diff --git a/include/mbedtls/md.h b/include/mbedtls/md.h
index 3d30beaa0..af0139ed2 100644
--- a/include/mbedtls/md.h
+++ b/include/mbedtls/md.h
@@ -83,11 +83,6 @@ typedef struct {
     void *hmac_ctx;
 } md_context_t;
 
-#define MD_CONTEXT_T_INIT { \
-    NULL, /* md_info */ \
-    NULL, /* md_ctx */ \
-}
-
 /**
  * \brief Returns the list of digests supported by the generic digest module.
  *
@@ -134,10 +129,6 @@ void md_free( md_context_t *ctx );
  * \brief          Initialises and fills the message digest context structure
  *                 with the appropriate values.
  *
- * \note           Currently also clears structure. In future versions you
- *                 will be required to call md_init() on the structure
- *                 first.
- *
  * \param ctx      context to initialise. May not be NULL. The
  *                 digest-specific context (ctx->md_ctx) must be NULL. It will
  *                 be allocated, and must be freed using md_free() later.
diff --git a/library/md.c b/library/md.c
index eef9d73fc..bab1b3ac5 100644
--- a/library/md.c
+++ b/library/md.c
@@ -204,8 +204,6 @@ int md_init_ctx( md_context_t *ctx, const md_info_t *md_info, int hmac  )
     if( md_info == NULL || ctx == NULL )
         return( POLARSSL_ERR_MD_BAD_INPUT_DATA );
 
-    memset( ctx, 0, sizeof( md_context_t ) );
-
     if( ( ctx->md_ctx = md_info->ctx_alloc_func() ) == NULL )
         return( POLARSSL_ERR_MD_ALLOC_FAILED );
 
@@ -221,8 +219,6 @@ int md_init_ctx( md_context_t *ctx, const md_info_t *md_info, int hmac  )
 
     ctx->md_info = md_info;
 
-    md_info->starts_func( ctx->md_ctx );
-
     return( 0 );
 }