diff --git a/crypto/evp/digest.c b/crypto/evp/digest.c
index 1fc58bd2f4f389db1065d7c9cf629c01233eb33a..f7e82db6dd9863e4d3a1565f28bf29340f2cfdf0 100644
--- a/crypto/evp/digest.c
+++ b/crypto/evp/digest.c
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ int EVP_DigestInit_ex(EVP_MD_CTX *ctx, const EVP_MD *type, ENGINE *impl)
         ctx->digest = type;
         if (!(ctx->flags & EVP_MD_CTX_FLAG_NO_INIT) && type->ctx_size) {
             ctx->update = type->update;
-            ctx->md_data = OPENSSL_malloc(type->ctx_size);
+            ctx->md_data = OPENSSL_zalloc(type->ctx_size);
             if (ctx->md_data == NULL) {
                 EVPerr(EVP_F_EVP_DIGESTINIT_EX, ERR_R_MALLOC_FAILURE);
                 return 0;