diff --git a/tests/server/test_server/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/server/test_server/CMakeLists.txt
index 7e0f88c1..9b46641b 100644
--- a/tests/server/test_server/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/server/test_server/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ set(server_SRCS
 add_library(testserver STATIC
             test_server.c
             default_cb.c
-            sftpserver_cb.c)
+            sftpserver_cb.c
+            testserver_common.c)
 if (WITH_COVERAGE)
     append_coverage_compiler_flags_to_target(testserver)
 endif (WITH_COVERAGE)
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ if (UNIX AND NOT WIN32)
     add_executable(test_server ${server_SRCS})
     target_compile_options(test_server PRIVATE ${DEFAULT_C_COMPILE_FLAGS})
     target_link_libraries(test_server
-        PRIVATE testserver ssh::ssh ${ARGP_LIBRARIES} util)
+        PRIVATE testserver ${TORTURE_LINK_LIBRARIES} ${ARGP_LIBRARIES} util)
     if (WITH_COVERAGE)
         append_coverage_compiler_flags_to_target(test_server)
     endif (WITH_COVERAGE)
diff --git a/tests/server/test_server/default_cb.c b/tests/server/test_server/default_cb.c
index db6b71c3..a6df448c 100644
--- a/tests/server/test_server/default_cb.c
+++ b/tests/server/test_server/default_cb.c
@@ -21,9 +21,11 @@
  * MA 02111-1307, USA.
  */
 
+
 #include "config.h"
 #include "test_server.h"
 #include "default_cb.h"
+#include "testserver_common.h"
 
 #include <libssh/callbacks.h>
 #include <libssh/server.h>
@@ -448,9 +450,11 @@ static int exec_pty(const char *mode,
     case 0:
         close(cdata->pty_master);
         if (login_tty(cdata->pty_slave) != 0) {
+            finalize_openssl();
             exit(1);
         }
         execl("/bin/sh", "sh", mode, command, NULL);
+        finalize_openssl();
         exit(0);
     default:
         close(cdata->pty_slave);
@@ -500,6 +504,7 @@ static int exec_nopty(const char *command, struct channel_data_st *cdata)
             close(err[1]);
             /* exec the requested command. */
             execl("/bin/sh", "sh", "-c", command, NULL);
+            finalize_openssl();
             exit(0);
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/server/test_server/test_server.c b/tests/server/test_server/test_server.c
index a75f6f8b..295af3ed 100644
--- a/tests/server/test_server/test_server.c
+++ b/tests/server/test_server/test_server.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
  */
 
 #include "test_server.h"
+#include "testserver_common.h"
 
 #include <libssh/priv.h>
 #include <libssh/libssh.h>
@@ -288,6 +289,7 @@ int run_server(struct server_state_st *state)
 
                 free_server_state(state);
                 SAFE_FREE(state);
+                finalize_openssl();
                 exit(0);
             case -1:
                 fprintf(stderr, "Failed to fork\n");
@@ -355,11 +357,8 @@ fork_run_server(struct server_state_st *state,
 
         /* The child process starts a server which will listen for connections */
         rc = run_server(state);
-        if (rc != 0) {
-            exit(rc);
-        }
-
-        exit(0);
+        finalize_openssl();
+        exit(rc);
     case -1:
         strerror_r(errno, err_str, 1024);
         fprintf(stderr, "Failed to fork: %s\n",
diff --git a/tests/server/test_server/testserver_common.c b/tests/server/test_server/testserver_common.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c0970738
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/server/test_server/testserver_common.c
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/*
+ * This file is part of the SSH Library
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2025 by Red Hat, Inc.
+ *
+ * Author: Jakub Jelen <jjelen@redhat.com>
+ *
+ * The SSH Library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2.1 of the License, or (at your
+ * option) any later version.
+ *
+ * The SSH Library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+ * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY
+ * or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ * along with the SSH Library; see the file COPYING.  If not, write to
+ * the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston,
+ * MA 02111-1307, USA.
+ */
+
+#include "testserver_common.h"
+
+#if defined(HAVE_LIBCRYPTO) || defined(WITH_GSSAPI)
+/* for OPENSSL_cleanup() of GSSAPI's OpenSSL context */
+#include <openssl/crypto.h>
+#endif
+
+void finalize_openssl(void)
+{
+#if defined(HAVE_LIBCRYPTO) || defined(WITH_GSSAPI)
+    OPENSSL_cleanup();
+#endif
+}
diff --git a/tests/server/test_server/testserver_common.h b/tests/server/test_server/testserver_common.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..01a9c57f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/server/test_server/testserver_common.h
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+/*
+ * This file is part of the SSH Library
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2025 by Red Hat, Inc.
+ *
+ * Author: Jakub Jelen <jjelen@redhat.com>
+ *
+ * The SSH Library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2.1 of the License, or (at your
+ * option) any later version.
+ *
+ * The SSH Library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+ * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY
+ * or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ * along with the SSH Library; see the file COPYING.  If not, write to
+ * the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston,
+ * MA 02111-1307, USA.
+ */
+
+#include "config.h"
+
+void finalize_openssl(void);