diff --git a/include/mbedtls/build_info.h b/include/mbedtls/build_info.h
index 681c973..e66032d 100644
--- a/include/mbedtls/build_info.h
+++ b/include/mbedtls/build_info.h
@@ -80,6 +80,13 @@
 #include MBEDTLS_USER_CONFIG_FILE
 #endif
 
+/* Auto-enable MBEDTLS_MD_C if needed by a module that didn't require it
+ * in a previous release, to ensure backwards compatibility.
+ */
+#if defined(MBEDTLS_PKCS5_C)
+#define MBEDTLS_MD_C
+#endif
+
 /* Auto-enable MBEDTLS_MD_LIGHT based on MBEDTLS_MD_C.
  * This allows checking for MD_LIGHT rather than MD_LIGHT || MD_C.
  */
@@ -87,7 +94,8 @@
 #define MBEDTLS_MD_LIGHT
 #endif
 
-/* Auto-enable MBEDTLS_MD_LIGHT if some module needs it.
+/* Auto-enable MBEDTLS_MD_LIGHT if needed by a module that didn't require it
+ * in a previous release, to ensure backwards compatibility.
  */
 #if defined(MBEDTLS_ECJPAKE_C) || \
     defined(MBEDTLS_PEM_PARSE_C) || \
diff --git a/include/mbedtls/check_config.h b/include/mbedtls/check_config.h
index 412bb0a..0d7ea14 100644
--- a/include/mbedtls/check_config.h
+++ b/include/mbedtls/check_config.h
@@ -169,8 +169,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #if defined(MBEDTLS_PKCS5_C) && \
-    ( !( defined(MBEDTLS_MD_C) || defined(MBEDTLS_PSA_CRYPTO_C) ) || \
-        !defined(MBEDTLS_CIPHER_C) )
+    !defined(MBEDTLS_CIPHER_C)
 #error "MBEDTLS_PKCS5_C defined, but not all prerequisites"
 #endif
 
diff --git a/include/mbedtls/mbedtls_config.h b/include/mbedtls/mbedtls_config.h
index 225664e..70f7270 100644
--- a/include/mbedtls/mbedtls_config.h
+++ b/include/mbedtls/mbedtls_config.h
@@ -2849,15 +2849,11 @@
  *
  * Module:  library/pkcs5.c
  *
- * Requires: MBEDTLS_CIPHER_C and either MBEDTLS_MD_C or MBEDTLS_PSA_CRYPTO_C.
+ * Requires: MBEDTLS_CIPHER_C
+ *           (auto-enables MBEDTLS_MD_C)
  *
- * \warning If building without MBEDTLS_MD_C, you must call psa_crypto_init()
- * before doing any PKCS5 operation.
- *
- * \warning When building with MBEDTLS_MD_C, all hashes used with this
- * need to be available as built-ins (that is, for SHA-256, MBEDTLS_SHA256_C,
- * etc.) as opposed to just PSA drivers. So far, PSA drivers are only used by
- * this module in builds where MBEDTLS_MD_C is disabled.
+ * \warning If using a hash that is only provided by PSA drivers, you must
+ * call psa_crypto_init() before doing any PKCS5 operations.
  *
  * This module adds support for the PKCS#5 functions.
  */