diff --git a/Makefile.inc b/Makefile.inc
index 6f1654b..61966bd 100644
--- a/Makefile.inc
+++ b/Makefile.inc
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 CSOURCES = channel.c comp.c crypt.c hostkey.c kex.c mac.c misc.c \
  packet.c publickey.c scp.c session.c sftp.c userauth.c transport.c \
- version.c knownhost.c agent.c openssl.c libgcrypt.c pem.c keepalive.c
+ version.c knownhost.c agent.c openssl.c libgcrypt.c pem.c keepalive.c \
+ global.c
 
-HHEADERS = libssh2_priv.h openssl.h libgcrypt.h transport.h channel.h comp.h mac.h misc.h
+HHEADERS = libssh2_priv.h openssl.h libgcrypt.h transport.h channel.h \
+ comp.h mac.h misc.h
diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index a6c8c0f..5ffbb9f 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
    The APIs are libssh2_keepalive_config, and libssh2_keepalive_send.
    By Simon Josefsson.
 
+ o Add global init/exit points, to do crypto initialization in one place.
+   The APIs are libssh2_init and libssh2_exit.  By Lars Nordin.
+
 * (February 15 2010) Daniel Stenberg:
 - Added 46 new man pages for public convenience macros. The man pages  are
   just short redirects to the actual underlying function. The were all
diff --git a/include/libssh2.h b/include/libssh2.h
index 34a8a92..293b4a1 100644
--- a/include/libssh2.h
+++ b/include/libssh2.h
@@ -369,6 +369,28 @@ typedef struct _LIBSSH2_POLLFD {
 #define LIBSSH2_ERROR_OUT_OF_BOUNDARY           -41
 #define LIBSSH2_ERROR_AGENT_PROTOCOL            -42
 
+/* Global API */
+#define LIBSSH2_INIT_NO_CRYPTO_INIT        0x0001
+
+/*
+ * libssh2_init()
+ *
+ * Initialize the libssh2 functions. flags can be:
+ * 0:                              Normal initialize
+ * LIBSSH2_INIT_NO_CRYPTO_INIT:    Do not initialize the crypto library (ie.
+ *                                 OPENSSL_add_cipher_algoritms() for OpenSSL
+ *
+ * Returns 0 if succeeded, or a negative value for error.
+ */
+LIBSSH2_API int libssh2_init(int flags);
+
+/*
+ * libssh2_exit()
+ *
+ * Exit the libssh2 functions and free's all memory used internal.
+ */
+LIBSSH2_API void libssh2_exit();
+
 /* Session API */
 LIBSSH2_API LIBSSH2_SESSION *
 libssh2_session_init_ex(LIBSSH2_ALLOC_FUNC((*my_alloc)),
diff --git a/src/global.c b/src/global.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ee4125
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/global.c
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+/* Copyright (c) 2010 Lars Nordin <Lars.Nordin@SDlabs.se>
+ * All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms,
+ * with or without modification, are permitted provided
+ * that the following conditions are met:
+ *
+ *   Redistributions of source code must retain the above
+ *   copyright notice, this list of conditions and the
+ *   following disclaimer.
+ *
+ *   Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above
+ *   copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following
+ *   disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials
+ *   provided with the distribution.
+ *
+ *   Neither the name of the copyright holder nor the names
+ *   of any other contributors may be used to endorse or
+ *   promote products derived from this software without
+ *   specific prior written permission.
+ *
+ * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND
+ * CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES,
+ * INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES
+ * OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
+ * ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR
+ * CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
+ * SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING,
+ * BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR
+ * SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS
+ * INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY,
+ * WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING
+ * NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE
+ * USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY
+ * OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+ */
+
+#include "libssh2_priv.h"
+
+int libssh2_initialized = 0;
+int libssh2_init_flags = 0;
+
+LIBSSH2_API int libssh2_init(int flags)
+{
+    if (!(flags & LIBSSH2_INIT_NO_CRYPTO_INIT)) {
+        libssh2_crypto_init();
+    }
+
+    libssh2_initialized++;
+    libssh2_init_flags &= flags;
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+LIBSSH2_API void libssh2_exit()
+{
+    if (libssh2_initialized == 0)
+        return;
+
+    if (!(libssh2_init_flags & LIBSSH2_INIT_NO_CRYPTO_INIT)) {
+        libssh2_crypto_exit();
+    }
+
+    libssh2_initialized--;
+
+    return;
+}
diff --git a/src/libgcrypt.h b/src/libgcrypt.h
index b972c35..2a48270 100644
--- a/src/libgcrypt.h
+++ b/src/libgcrypt.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (C) 2008, 2009 Simon Josefsson
+ * Copyright (C) 2008, 2009, 2010 Simon Josefsson
  * Copyright (C) 2006, 2007, The Written Word, Inc.
  * All rights reserved.
  *
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@
 #define libssh2_hmac_cleanup(ctx) gcry_md_close (*ctx);
 
