diff --git a/src/ssl.c b/src/ssl.c
index 1dea38ac8..1df36dcea 100644
--- a/src/ssl.c
+++ b/src/ssl.c
@@ -38981,7 +38981,6 @@ void wolfSSL_EC_KEY_free(WOLFSSL_EC_KEY *key)
     WOLFSSL_ENTER("wolfSSL_EC_KEY_free");
 
     if (key != NULL) {
-        int doFree = 0;
         void* heap = key->heap;
 
     #ifndef SINGLE_THREADED
@@ -39008,30 +39007,14 @@ void wolfSSL_EC_KEY_free(WOLFSSL_EC_KEY *key)
             wc_ecc_free((ecc_key*)key->internal);
             XFREE(key->internal, heap, DYNAMIC_TYPE_ECC);
         }
-#endif
-        /* only free if all references to it are done */
-        key->refCount--;
-        if (key->refCount == 0) {
-            doFree = 1;
-        }
-#ifndef SINGLE_THREADED
-        wc_UnLockMutex(&key->refMutex);
-#endif
+        wolfSSL_BN_free(key->priv_key);
+        wolfSSL_EC_POINT_free(key->pub_key);
+        wolfSSL_EC_GROUP_free(key->group);
+        InitwolfSSL_ECKey(key); /* set back to NULLs for safety */
 
-        if (doFree) {
-            if (key->internal != NULL) {
-                wc_ecc_free((ecc_key*)key->internal);
-                XFREE(key->internal, heap, DYNAMIC_TYPE_ECC);
-            }
-            wolfSSL_BN_free(key->priv_key);
-            wolfSSL_EC_POINT_free(key->pub_key);
-            wolfSSL_EC_GROUP_free(key->group);
-            InitwolfSSL_ECKey(key); /* set back to NULLs for safety */
-
-            XFREE(key, heap, DYNAMIC_TYPE_ECC);
-            (void)heap;
-            /* key = NULL, don't try to access or double free it */
-        }
+        XFREE(key, heap, DYNAMIC_TYPE_ECC);
+        (void)heap;
+        /* key = NULL, don't try to access or double free it */
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/wolfcrypt/src/evp.c b/wolfcrypt/src/evp.c
index 39d306d09..d910a2f3b 100644
--- a/wolfcrypt/src/evp.c
+++ b/wolfcrypt/src/evp.c
@@ -7061,6 +7061,7 @@ WOLFSSL_EC_KEY *wolfSSL_EVP_PKEY_get0_EC_KEY(WOLFSSL_EVP_PKEY *pkey)
 
 WOLFSSL_EC_KEY* wolfSSL_EVP_PKEY_get1_EC_KEY(WOLFSSL_EVP_PKEY* key)
 {
+    WOLFSSL_EC_KEY* local = NULL;
     WOLFSSL_ENTER("wolfSSL_EVP_PKEY_get1_EC_KEY");
 
     if (key == NULL || key->type != EVP_PKEY_EC) {
@@ -7074,18 +7075,30 @@ WOLFSSL_EC_KEY* wolfSSL_EVP_PKEY_get1_EC_KEY(WOLFSSL_EVP_PKEY* key)
             local = key->ecc;
         }
         else {
-            local = wolfSSL_EC_KEY_new();
+            key->ecc = local = wolfSSL_EC_KEY_new();
             if (local == NULL) {
                 WOLFSSL_MSG("Error creating a new WOLFSSL_EC_KEY structure");
                 return NULL;
             }
+            if (wolfSSL_EC_KEY_LoadDer(local,
+                        (const unsigned char*)key->pkey.ptr,
+                        key->pkey_sz) != WOLFSSL_SUCCESS) {
+                /* now try public key */
+                if (wolfSSL_EC_KEY_LoadDer_ex(local,
+                        (const unsigned char*)key->pkey.ptr, key->pkey_sz,
+                        WOLFSSL_EC_KEY_LOAD_PUBLIC) != WOLFSSL_SUCCESS) {
 
