diff --git a/crypto/asn1/a_verify.c b/crypto/asn1/a_verify.c
index da2a0a6d69505f1e5b118f2186e8e4fc3d807d92..b91678a9f6ecc59a166612d0a43b226daa508113 100644
--- a/crypto/asn1/a_verify.c
+++ b/crypto/asn1/a_verify.c
@@ -150,7 +150,12 @@ int ASN1_item_verify(const ASN1_ITEM *it, X509_ALGOR *a, ASN1_BIT_STRING *signat
 		goto err;
 		}
 
-	EVP_VerifyInit_ex(&ctx,type, NULL);
+	if (!EVP_VerifyInit_ex(&ctx,type, NULL))
+		{
+		ASN1err(ASN1_F_ASN1_VERIFY,ERR_R_EVP_LIB);
+		ret=0;
+		goto err;
+		}
 	EVP_VerifyUpdate(&ctx,(unsigned char *)buf_in,inl);
 
 	OPENSSL_cleanse(buf_in,(unsigned int)inl);