 #define libssh2_crypto_init() gcry_control (GCRYCTL_DISABLE_SECMEM)
+#define libssh2_crypto_exit()
 
 #define libssh2_rsa_ctx struct gcry_sexp
 
diff --git a/src/libssh2_priv.h b/src/libssh2_priv.h
index 86aeed8..0c2145c 100644
--- a/src/libssh2_priv.h
+++ b/src/libssh2_priv.h
@@ -1247,5 +1247,6 @@ int _libssh2_pem_decode_integer(unsigned char **data, unsigned int *datalen,
 
 #define ARRAY_SIZE(a) (sizeof ((a)) / sizeof ((a)[0]))
 
+extern int libssh2_initialized;
 
 #endif /* LIBSSH2_H */
diff --git a/src/openssl.c b/src/openssl.c
index 1af3bcd..9fbba25 100644
--- a/src/openssl.c
+++ b/src/openssl.c
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ _libssh2_rsa_sha1_verify(libssh2_rsa_ctx * rsactx,
     unsigned char hash[SHA_DIGEST_LENGTH];
     int ret;
 
-    SHA1(m, m_len, hash);
+    libssh2_sha1(m, m_len, hash);
     ret = RSA_verify(NID_sha1, hash, SHA_DIGEST_LENGTH,
                      (unsigned char *) sig, sig_len, rsactx);
     return (ret == 1) ? 0 : -1;
@@ -358,13 +358,8 @@ _libssh2_rsa_new_private(libssh2_rsa_ctx ** rsa,
         (pem_read_bio_func) &PEM_read_bio_RSAPrivateKey;
     (void) session;
 
-    if (!EVP_get_cipherbyname("des")) {
-/* If this cipher isn't loaded it's a pretty good indication that none are.
- * I have *NO DOUBT* that there's a better way to deal with this ($#&%#$(%$#(
- * Someone buy me an OpenSSL manual and I'll read up on it.
- */
-        OpenSSL_add_all_ciphers();
-    }
+    if (!libssh2_initialized)
+        libssh2_init(0);
 
     return read_private_key_from_file((void **) rsa, read_rsa,
                                       filename, passphrase);
@@ -380,13 +375,8 @@ _libssh2_dsa_new_private(libssh2_dsa_ctx ** dsa,
         (pem_read_bio_func) &PEM_read_bio_DSAPrivateKey;
     (void) session;
 
-    if (!EVP_get_cipherbyname("des")) {
-/* If this cipher isn't loaded it's a pretty good indication that none are.
- * I have *NO DOUBT* that there's a better way to deal with this ($#&%#$(%$#(
- * Someone buy me an OpenSSL manual and I'll read up on it.
- */
-        OpenSSL_add_all_ciphers();
-    }
+    if (!libssh2_initialized)
+        libssh2_init(0);
 
     return read_private_key_from_file((void **) dsa, read_dsa,
                                       filename, passphrase);
@@ -461,4 +451,26 @@ _libssh2_dsa_sha1_sign(libssh2_dsa_ctx * dsactx,
 }
 #endif /* LIBSSH_DSA */
 
+void
+libssh2_sha1(const unsigned char *message, unsigned long len,
+             unsigned char *out)
+{
+    EVP_MD_CTX ctx;
+
+    EVP_DigestInit(&ctx, EVP_get_digestbyname("sha1"));
+    EVP_DigestUpdate(&ctx, message, len);
+    EVP_DigestFinal(&ctx, out, NULL);
+}
+
+void
+libssh2_md5(const unsigned char *message, unsigned long len,
+            unsigned char *out)
+{
+    EVP_MD_CTX ctx;
+
+    EVP_DigestInit(&ctx, EVP_get_digestbyname("md5"));
+    EVP_DigestUpdate(&ctx, message, len);
+    EVP_DigestFinal(&ctx, out, NULL);
+}
+
 #endif /* !LIBSSH2_LIBGCRYPT */
diff --git a/src/openssl.h b/src/openssl.h
index 3e0512b..ed62d23 100644
--- a/src/openssl.h
+++ b/src/openssl.h
@@ -106,17 +106,17 @@
 
 #define libssh2_random(buf, len) RAND_bytes ((buf), (len))
 
-#define libssh2_sha1_ctx SHA_CTX
-#define libssh2_sha1_init(ctx) SHA1_Init(ctx)
-#define libssh2_sha1_update(ctx, data, len) SHA1_Update(&(ctx), data, len)
-#define libssh2_sha1_final(ctx, out) SHA1_Final(out, &(ctx))
-#define libssh2_sha1(message, len, out) SHA1(message, len, out)
+#define libssh2_sha1_ctx EVP_MD_CTX
+#define libssh2_sha1_init(ctx) EVP_DigestInit(ctx, EVP_get_digestbyname("sha1"))
+#define libssh2_sha1_update(ctx, data, len) EVP_DigestUpdate(&(ctx), data, len)
+#define libssh2_sha1_final(ctx, out) EVP_DigestFinal(&(ctx), out, NULL)
+void libssh2_sha1(const unsigned char *message, unsigned long len, unsigned char *out);
 
-#define libssh2_md5_ctx MD5_CTX
-#define libssh2_md5_init(ctx) MD5_Init(ctx)
-#define libssh2_md5_update(ctx, data, len) MD5_Update(&(ctx), data, len)
-#define libssh2_md5_final(ctx, out) MD5_Final(out, &(ctx))
-#define libssh2_md5(message, len, out) MD5(message, len, out)
+#define libssh2_md5_ctx EVP_MD_CTX
+#define libssh2_md5_init(ctx) EVP_DigestInit(ctx, EVP_get_digestbyname("md5"))
+#define libssh2_md5_update(ctx, data, len) EVP_DigestUpdate(&(ctx), data, len)
+#define libssh2_md5_final(ctx, out) EVP_DigestFinal(&(ctx), out, NULL)
+void libssh2_md5(const unsigned char *message, unsigned long len, unsigned char *out);
 
 #define libssh2_hmac_ctx HMAC_CTX
 #define libssh2_hmac_sha1_init(ctx, key, keylen) \
@@ -130,7 +130,8 @@
 #define libssh2_hmac_final(ctx, data) HMAC_Final(&(ctx), data, NULL)
 #define libssh2_hmac_cleanup(ctx) HMAC_cleanup(ctx)
 
-#define libssh2_crypto_init()
+#define libssh2_crypto_init() OpenSSL_add_all_algorithms()
+#define libssh2_crypto_exit()
 
 #define libssh2_rsa_ctx RSA
 
diff --git a/src/session.c b/src/session.c
index f32924b..f280954 100644
--- a/src/session.c
+++ b/src/session.c
@@ -457,7 +457,8 @@ libssh2_session_init_ex(LIBSSH2_ALLOC_FUNC((*my_alloc)),
         session->api_block_mode = 1; /* blocking API by default */
         _libssh2_debug(session, LIBSSH2_TRACE_TRANS,
                        "New session resource allocated");
-        libssh2_crypto_init();
+        if (!libssh2_initialized)
+            libssh2_init(0);
     }
     return session;
 }