLS_HANDSHAKE_CLIENT_HELLO
+			    || ((htype == GNUTLS_HANDSHAKE_SERVER_HELLO || htype == GNUTLS_HANDSHAKE_CLIENT_HELLO)
 				&& type == GNUTLS_HANDSHAKE)) {
 				/* even if data is unexpected put it into the buffer */
 				_gnutls_record_buffer_put(session, recv->type,