diff --git a/wolfcrypt/src/evp.c b/wolfcrypt/src/evp.c
index cf197ef15b..697ba5e5e4 100644
--- a/wolfcrypt/src/evp.c
+++ b/wolfcrypt/src/evp.c
@@ -3152,8 +3152,8 @@ int wolfSSL_EVP_PKEY_decrypt(WOLFSSL_EVP_PKEY_CTX *ctx,
  */
 int wolfSSL_EVP_PKEY_decrypt_init(WOLFSSL_EVP_PKEY_CTX *ctx)
 {
-    if (ctx == NULL) return WOLFSSL_FAILURE;
     WOLFSSL_ENTER("wolfSSL_EVP_PKEY_decrypt_init");
+    if (ctx == NULL || ctx->pkey == NULL) return WOLFSSL_FAILURE;
     switch (ctx->pkey->type) {
     case WC_EVP_PKEY_RSA:
         ctx->op = WC_EVP_PKEY_OP_DECRYPT;
@@ -3256,8 +3256,8 @@ int wolfSSL_EVP_PKEY_encrypt(WOLFSSL_EVP_PKEY_CTX *ctx,
  */
 int wolfSSL_EVP_PKEY_encrypt_init(WOLFSSL_EVP_PKEY_CTX *ctx)
 {
-    if (ctx == NULL) return WOLFSSL_FAILURE;
     WOLFSSL_ENTER("wolfSSL_EVP_PKEY_encrypt_init");
+    if (ctx == NULL || ctx->pkey == NULL) return WOLFSSL_FAILURE;
 
     switch (ctx->pkey->type) {
     case WC_EVP_PKEY_RSA: