diff --git a/modules/ssl/mod_ssl.c b/modules/ssl/mod_ssl.c
index 43d031d884..3fcf96508d 100644
--- a/modules/ssl/mod_ssl.c
+++ b/modules/ssl/mod_ssl.c
@@ -217,11 +217,6 @@ static apr_status_t ssl_cleanup_pre_config(void *data)
     EVP_cleanup();
 #if HAVE_ENGINE_LOAD_BUILTIN_ENGINES
     ENGINE_cleanup();
-#endif
-#ifdef HAVE_OPENSSL
-#if OPENSSL_VERSION_NUMBER >= 0x00907001
-    CRYPTO_cleanup_all_ex_data();
-#endif
 #endif
     ERR_remove_state(0);
 
@@ -229,6 +224,12 @@ static apr_status_t ssl_cleanup_pre_config(void *data)
      * actually load the error strings once per process due to static
      * variable abuse in OpenSSL. */
 
+    /* Also don't call CRYPTO_cleanup_all_ex_data here; any registered
+     * ex_data indices may have been cached in static variables in
+     * OpenSSL; removing them may cause havoc.  Notably, with OpenSSL
+     * versions >= 0.9.8f, COMP_CTX cleanups would not be run, which
+     * could result in a per-connection memory leak (!). */
+
     /*
      * TODO: determine somewhere we can safely shove out diagnostics
      *       (when enabled) at this late stage in the game: