diff --git a/programs/x509/cert_req.c b/programs/x509/cert_req.c
index ade67e20b..e8241a320 100644
--- a/programs/x509/cert_req.c
+++ b/programs/x509/cert_req.c
@@ -100,9 +100,8 @@ int main( void )
     "                          Add NsCertType even if it is empty\n"    \
     "    md=%%s               default: SHA256\n"       \
     "                          possible values:\n"     \
-    "                          MD2, MD4, MD5, SHA1\n"  \
-    "                          SHA224, SHA256\n"       \
-    "                          SHA384, SHA512\n"       \
+    "                          MD2, MD4, MD5, RIPEMD160, SHA1,\n" \
+    "                          SHA224, SHA256, SHA384, SHA512\n" \
     "\n"
 
 
@@ -217,58 +216,14 @@ int main( int argc, char *argv[] )
         }
         else if( strcmp( p, "md" ) == 0 )
         {
-            if( strcmp( q, "SHA256" ) == 0 )
-            {
-                opt.md_alg = MBEDTLS_MD_SHA256;
-            }
-            else if( strcmp( q, "SHA224" ) == 0 )
-            {
-                opt.md_alg = MBEDTLS_MD_SHA224;
-            }
-            else
-#if defined(MBEDTLS_MD5_C)
-            if( strcmp( q, "MD5" ) == 0 )
-            {
-                opt.md_alg = MBEDTLS_MD_MD5;
-            }
-            else
-#endif /* MBEDTLS_MD5_C */
-#if defined(MBEDTLS_MD4_C)
-            if( strcmp( q, "MD4" ) == 0 )
-            {
-                opt.md_alg = MBEDTLS_MD_MD4;
-            }
-            else
-#endif /* MBEDTLS_MD5_C */
-#if defined(MBEDTLS_MD2_C)
-            if( strcmp( q, "MD2" ) == 0 )
-            {
-                opt.md_alg = MBEDTLS_MD_MD2;
-            }
-            else
-#endif /* MBEDTLS_MD2_C */
-#if defined(MBEDTLS_SHA1_C)
-            if( strcmp( q, "SHA1" ) == 0 )
-            {
-                opt.md_alg = MBEDTLS_MD_SHA1;
-            }
-            else
-#endif /* MBEDTLS_SHA1_C */
-#if defined(MBEDTLS_SHA512_C)
-            if( strcmp( q, "SHA384" ) == 0 )
-            {
-                opt.md_alg = MBEDTLS_MD_SHA384;
-            }
-            else
-            if( strcmp( q, "SHA512" ) == 0 )
-            {
-                opt.md_alg = MBEDTLS_MD_SHA512;
-            }
-            else
-#endif /* MBEDTLS_SHA512_C */
+            const mbedtls_md_info_t *md_info =
+                mbedtls_md_info_from_string( q );
+            if( md_info == NULL )
             {
+                mbedtls_printf( "Invalid argument for option %s\n", p );
                 goto usage;
             }
+            opt.md_alg = mbedtls_md_get_type( md_info );
         }
         else if( strcmp( p, "key_usage" ) == 0 )
         {
diff --git a/programs/x509/cert_write.c b/programs/x509/cert_write.c
index 1eeb861e8..18174d804 100644
--- a/programs/x509/cert_write.c
+++ b/programs/x509/cert_write.c
@@ -118,8 +118,9 @@ int main( void )
     "    is_ca=%%d                default: 0 (disabled)\n"  \
     "    max_pathlen=%%d          default: -1 (none)\n"     \
     "    md=%%s                   default: SHA256\n"        \
-    "                            Supported values:\n"       \
-    "                            MD2, MD4, MD5, SHA1, SHA256, SHA512\n"\
+    "                            Supported values (if enabled):\n"      \
+    "                            MD2, MD4, MD5, RIPEMD160, SHA1,\n" \
+    "                            SHA224, SHA256, SHA384, SHA512\n" \
     "    version=%%d              default: 3\n"            \
     "                            Possible values: 1, 2, 3\n"\
     "    subject_identifier=%%s   default: 1\n"             \
@@ -353,27 +354,14 @@ int main( int argc, char *argv[] )
         }
         else if( strcmp( p, "md" ) == 0 )
         {
-            if( strcmp( q, "SHA1" ) == 0 )
-                opt.md = MBEDTLS_MD_SHA1;
-            else if( strcmp( q, "SHA224" ) == 0 )
-                opt.md = MBEDTLS_MD_SHA224;
-            else if( strcmp( q, "SHA256" ) == 0 )
-                opt.md = MBEDTLS_MD_SHA256;
-            else if( strcmp( q, "SHA384" ) == 0 )
-                opt.md = MBEDTLS_MD_SHA384;
-            else if( strcmp( q, "SHA512" ) == 0 )
-                opt.md = MBEDTLS_MD_SHA512;
-            else if( strcmp( q, "MD2" ) == 0 )
-                opt.md = MBEDTLS_MD_MD2;
-            else if( strcmp( q, "MD4" ) == 0 )
-                opt.md = MBEDTLS_MD_MD4;
-            else if( strcmp( q, "MD5" ) == 0 )
-                opt.md = MBEDTLS_MD_MD5;
-            else
+            const mbedtls_md_info_t *md_info =
+                mbedtls_md_info_from_string( q );
+            if( md_info == NULL )
             {
                 mbedtls_printf( "Invalid argument for option %s\n", p );
                 goto usage;
             }
+            opt.md = mbedtls_md_get_type( md_info );
         }
         else if( strcmp( p, "version" ) == 0 )
         {
diff --git a/tests/data_files/Makefile b/tests/data_files/Makefile
index 88f265ce1..bf2f538ef 100644
--- a/tests/data_files/Makefile
+++ b/tests/data_files/Makefile
@@ -13,8 +13,10 @@
 ## Tools
 OPENSSL ?= openssl
 FAKETIME ?= faketime
-MBEDTLS_CERT_WRITE ?= $(PWD)/../../programs/x509/cert_write
-MBEDTLS_CERT_REQ ?= $(PWD)/../../programs/x509/cert_req
+
+TOP_DIR = ../..
+MBEDTLS_CERT_WRITE ?= $(TOP_DIR)/programs/x509/cert_write
+MBEDTLS_CERT_REQ ?= $(TOP_DIR)/programs/x509/cert_req
 
 
 ## Build the generated test data. Note that since the final outputs
diff --git a/tests/data_files/cert_md2.csr b/tests/data_files/cert_md2.csr
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a8c39bdb3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data_files/cert_md2.csr
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----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+-----END CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----
diff --git a/tests/data_files/cert_md4.csr b/tests/data_files/cert_md4.csr
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d8a3dbf20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data_files/cert_md4.csr
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----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+-----END CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----
diff --git a/tests/data_files/cert_md5.csr b/tests/data_files/cert_md5.csr
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dc6792d38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data_files/cert_md5.csr
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----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+-----END CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----