diff --git a/apps/cmp.c b/apps/cmp.c
index 68edfd88daa586b899c4f972f8d30f4ade334623..17173374dfe016977d9d1b655ba3edb1bf3f71d6 100644
--- a/apps/cmp.c
+++ b/apps/cmp.c
@@ -2698,13 +2698,10 @@ int cmp_main(int argc, char **argv)
     ret = 0;
 
     if (opt_batch) {
-        UI_METHOD *ui_fallback_method;
 #ifndef OPENSSL_NO_UI_CONSOLE
-        ui_fallback_method = UI_OpenSSL();
-#else
-        ui_fallback_method = (UI_METHOD *)UI_null();
+        UI_method_set_reader(UI_OpenSSL(), NULL);
+        /* can't change get_ui_method() here as load_key_certs_crls() uses it */
 #endif
-        UI_method_set_reader(ui_fallback_method, NULL);
     }
 
     if (opt_engine != NULL)
diff --git a/apps/include/apps_ui.h b/apps/include/apps_ui.h
index 67d61e13965c56799d491df4262c32fc7645e1ba..59a82d5ecb0709bbddab0affe30ede339d7aa1eb 100644
--- a/apps/include/apps_ui.h
+++ b/apps/include/apps_ui.h
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ int password_callback(char *buf, int bufsiz, int verify, PW_CB_DATA *cb_data);
 
 int setup_ui_method(void);
 void destroy_ui_method(void);
-const UI_METHOD *get_ui_method(void);
+UI_METHOD *get_ui_method(void);
 
 extern BIO *bio_err;
 
diff --git a/apps/lib/apps_ui.c b/apps/lib/apps_ui.c
index 880e9a4f6d84257e1a8c7eea00fe151df44872da..6c8c3de1967ff828debe5a1ebced1aa7e20e4d16 100644
--- a/apps/lib/apps_ui.c
+++ b/apps/lib/apps_ui.c
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ void destroy_ui_method(void)
     }
 }
 
-const UI_METHOD *get_ui_method(void)
+UI_METHOD *get_ui_method(void)
 {
     return ui_method;
 }