diff --git a/apps/ca.c b/apps/ca.c
index 880e0b9a19f7fb58ff3d4a4bbd92d139810bee80..ac71e08837bcd01956b7cfe78578bd39007d3f96 100644
--- a/apps/ca.c
+++ b/apps/ca.c
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ end_of_options:
 
     if ((conf = app_load_config(configfile)) == NULL)
         goto end;
-    if (!app_load_modules(conf))
+    if (configfile != default_config_file && !app_load_modules(conf))
         goto end;
 
     /* Lets get the config section we are using */
diff --git a/apps/req.c b/apps/req.c
index 7f4a946aaa1fa274e720e63a6203057c33461248..cd51c18a44f0d12c342effa90fab14ff098aa749 100644
--- a/apps/req.c
+++ b/apps/req.c
@@ -386,7 +386,7 @@ int req_main(int argc, char **argv)
     if (verbose)
         BIO_printf(bio_err, "Using configuration from %s\n", template);
     req_conf = app_load_config(template);
-    if (!app_load_modules(req_conf))
+    if (template != default_config_file && !app_load_modules(req_conf))
         goto end;
 
     if (req_conf != NULL) {
diff --git a/apps/srp.c b/apps/srp.c
index 48ef85ded3c839937098879d21f4853b5eac94c9..14f837f3605cdd58061c11576c0d6007ba65d279 100644
--- a/apps/srp.c
+++ b/apps/srp.c
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ int srp_main(int argc, char **argv)
         conf = app_load_config(configfile);
         if (conf == NULL)
             goto end;
-        if (!app_load_modules(conf))
+        if (configfile != default_config_file && !app_load_modules(conf))
             goto end;
 
         /* Lets get the config section we are using */
diff --git a/apps/ts.c b/apps/ts.c
index d55d2397aa1b8d2d59cb2e19f0ca5b15da6fec5d..8a7b5ed9b947f5b4688b9fe3594680666671e16d 100644
--- a/apps/ts.c
+++ b/apps/ts.c
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ int ts_main(int argc, char **argv)
     }
 
     conf = load_config_file(configfile);
-    if (!app_load_modules(conf))
+    if (configfile != default_config_file && !app_load_modules(conf))
         goto end;
 
     /* Check parameter consistency and execute the appropriate function. */