diff --git a/src/openssl.c b/src/openssl.c
index e810ad03..b26842b9 100644
--- a/src/openssl.c
+++ b/src/openssl.c
@@ -507,23 +507,39 @@ _libssh2_dsa_sha1_sign(libssh2_dsa_ctx * dsactx,
 }
 #endif /* LIBSSH_DSA */
 
+int
+libssh2_sha1_init(libssh2_sha1_ctx *ctx)
+{
+    EVP_MD_CTX_init(ctx);
+    return EVP_DigestInit(ctx, EVP_get_digestbyname("sha1"));
+}
+
 void
 libssh2_sha1(const unsigned char *message, unsigned long len,
              unsigned char *out)
 {
     EVP_MD_CTX ctx;
 
+    EVP_MD_CTX_init(&ctx);
     EVP_DigestInit(&ctx, EVP_get_digestbyname("sha1"));
     EVP_DigestUpdate(&ctx, message, len);
     EVP_DigestFinal(&ctx, out, NULL);
 }
 
+int
+libssh2_md5_init(libssh2_md5_ctx *ctx)
+{
+    EVP_MD_CTX_init(ctx);
+    return EVP_DigestInit(ctx, EVP_get_digestbyname("md5"));
+}
+
 void
 libssh2_md5(const unsigned char *message, unsigned long len,
             unsigned char *out)
 {
     EVP_MD_CTX ctx;
 
+    EVP_MD_CTX_init(&ctx);
     EVP_DigestInit(&ctx, EVP_get_digestbyname("md5"));
     EVP_DigestUpdate(&ctx, message, len);
     EVP_DigestFinal(&ctx, out, NULL);
diff --git a/src/openssl.h b/src/openssl.h
index 6f21a1af..55330146 100644
--- a/src/openssl.h
+++ b/src/openssl.h
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@
 #define _libssh2_random(buf, len) RAND_bytes ((buf), (len))
 
 #define libssh2_sha1_ctx EVP_MD_CTX
-#define libssh2_sha1_init(ctx) EVP_DigestInit(ctx, EVP_get_digestbyname("sha1"))
+int libssh2_sha1_init(libssh2_sha1_ctx *ctx);
 #define libssh2_sha1_update(ctx, data, len) EVP_DigestUpdate(&(ctx), data, len)
 #define libssh2_sha1_final(ctx, out) EVP_DigestFinal(&(ctx), out, NULL)
 void libssh2_sha1(const unsigned char *message, unsigned long len, unsigned char *out);
@@ -115,8 +115,7 @@ void libssh2_sha1(const unsigned char *message, unsigned long len, unsigned char
 #define libssh2_md5_ctx EVP_MD_CTX
 
 /* returns 0 in case of failure */
-#define libssh2_md5_init(ctx) EVP_DigestInit(ctx, EVP_get_digestbyname("md5"))
-
+int libssh2_md5_init(libssh2_md5_ctx *); 
 #define libssh2_md5_update(ctx, data, len) EVP_DigestUpdate(&(ctx), data, len)
 #define libssh2_md5_final(ctx, out) EVP_DigestFinal(&(ctx), out, NULL)
 void libssh2_md5(const unsigned char *message, unsigned long len, unsigned char *out);