diff --git a/programs/x509/cert_req.c b/programs/x509/cert_req.c
index b05305c97..a9adc22b7 100644
--- a/programs/x509/cert_req.c
+++ b/programs/x509/cert_req.c
@@ -125,9 +125,8 @@ int main( void )
     "                          Add NsCertType even if it is empty\n"    \
     "    md=%%s               default: SHA256\n"       \
     "                          possible values:\n"     \
-    "                          MD2, MD4, MD5, SHA1\n"  \
-    "                          SHA224, SHA256\n"       \
-    "                          SHA384, SHA512\n"       \
+    "                          MD2, MD4, MD5, RIPEMD160, SHA1,\n" \
+    "                          SHA224, SHA256, SHA384, SHA512\n" \
     "\n"
 
 /*
@@ -237,58 +236,14 @@ int main( int argc, char *argv[] )
         }
         else if( strcmp( p, "md" ) == 0 )
         {
-            if( strcmp( q, "SHA256" ) == 0 )
-            {
-                opt.md_alg = MBEDTLS_MD_SHA256;
-            }
-            else if( strcmp( q, "SHA224" ) == 0 )
-            {
-                opt.md_alg = MBEDTLS_MD_SHA224;
-            }
-            else
-#if defined(MBEDTLS_MD5_C)
-            if( strcmp( q, "MD5" ) == 0 )
-            {
-                opt.md_alg = MBEDTLS_MD_MD5;
-            }
-            else
-#endif /* MBEDTLS_MD5_C */
-#if defined(MBEDTLS_MD4_C)
-            if( strcmp( q, "MD4" ) == 0 )
-            {
-                opt.md_alg = MBEDTLS_MD_MD4;
-            }
-            else
-#endif /* MBEDTLS_MD5_C */
-#if defined(MBEDTLS_MD2_C)
-            if( strcmp( q, "MD2" ) == 0 )
-            {
-                opt.md_alg = MBEDTLS_MD_MD2;
-            }
-            else
-#endif /* MBEDTLS_MD2_C */
-#if defined(MBEDTLS_SHA1_C)
-            if( strcmp( q, "SHA1" ) == 0 )
-            {
-                opt.md_alg = MBEDTLS_MD_SHA1;
-            }
-            else
-#endif /* MBEDTLS_SHA1_C */
-#if defined(MBEDTLS_SHA512_C)
-            if( strcmp( q, "SHA384" ) == 0 )
-            {
-                opt.md_alg = MBEDTLS_MD_SHA384;
-            }
-            else
-            if( strcmp( q, "SHA512" ) == 0 )
-            {
-                opt.md_alg = MBEDTLS_MD_SHA512;
-            }
-            else
-#endif /* MBEDTLS_SHA512_C */
+            const mbedtls_md_info_t *md_info =
+                mbedtls_md_info_from_string( q );
+            if( md_info == NULL )
             {
+                mbedtls_printf( "Invalid argument for option %s\n", p );
                 goto usage;
             }
+            opt.md_alg = mbedtls_md_get_type( md_info );
         }
         else if( strcmp( p, "key_usage" ) == 0 )
         {
diff --git a/tests/data_files/Makefile b/tests/data_files/Makefile
index f1c4db8eb..e7db1f5c8 100644
--- a/tests/data_files/Makefile
+++ b/tests/data_files/Makefile
@@ -13,8 +13,10 @@
 ## Tools
 OPENSSL ?= openssl
 FAKETIME ?= faketime
-MBEDTLS_CERT_WRITE ?= $(PWD)/../../programs/x509/cert_write
-MBEDTLS_CERT_REQ ?= $(PWD)/../../programs/x509/cert_req
+
+TOP_DIR = ../..
+MBEDTLS_CERT_WRITE ?= $(TOP_DIR)/programs/x509/cert_write
+MBEDTLS_CERT_REQ ?= $(TOP_DIR)/programs/x509/cert_req
 
