diff --git a/RELEASE_NOTES.txt b/RELEASE_NOTES.txt
index 95ceac3cd..41373b981 100644
--- a/RELEASE_NOTES.txt
+++ b/RELEASE_NOTES.txt
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ Changelog:
 * [HTTPCLIENT-1816] Update Apache Commons Codec 1.9 to 1.10.
   Contributed by Gary Gregory <ggregory at apache.org>
 
+* [HTTPCLIENT-1836] DefaultHostnameVerifier#getSubjectAltNames(X509Certificate) throws java.lang.ClassCastException.
+  Contributed by Gary Gregory <ggregory at apache.org>, Ilian Iliev <ilian_iliev at yahoo.com>
 
 Release 4.5.3
 -------------------
diff --git a/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/conn/ssl/DefaultHostnameVerifier.java b/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/conn/ssl/DefaultHostnameVerifier.java
index 982674e1a..2202abe16 100644
--- a/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/conn/ssl/DefaultHostnameVerifier.java
+++ b/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/conn/ssl/DefaultHostnameVerifier.java
@@ -305,8 +305,12 @@ public final class DefaultHostnameVerifier implements HostnameVerifier {
             for (final List<?> entry : entries) {
                 final Integer type = entry.size() >= 2 ? (Integer) entry.get(0) : null;
                 if (type != null) {
-                    final String s = (String) entry.get(1);
-                    result.add(new SubjectName(s, type));
+                    final Object o = entry.get(1);
+                    if (o instanceof String) {
+                        result.add(new SubjectName((String) o, type.intValue()));
+                    } else if (o instanceof byte[]) {
+                        // TODO ASN.1 DER encoded form
+                    }
                 }
             }
             return result;