diff --git a/include/mbedtls/ssl.h b/include/mbedtls/ssl.h
index a871540d1..f613ff64d 100644
--- a/include/mbedtls/ssl.h
+++ b/include/mbedtls/ssl.h
@@ -1235,7 +1235,6 @@ struct mbedtls_ssl_context
 {
     const mbedtls_ssl_config *conf; /*!< configuration information          */
 
-    unsigned char pend_alert_level;
     unsigned char pend_alert_msg;
 
     /*
diff --git a/include/mbedtls/ssl_internal.h b/include/mbedtls/ssl_internal.h
index 82fd62b0d..676c11261 100644
--- a/include/mbedtls/ssl_internal.h
+++ b/include/mbedtls/ssl_internal.h
@@ -1734,8 +1734,6 @@ MBEDTLS_ALWAYS_INLINE static inline int mbedtls_ssl_pend_fatal_alert(
     mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl,
     unsigned char message )
 {
-    /* ssl->pend_alert_level is fatal by default,
-     * so we don't need set it here. */
     ssl->pend_alert_msg = message;
     return( 0 );
 }
diff --git a/library/ssl_tls.c b/library/ssl_tls.c
index 1d500c4f4..c9a9e297a 100644
--- a/library/ssl_tls.c
+++ b/library/ssl_tls.c
@@ -7975,7 +7975,6 @@ int mbedtls_ssl_setup( mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl,
         goto error;
 
     ssl->pend_alert_msg   = MBEDTLS_SSL_ALERT_MSG_NONE;
-    ssl->pend_alert_level = MBEDTLS_SSL_ALERT_LEVEL_FATAL;
 
     return( 0 );
 
@@ -9832,10 +9831,9 @@ int mbedtls_ssl_handshake_step( mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl )
     if( ssl->pend_alert_msg != MBEDTLS_SSL_ALERT_MSG_NONE )
     {
         mbedtls_ssl_send_alert_message( ssl,
-                                        ssl->pend_alert_level,
+                                        MBEDTLS_SSL_ALERT_LEVEL_FATAL,
                                         ssl->pend_alert_msg );
         ssl->pend_alert_msg   = MBEDTLS_SSL_ALERT_MSG_NONE;
-        ssl->pend_alert_level = MBEDTLS_SSL_ALERT_LEVEL_FATAL;
     }
     return( ret );
 }