diff --git a/apps/s_client.c b/apps/s_client.c
index 1ed853d14b710c820ae2d27a2b2022c75862eeec..4b7df0cef3649db0c77f2d557d41e13a5a64ea82 100644
--- a/apps/s_client.c
+++ b/apps/s_client.c
@@ -1672,6 +1672,9 @@ int s_client_main(int argc, char **argv)
     if (sdebug)
         ssl_ctx_security_debug(ctx, sdebug);
 
+    if (!config_ctx(cctx, ssl_args, ctx))
+        goto end;
+
     if (ssl_config != NULL) {
         if (SSL_CTX_config(ctx, ssl_config) == 0) {
             BIO_printf(bio_err, "Error using configuration \"%s\"\n",
@@ -1681,9 +1684,11 @@ int s_client_main(int argc, char **argv)
         }
     }
 
-    if (SSL_CTX_set_min_proto_version(ctx, min_version) == 0)
+    if (min_version != 0
+        && SSL_CTX_set_min_proto_version(ctx, min_version) == 0)
         goto end;
-    if (SSL_CTX_set_max_proto_version(ctx, max_version) == 0)
+    if (max_version != 0
+        && SSL_CTX_set_max_proto_version(ctx, max_version) == 0)
         goto end;
 
     if (vpmtouched && !SSL_CTX_set1_param(ctx, vpm)) {
@@ -1729,9 +1734,6 @@ int s_client_main(int argc, char **argv)
         goto end;
     }
 
-    if (!config_ctx(cctx, ssl_args, ctx))
-        goto end;
-
     if (!ssl_load_stores(ctx, vfyCApath, vfyCAfile, chCApath, chCAfile,
                          crls, crl_download)) {
         BIO_printf(bio_err, "Error loading store locations\n");
diff --git a/apps/s_server.c b/apps/s_server.c
index d21631e8e6aacd31eddce1eb0eb23e20e472edd1..bfa1345e6cd05d563268a791edf975759b0312de 100644
--- a/apps/s_server.c
+++ b/apps/s_server.c
@@ -1755,6 +1755,10 @@ int s_server_main(int argc, char *argv[])
     }
     if (sdebug)
         ssl_ctx_security_debug(ctx, sdebug);
+
+    if (!config_ctx(cctx, ssl_args, ctx))
+        goto end;
+
     if (ssl_config) {
         if (SSL_CTX_config(ctx, ssl_config) == 0) {
             BIO_printf(bio_err, "Error using configuration \"%s\"\n",
@@ -1763,9 +1767,11 @@ int s_server_main(int argc, char *argv[])
             goto end;
         }
     }
-    if (SSL_CTX_set_min_proto_version(ctx, min_version) == 0)
+    if (min_version != 0
+        && SSL_CTX_set_min_proto_version(ctx, min_version) == 0)
         goto end;
-    if (SSL_CTX_set_max_proto_version(ctx, max_version) == 0)
+    if (max_version != 0
+        && SSL_CTX_set_max_proto_version(ctx, max_version) == 0)
         goto end;
 
     if (session_id_prefix) {
@@ -1841,8 +1847,6 @@ int s_server_main(int argc, char *argv[])
     }
 
     ssl_ctx_add_crls(ctx, crls, 0);
-    if (!config_ctx(cctx, ssl_args, ctx))
-        goto end;
 
     if (!ssl_load_stores(ctx, vfyCApath, vfyCAfile, chCApath, chCAfile,
                          crls, crl_download)) {