 ## Build the generated test data. Note that since the final outputs
 ## are committed to the repository, this target should do nothing on a
@@ -833,10 +835,6 @@ server1_ca.crt: server1.crt $(test_ca_crt)
 	cat server1.crt $(test_ca_crt) > $@
 all_final += server1_ca.crt
 
-cert_md5.crt: server1.key
-	$(MBEDTLS_CERT_WRITE) subject_key=server1.key subject_name="C=NL, O=PolarSSL, CN=PolarSSL Cert MD5" serial=6 issuer_crt=$(test_ca_crt) issuer_key=$(test_ca_key_file_rsa) issuer_pwd=$(test_ca_pwd_rsa) not_before=20190210144406 not_after=20290210144406 md=MD5 version=3 output_file=$@
-all_final += cert_md5.crt
-
 cert_sha1.crt: server1.key
 	$(MBEDTLS_CERT_WRITE) subject_key=server1.key subject_name="C=NL, O=PolarSSL, CN=PolarSSL Cert SHA1" serial=7 issuer_crt=$(test_ca_crt) issuer_key=$(test_ca_key_file_rsa) issuer_pwd=$(test_ca_pwd_rsa) not_before=20190210144406 not_after=20290210144406 md=SHA1 version=3 output_file=$@
 all_final += cert_sha1.crt
diff --git a/tests/data_files/cert_md2.csr b/tests/data_files/cert_md2.csr
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f4f0eb9b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data_files/cert_md2.csr
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----
+MIICgTCCAWkCAQAwPDELMAkGA1UEBhMCTkwxETAPBgNVBAoTCFBvbGFyU1NMMRow
+GAYDVQQDExFQb2xhclNTTCBDZXJ0IE1EMjCCASIwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEBBQADggEP
+ADCCAQoCggEBAMh0xMy5+bV56UXZFGCwfbuT8msenzOtDY+KPFZl5dxE2cxmhQfV
++CewSjXQY54Kbhu32vB+q+4MEJOGSRg086gq0lf1LtQvdymEYU2CUI+nlUhw9W5N
+stUTw9Ia7eZD6kIU63TqwO0f1FdOqfOo7dLgwTBxMDIw1dP2CNBWT0aO8l/5PWeR
+iDAuQrLfffvlDHf/7DHAeI+/wn/KrWwh1o3Zi2qOb+Cb+BBWzLOOExXmNARmx+75
+Ng5qlfYJmgZn9GVx+MqksSXg/jyLNQRnuuBPdoX8f/w2a7XpzS0DYk6zPQDPr3ag
+aVaDatKo1OdQcea1NgV3BW17yOTE/UzVIV8CAwEAAaAAMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAgUA
+A4IBAQA4VJ08+OCG8ZJw6U4+n0D3zZO/tW2xEKi7CnOPgWainiDIhv2v7JzLEzmA
+Zm/z/RmbAxKjpnbh3ooMuw4SL3eai/rEAi/PMbmGk434womFashGSBvwGMHXmWxv
+0IY+cPAgct3LWG9sWwZeZmIYMgKOUCjdYlBZBXJhvVI7iq/Xw0gpGuOLhps3Ambh
+j5IWK07X5Fd1ubk0OPqfRPU9PU0YNBD1sno4HBWWYsAxxb/NCas6K/R9WHstNDq6
+TDdUIwIfGGlqFFUUdifGDqTsTODvrJTokMU8JiqpZ9Lx+mx4wfbPmhg39/V3XBpM
+pGDLCUTwlctbNFM5y32Fb6XJk/+3
+-----END CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----
diff --git a/tests/data_files/cert_md4.csr b/tests/data_files/cert_md4.csr
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..245e1f882
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data_files/cert_md4.csr
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----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+-----END CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----
diff --git a/tests/data_files/cert_md5.csr b/tests/data_files/cert_md5.csr
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..98f85775e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data_files/cert_md5.csr
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----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+-----END CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----