diff --git a/lib/vtls/openssl.c b/lib/vtls/openssl.c
index 1803ed34c124ac..fc0c4e15fd095c 100644
--- a/lib/vtls/openssl.c
+++ b/lib/vtls/openssl.c
@@ -4364,7 +4364,9 @@ static CURLcode Curl_ossl_md5sum(unsigned char *tmp, /* input */
   (void) unused;
 
   mdctx = EVP_MD_CTX_create();
-  EVP_DigestInit_ex(mdctx, EVP_md5(), NULL);
+  if(!mdctx)
+    return CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+  EVP_DigestInit(mdctx, EVP_md5());
   EVP_DigestUpdate(mdctx, tmp, tmplen);
   EVP_DigestFinal_ex(mdctx, md5sum, &len);
   EVP_MD_CTX_destroy(mdctx);
@@ -4382,7 +4384,9 @@ static CURLcode Curl_ossl_sha256sum(const unsigned char *tmp, /* input */
   (void) unused;
 
   mdctx = EVP_MD_CTX_create();
-  EVP_DigestInit_ex(mdctx, EVP_sha256(), NULL);
+  if(!mdctx)
+    return CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+  EVP_DigestInit(mdctx, EVP_sha256());
   EVP_DigestUpdate(mdctx, tmp, tmplen);
   EVP_DigestFinal_ex(mdctx, sha256sum, &len);
   EVP_MD_CTX_destroy(mdctx);