-    if (wolfSSL_EC_KEY_up_ref(key->ecc) != WOLFSSL_SUCCESS) {
-        WOLFSSL_MSG("wolfSSL_EC_KEY_up_ref error");
-        return NULL;
+                    wolfSSL_EC_KEY_free(local);
+                    local = NULL;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    else {
+        WOLFSSL_MSG("WOLFSSL_EVP_PKEY does not hold an EC key");
     }
 
-    return key->ecc;
+    return local;
 }
 #endif /* HAVE_ECC */
 
@@ -7112,6 +7125,11 @@ int wolfSSL_EVP_PKEY_set1_DH(WOLFSSL_EVP_PKEY *pkey, WOLFSSL_DH *key)
 
     clearEVPPkeyKeys(pkey);
 
+    if (wolfSSL_DH_up_ref(key) != WOLFSSL_SUCCESS) {
+        WOLFSSL_MSG("Failed to increase dh key ref count");
+        return WOLFSSL_FAILURE;
+    }
+
     pkey->dh    = key;
     pkey->ownDh = 1; /* pkey does not own DH but needs to call free on it */
     pkey->type  = EVP_PKEY_DH;
@@ -7347,6 +7365,8 @@ int wolfSSL_EVP_PKEY_set1_EC_KEY(WOLFSSL_EVP_PKEY *pkey, WOLFSSL_EC_KEY *key)
 {
 #ifdef HAVE_ECC
     WOLFSSL_ENTER("wolfSSL_EVP_PKEY_set1_EC_KEY");
+    if (pkey == NULL || key == NULL)
+        return WOLFSSL_FAILURE;
     clearEVPPkeyKeys(pkey);
     if (wolfSSL_EC_KEY_up_ref(key) != WOLFSSL_SUCCESS) {
         WOLFSSL_MSG("wolfSSL_EC_KEY_up_ref failed");
diff --git a/wolfssl/openssl/ec.h b/wolfssl/openssl/ec.h
index 6c57fc7c6..4b8aaac64 100644
--- a/wolfssl/openssl/ec.h
+++ b/wolfssl/openssl/ec.h
@@ -119,10 +119,6 @@ struct WOLFSSL_EC_KEY {
     char           form;         /* Either POINT_CONVERSION_UNCOMPRESSED or
                                   * POINT_CONVERSION_COMPRESSED */
     word16 pkcs8HeaderSz;
-#ifndef SINGLE_THREADED
-    wolfSSL_Mutex  refMutex;     /* ref count mutex */
-#endif
-    int refCount;                /* reference count */
 
     /* option bits */
     byte inSet:1;        /* internal set from external ? */
@@ -214,8 +210,6 @@ WOLFSSL_EC_KEY *wolfSSL_EC_KEY_new_ex(void* heap, int devId);
 WOLFSSL_API
 WOLFSSL_EC_KEY *wolfSSL_EC_KEY_new(void);
 WOLFSSL_API
-int wolfSSL_EC_KEY_up_ref(WOLFSSL_EC_KEY* key);
-WOLFSSL_API
 int wolfSSL_EC_KEY_set_group(WOLFSSL_EC_KEY *key, WOLFSSL_EC_GROUP *group);
 WOLFSSL_API
 int wolfSSL_EC_KEY_generate_key(WOLFSSL_EC_KEY *key);
@@ -321,7 +315,6 @@ typedef WOLFSSL_EC_BUILTIN_CURVE      EC_builtin_curve;
 #define EC_KEY_free                     wolfSSL_EC_KEY_free
 #define EC_KEY_up_ref                   wolfSSL_EC_KEY_up_ref
 #define EC_KEY_dup                      wolfSSL_EC_KEY_dup
-#define EC_KEY_up_ref                   wolfSSL_EC_KEY_up_ref
 #define EC_KEY_get0_public_key          wolfSSL_EC_KEY_get0_public_key
 #define EC_KEY_get0_group               wolfSSL_EC_KEY_get0_group
 #define EC_KEY_set_private_key          wolfSSL_EC_KEY_set_private_key