diff --git a/src/ssl.c b/src/ssl.c
index 96fd370f9..6341c4be7 100644
--- a/src/ssl.c
+++ b/src/ssl.c
@@ -31463,7 +31463,6 @@ int wolfSSL_EC_GROUP_get_order(const WOLFSSL_EC_GROUP *group,
 int wolfSSL_EC_GROUP_order_bits(const WOLFSSL_EC_GROUP *group)
 {
     int ret;
-    int order_bits = 0;
     mp_int order;
 
     if (group == NULL || group->curve_idx < 0) {
@@ -31476,11 +31475,7 @@ int wolfSSL_EC_GROUP_order_bits(const WOLFSSL_EC_GROUP *group)
         ret = mp_read_radix(&order, ecc_sets[group->curve_idx].order,
             MP_RADIX_HEX);
         if (ret == 0)
-            ret = mp_unsigned_bin_size(&order);
-        if (ret >= 0)
-            ret = mp_to_unsigned_bin(&order, (byte*)&order_bits);
-        if (ret == 0)
-            ret = order_bits;
+            ret = mp_count_bits(&order);
         mp_clear(&order);
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/api.c b/tests/api.c
index 6d66f54a2..73ff88953 100644
--- a/tests/api.c
+++ b/tests/api.c
@@ -1678,7 +1678,7 @@ static int test_wolfSSL_SetMinVersion(void)
  *----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
 /* Test function for EC_POINT_new, EC_POINT_mul, EC_POINT_free,
-    EC_GROUP_new_by_curve_name
+    EC_GROUP_new_by_curve_name, EC_GROUP_order_bits
  */
 
 # if defined(OPENSSL_EXTRA)
@@ -1691,6 +1691,7 @@ static void test_wolfSSL_EC(void)
     BIGNUM *k = NULL, *Gx = NULL, *Gy = NULL, *Gz = NULL;
     BIGNUM *X, *Y;
     char* hexStr;
+    int group_bits;
 
     const char* kTest = "F4F8338AFCC562C5C3F3E1E46A7EFECD17AF381913FF7A96314EA47055EA0FD0";
     /* NISTP256R1 Gx/Gy */
@@ -1704,6 +1705,7 @@ static void test_wolfSSL_EC(void)
 
     AssertNotNull(ctx = BN_CTX_new());
     AssertNotNull(group = EC_GROUP_new_by_curve_name(NID_X9_62_prime256v1));
+    AssertIntEQ((group_bits = EC_GROUP_order_bits(group)), 256);
     AssertNotNull(Gxy = EC_POINT_new(group));
     AssertNotNull(new_point = EC_POINT_new(group));
     AssertNotNull(X = BN_new());