diff --git a/crypto/evp/digest.c b/crypto/evp/digest.c
index d6abcfe1d6..bd520456b1 100644
--- a/crypto/evp/digest.c
+++ b/crypto/evp/digest.c
@@ -203,6 +203,12 @@ int EVP_DigestInit_ex(EVP_MD_CTX *ctx, const EVP_MD *type, ENGINE *impl)
 			{
 			ctx->update = type->update;
 			ctx->md_data=OPENSSL_malloc(type->ctx_size);
+			if (ctx->md_data == NULL)
+				{
+				EVPerr(EVP_F_EVP_DIGESTINIT_EX,
+							ERR_R_MALLOC_FAILURE);
+				return 0;
+				}
 			}
 		}
 #ifndef OPENSSL_NO_ENGINE