diff --git a/telethon/crypto/aes.py b/telethon/crypto/aes.py
index 8f13b5f0..3cfcc1af 100644
--- a/telethon/crypto/aes.py
+++ b/telethon/crypto/aes.py
@@ -1,13 +1,29 @@
 """
-AES IGE implementation in Python. This module may use libssl if available.
+AES IGE implementation in Python.
+
+If available, cryptg will be used instead, otherwise
+if available, libssl will be used instead, otherwise
+the Python implementation will be used.
 """
 import os
 import pyaes
+import logging
+from . import libssl
+
+
+__log__ = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
 
 try:
     import cryptg
+    __log__.info('cryptg detected, it will be used for encryption')
 except ImportError:
     cryptg = None
+    if libssl.encrypt_ige and libssl.decrypt_ige:
+        __log__.info('libssl detected, it will be used for encryption')
+    else:
+        __log__.info('cryptg module not installed and libssl not found, '
+                     'falling back to (slower) Python encryption')
 
 
 class AES:
@@ -23,6 +39,8 @@ class AES:
         """
         if cryptg:
             return cryptg.decrypt_ige(cipher_text, key, iv)
+        if libssl.decrypt_ige:
+            return libssl.decrypt_ige(cipher_text, key, iv)
 
         iv1 = iv[:len(iv) // 2]
         iv2 = iv[len(iv) // 2:]
@@ -56,13 +74,14 @@ class AES:
         Encrypts the given text in 16-bytes blocks by using the
         given key and 32-bytes initialization vector.
         """
-        # Add random padding iff it's not evenly divisible by 16 already
-        if len(plain_text) % 16 != 0:
-            padding_count = 16 - len(plain_text) % 16
-            plain_text += os.urandom(padding_count)
+        padding = len(plain_text) % 16
+        if padding:
+            plain_text += os.urandom(16 - padding)
 
         if cryptg:
             return cryptg.encrypt_ige(plain_text, key, iv)
+        if libssl.encrypt_ige:
+            return libssl.encrypt_ige(plain_text, key, iv)
 
         iv1 = iv[:len(iv) // 2]
         iv2 = iv[len(iv) // 2:]
diff --git a/telethon/crypto/libssl.py b/telethon/crypto/libssl.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..33e04eb3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/telethon/crypto/libssl.py
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+"""
+Helper module around the system's libssl library if available for IGE mode.
+"""
+import ctypes
+import ctypes.util
+
+
+lib = ctypes.util.find_library('ssl')
+if not lib:
+    decrypt_ige = None
+    encrypt_ige = None
+else:
+    _libssl = ctypes.cdll.LoadLibrary(lib)
+
+    # https://github.com/openssl/openssl/blob/master/include/openssl/aes.h
+    AES_ENCRYPT = ctypes.c_int(1)
+    AES_DECRYPT = ctypes.c_int(0)
+    AES_MAXNR = 14
+
+    class AES_KEY(ctypes.Structure):
+        """Helper class representing an AES key"""
+        _fields_ = [
+            ('rd_key', ctypes.c_uint32 * (4 * (AES_MAXNR + 1))),
+            ('rounds', ctypes.c_uint),
+        ]
+
+    def decrypt_ige(cipher_text, key, iv):
+        aes_key = AES_KEY()
+        key_len = ctypes.c_int(8 * len(key))
+        key = (ctypes.c_ubyte * len(key))(*key)
+        iv = (ctypes.c_ubyte * len(iv))(*iv)
+
+        in_len = ctypes.c_size_t(len(cipher_text))
+        in_ptr = (ctypes.c_ubyte * len(cipher_text))(*cipher_text)
+        out_ptr = (ctypes.c_ubyte * len(cipher_text))()
+
+        _libssl.AES_set_decrypt_key(key, key_len, ctypes.byref(aes_key))
+        _libssl.AES_ige_encrypt(
+            ctypes.byref(in_ptr),
+            ctypes.byref(out_ptr),
+            in_len,
+            ctypes.byref(aes_key),
+            ctypes.byref(iv),
+            AES_DECRYPT
+        )
+
+        return bytes(out_ptr)
+
+    def encrypt_ige(plain_text, key, iv):
+        aes_key = AES_KEY()
+        key_len = ctypes.c_int(8 * len(key))
+        key = (ctypes.c_ubyte * len(key))(*key)
+        iv = (ctypes.c_ubyte * len(iv))(*iv)
+
+        in_len = ctypes.c_size_t(len(plain_text))
+        in_ptr = (ctypes.c_ubyte * len(plain_text))(*plain_text)
+        out_ptr = (ctypes.c_ubyte * len(plain_text))()
+
+        _libssl.AES_set_encrypt_key(key, key_len, ctypes.byref(aes_key))
+        _libssl.AES_ige_encrypt(
+            ctypes.byref(in_ptr),
+            ctypes.byref(out_ptr),
+            in_len,
+            ctypes.byref(aes_key),
+            ctypes.byref(iv),
+            AES_ENCRYPT
+        )
+
+        return bytes(out_ptr)