diff --git a/library/md2.c b/library/md2.c
index 589c5cc..45bce37 100644
--- a/library/md2.c
+++ b/library/md2.c
@@ -86,6 +86,19 @@
     0x8D, 0x33, 0x9F, 0x11, 0x83, 0x14
 };
 
+void md2_init( md2_context *ctx )
+{
+    memset( ctx, 0, sizeof( md2_context ) );
+}
+
+void md2_free( md2_context *ctx )
+{
+    if( ctx == NULL )
+        return;
+
+    polarssl_zeroize( ctx, sizeof( md2_context ) );
+}
+
 /*
  * MD2 context setup
  */
@@ -189,11 +202,11 @@
 {
     md2_context ctx;
 
+    md2_init( &ctx );
     md2_starts( &ctx );
     md2_update( &ctx, input, ilen );
     md2_finish( &ctx, output );
-
-    polarssl_zeroize( &ctx, sizeof( md2_context ) );
+    md2_free( &ctx );
 }
 
 #if defined(POLARSSL_FS_IO)
@@ -210,14 +223,14 @@
     if( ( f = fopen( path, "rb" ) ) == NULL )
         return( POLARSSL_ERR_MD2_FILE_IO_ERROR );
 
+    md2_init( &ctx );
     md2_starts( &ctx );
 
     while( ( n = fread( buf, 1, sizeof( buf ), f ) ) > 0 )
         md2_update( &ctx, buf, n );
 
     md2_finish( &ctx, output );
-
-    polarssl_zeroize( &ctx, sizeof( md2_context ) );
+    md2_free( &ctx );
 
     if( ferror( f ) != 0 )
     {
@@ -304,11 +317,11 @@
 {
     md2_context ctx;
 
+    md2_init( &ctx );
     md2_hmac_starts( &ctx, key, keylen );
     md2_hmac_update( &ctx, input, ilen );
     md2_hmac_finish( &ctx, output );
-
-    polarssl_zeroize( &ctx, sizeof( md2_context ) );
+    md2_free( &ctx );
 }
 
 #if defined(POLARSSL_SELF_TEST)