diff --git a/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/conn/ssl/AbstractBaseHostnameVerifier.java b/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/conn/ssl/AbstractBaseHostnameVerifier.java
index cfc6bf96b..0a6d9483b 100644
--- a/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/conn/ssl/AbstractBaseHostnameVerifier.java
+++ b/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/conn/ssl/AbstractBaseHostnameVerifier.java
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import javax.net.ssl.SSLSession;
 import javax.net.ssl.SSLSocket;
 
 import org.apache.http.annotation.Immutable;
+import org.apache.http.util.Args;
 
 /**
  * Abstract base class for all standard {@link org.apache.http.conn.ssl.X509HostnameVerifier}
@@ -52,10 +53,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractBaseHostnameVerifier implements X509HostnameVerifi
     @Override
     public final void verify(final String host, final SSLSocket ssl)
           throws IOException {
-        if(host == null) {
-            throw new NullPointerException("host to verify is null");
-        }
-
+        Args.notNull(host, "Host");
         SSLSession session = ssl.getSession();
         if(session == null) {
             // In our experience this only happens under IBM 1.4.x when
diff --git a/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/conn/ssl/AbstractCommonHostnameVerifier.java b/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/conn/ssl/AbstractCommonHostnameVerifier.java
index c1e78f35e..86323934e 100644
--- a/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/conn/ssl/AbstractCommonHostnameVerifier.java
+++ b/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/conn/ssl/AbstractCommonHostnameVerifier.java
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ import org.apache.http.annotation.Immutable;
 import org.apache.http.conn.util.InetAddressUtils;
 
 /**
- /**
  * Abstract base class for all standard {@link org.apache.http.conn.ssl.X509HostnameVerifier}
  * implementations that provides methods to extract Common Name (CN) and alternative subjects
  * (subjectAlt) from {@link java.security.cert.X509Certificate} being validated as well
@@ -92,7 +91,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractCommonHostnameVerifier extends AbstractBaseHostnam
           throws SSLException {
         final String subjectPrincipal = cert.getSubjectX500Principal().toString();
         final String[] cns = extractCNs(subjectPrincipal);
-        final String[] subjectAlts = getSubjectAlts(cert, host);
+        final String[] subjectAlts = extractSubjectAlts(cert, host);
         verify(host, cns, subjectAlts);
     }
 
@@ -233,8 +232,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractCommonHostnameVerifier extends AbstractBaseHostnam
      * @param hostname
      * @return Array of SubjectALT DNS or IP names stored in the certificate.
      */
-    private static String[] getSubjectAlts(
-            final X509Certificate cert, final String hostname) {
+    static String[] extractSubjectAlts(final X509Certificate cert, final String hostname) {
         final int subjectType;
         if (isIPAddress(hostname)) {
             subjectType = 7;
@@ -268,24 +266,6 @@ public abstract class AbstractCommonHostnameVerifier extends AbstractBaseHostnam
         }
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Extracts the array of SubjectAlt DNS names from an X509Certificate.
-     * Returns null if there aren't any.
-     * <p/>
-     * Note:  Java doesn't appear able to extract international characters
-     * from the SubjectAlts.  It can only extract international characters
-     * from the CN field.
-     * <p/>
-     * (Or maybe the version of OpenSSL I'm using to test isn't storing the
-     * international characters correctly in the SubjectAlts?).
-     *
-     * @param cert X509Certificate
-     * @return Array of SubjectALT DNS names stored in the certificate.
-     */
-    public static String[] getDNSSubjectAlts(final X509Certificate cert) {
-        return getSubjectAlts(cert, null);
-    }
-
     /**
      * Counts the number of dots "." in a string.
      * @param s  string to count dots from
diff --git a/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/conn/ssl/AbstractVerifier.java b/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/conn/ssl/AbstractVerifier.java
index 90bd6c40b..3531f862d 100644
--- a/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/conn/ssl/AbstractVerifier.java
+++ b/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/conn/ssl/AbstractVerifier.java
@@ -52,4 +52,22 @@ public abstract class AbstractVerifier extends AbstractCommonHostnameVerifier {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Extracts the array of SubjectAlt DNS names from an X509Certificate.
+     * Returns null if there aren't any.
+     * <p/>
+     * Note:  Java doesn't appear able to extract international characters
+     * from the SubjectAlts.  It can only extract international characters
+     * from the CN field.
+     * <p/>
+     * (Or maybe the version of OpenSSL I'm using to test isn't storing the
+     * international characters correctly in the SubjectAlts?).
+     *
+     * @param cert X509Certificate
+     * @return Array of SubjectALT DNS names stored in the certificate.
+     */
+    public static String[] getDNSSubjectAlts(final X509Certificate cert) {
+        return extractSubjectAlts(cert, null);
+    }
+
 }