diff --git a/src/bind.c b/src/bind.c
index 7b350d9a..b07dd574 100644
--- a/src/bind.c
+++ b/src/bind.c
@@ -253,11 +253,6 @@ int ssh_bind_listen(ssh_bind sshbind) {
   socket_t fd;
   int rc;
 
-  if (ssh_init() < 0) {
-    ssh_set_error(sshbind, SSH_FATAL, "ssh_init() failed");
-    return -1;
-  }
-
   if (sshbind->rsa == NULL &&
       sshbind->dsa == NULL &&
       sshbind->ecdsa == NULL &&
diff --git a/src/client.c b/src/client.c
index 40c238aa..00cbad38 100644
--- a/src/client.c
+++ b/src/client.c
@@ -505,9 +505,6 @@ int ssh_connect(ssh_session session) {
   session->alive = 0;
   session->client = 1;
 
-  if (ssh_init() < 0) {
-    return SSH_ERROR;
-  }
   if (session->opts.fd == SSH_INVALID_SOCKET &&
       session->opts.host == NULL &&
       session->opts.ProxyCommand == NULL) {
diff --git a/src/pki_crypto.c b/src/pki_crypto.c
index 4b6251ee..7494b162 100644
--- a/src/pki_crypto.c
+++ b/src/pki_crypto.c
@@ -637,11 +637,6 @@ ssh_string pki_private_key_to_pem(const ssh_key key,
     BIO *mem;
     int rc;
 
-    /* needed for openssl initialization */
-    if (ssh_init() < 0) {
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
     mem = BIO_new(BIO_s_mem());
     if (mem == NULL) {
         return NULL;
@@ -768,11 +763,6 @@ ssh_key pki_private_key_from_base64(const char *b64_key,
     void *ecdsa = NULL;
 #endif
 
-    /* needed for openssl initialization */
-    if (ssh_init() < 0) {
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
     type = pki_privatekey_type_from_string(b64_key);
     if (type == SSH_KEYTYPE_UNKNOWN) {
         SSH_LOG(SSH_LOG_WARN, "Unknown or invalid private key.");
diff --git a/src/pki_gcrypt.c b/src/pki_gcrypt.c
index 4d6c2586..9f53321f 100644
--- a/src/pki_gcrypt.c
+++ b/src/pki_gcrypt.c
@@ -918,11 +918,6 @@ ssh_key pki_private_key_from_base64(const char *b64_key,
     enum ssh_keytypes_e type;
     int valid;
 
-    /* needed for gcrypt initialization */
-    if (ssh_init() < 0) {
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
     type = pki_privatekey_type_from_string(b64_key);
     if (type == SSH_KEYTYPE_UNKNOWN) {
         SSH_LOG(SSH_LOG_WARN, "Unknown or invalid private key.");
diff --git a/src/pki_mbedcrypto.c b/src/pki_mbedcrypto.c
index acef7ee1..3263db47 100644
--- a/src/pki_mbedcrypto.c
+++ b/src/pki_mbedcrypto.c
@@ -74,10 +74,6 @@ ssh_key pki_private_key_from_base64(const char *b64_key, const char *passphrase,
     size_t b64len = strlen(b64_key) + 1;
     unsigned char tmp[MAX_PASSPHRASE_SIZE] = {0};
 
-    if (ssh_init() < 0) {
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
     type = pki_privatekey_type_from_string(b64_key);
     if (type == SSH_KEYTYPE_UNKNOWN) {
         SSH_LOG(SSH_LOG_WARN, "Unknown or invalid private key.");
diff --git a/tests/unittests/torture_threads_pki_rsa.c b/tests/unittests/torture_threads_pki_rsa.c
index b26e56b5..2497583a 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/torture_threads_pki_rsa.c
+++ b/tests/unittests/torture_threads_pki_rsa.c
@@ -727,8 +727,14 @@ int torture_run_tests(void)
      * The original tests in torture_pki_rsa.c require files to be erased
      */
 
+    /*
+     * If the library is statically linked, ssh_init() is not called
+     * automatically
+     */
+    ssh_init();
     torture_filter_tests(tests);
     rc = cmocka_run_group_tests(tests, NULL, NULL);
+    ssh_finalize();
 
     return rc;
 }