diff --git a/ChangeLog.d/add-missing-md-includes.txt b/ChangeLog.d/add-missing-md-includes.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..408c3615e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ChangeLog.d/add-missing-md-includes.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+Bugfix
+   * Add missing md.h includes to some of the external programs from
+     the programs directory. Without this, even though the configuration
+     was sufficient for a particular program to work, it would only print
+     a message that one of the required defines is missing.
diff --git a/include/mbedtls/ssl.h b/include/mbedtls/ssl.h
index 03063ac179..e84da605cc 100644
--- a/include/mbedtls/ssl.h
+++ b/include/mbedtls/ssl.h
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@
 #include "mbedtls/dhm.h"
 #endif
 
+#include "mbedtls/md.h"
+
 #if defined(MBEDTLS_ECDH_C)
 #include "mbedtls/ecdh.h"
 #endif
diff --git a/programs/pkey/dh_client.c b/programs/pkey/dh_client.c
index 1fbf045460..5a2c30fc21 100644
--- a/programs/pkey/dh_client.c
+++ b/programs/pkey/dh_client.c
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #include "mbedtls/build_info.h"
 
 #include "mbedtls/platform.h"
+/* md.h is included this early since MD_CAN_XXX macros are defined there. */
+#include "mbedtls/md.h"
 
 #if defined(MBEDTLS_AES_C) && defined(MBEDTLS_DHM_C) && \
     defined(MBEDTLS_ENTROPY_C) && defined(MBEDTLS_NET_C) && \
@@ -45,13 +47,13 @@
     !defined(MBEDTLS_ENTROPY_C) || !defined(MBEDTLS_NET_C) ||  \
     !defined(MBEDTLS_RSA_C) || !defined(MBEDTLS_MD_CAN_SHA256) ||    \
     !defined(MBEDTLS_FS_IO) || !defined(MBEDTLS_CTR_DRBG_C) || \
-    !defined(MBEDTLS_MD_CAN_SHA1)
+    !defined(MBEDTLS_SHA1_C)
 int main(void)
 {
     mbedtls_printf("MBEDTLS_AES_C and/or MBEDTLS_DHM_C and/or MBEDTLS_ENTROPY_C "
                    "and/or MBEDTLS_NET_C and/or MBEDTLS_RSA_C and/or "
                    "MBEDTLS_MD_CAN_SHA256 and/or MBEDTLS_FS_IO and/or "
-                   "MBEDTLS_CTR_DRBG_C not defined.\n");
+                   "MBEDTLS_CTR_DRBG_C and/or MBEDTLS_SHA1_C not defined.\n");
     mbedtls_exit(0);
 }
 #else
diff --git a/programs/pkey/dh_server.c b/programs/pkey/dh_server.c
index 66f7d6f350..c940be0c0f 100644
--- a/programs/pkey/dh_server.c
+++ b/programs/pkey/dh_server.c
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #include "mbedtls/build_info.h"
 
 #include "mbedtls/platform.h"
+/* md.h is included this early since MD_CAN_XXX macros are defined there. */
+#include "mbedtls/md.h"
 
 #if defined(MBEDTLS_AES_C) && defined(MBEDTLS_DHM_C) && \
     defined(MBEDTLS_ENTROPY_C) && defined(MBEDTLS_NET_C) && \
@@ -45,13 +47,13 @@
     !defined(MBEDTLS_ENTROPY_C) || !defined(MBEDTLS_NET_C) ||  \
     !defined(MBEDTLS_RSA_C) || !defined(MBEDTLS_MD_CAN_SHA256) ||    \
     !defined(MBEDTLS_FS_IO) || !defined(MBEDTLS_CTR_DRBG_C) || \
-    !defined(MBEDTLS_MD_CAN_SHA1)
+    !defined(MBEDTLS_SHA1_C)
 int main(void)
 {
     mbedtls_printf("MBEDTLS_AES_C and/or MBEDTLS_DHM_C and/or MBEDTLS_ENTROPY_C "
                    "and/or MBEDTLS_NET_C and/or MBEDTLS_RSA_C and/or "
                    "MBEDTLS_MD_CAN_SHA256 and/or MBEDTLS_FS_IO and/or "
-                   "MBEDTLS_CTR_DRBG_C not defined.\n");
+                   "MBEDTLS_CTR_DRBG_C and/or MBEDTLS_SHA1_C not defined.\n");
     mbedtls_exit(0);
 }
 #else
diff --git a/programs/pkey/pk_sign.c b/programs/pkey/pk_sign.c
index f3bcdb24ab..82cb6a1d66 100644
--- a/programs/pkey/pk_sign.c
+++ b/programs/pkey/pk_sign.c
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #include "mbedtls/build_info.h"
 
 #include "mbedtls/platform.h"
+/* md.h is included this early since MD_CAN_XXX macros are defined there. */
+#include "mbedtls/md.h"
 
 #if !defined(MBEDTLS_BIGNUM_C) || !defined(MBEDTLS_ENTROPY_C) ||  \
     !defined(MBEDTLS_MD_CAN_SHA256) || !defined(MBEDTLS_MD_C) || \
@@ -38,7 +40,6 @@ int main(void)
 #include "mbedtls/error.h"
 #include "mbedtls/entropy.h"
 #include "mbedtls/ctr_drbg.h"
-#include "mbedtls/md.h"
 #include "mbedtls/pk.h"
 
 #include <stdio.h>
diff --git a/programs/pkey/pk_verify.c b/programs/pkey/pk_verify.c
index e24f27f0c0..0c549e06e7 100644
--- a/programs/pkey/pk_verify.c
+++ b/programs/pkey/pk_verify.c
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #include "mbedtls/build_info.h"
 
 #include "mbedtls/platform.h"
+/* md.h is included this early since MD_CAN_XXX macros are defined there. */
+#include "mbedtls/md.h"
 
 #if !defined(MBEDTLS_BIGNUM_C) || !defined(MBEDTLS_MD_C) || \
     !defined(MBEDTLS_MD_CAN_SHA256) || !defined(MBEDTLS_PK_PARSE_C) ||   \
@@ -34,7 +36,6 @@ int main(void)
 #else
 
 #include "mbedtls/error.h"
-#include "mbedtls/md.h"
 #include "mbedtls/pk.h"
 
 #include <stdio.h>
diff --git a/programs/pkey/rsa_sign.c b/programs/pkey/rsa_sign.c
index 051db07c06..64375e9e70 100644
--- a/programs/pkey/rsa_sign.c
+++ b/programs/pkey/rsa_sign.c
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #include "mbedtls/build_info.h"
 
 #include "mbedtls/platform.h"
+/* md.h is included this early since MD_CAN_XXX macros are defined there. */
+#include "mbedtls/md.h"
 
 #if !defined(MBEDTLS_BIGNUM_C) || !defined(MBEDTLS_RSA_C) ||  \
     !defined(MBEDTLS_MD_CAN_SHA256) || !defined(MBEDTLS_MD_C) || \
@@ -34,7 +36,6 @@ int main(void)
 #else
 
 #include "mbedtls/rsa.h"
-#include "mbedtls/md.h"
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
diff --git a/programs/pkey/rsa_sign_pss.c b/programs/pkey/rsa_sign_pss.c
index 4fa3582a75..03882cd2f4 100644
--- a/programs/pkey/rsa_sign_pss.c
+++ b/programs/pkey/rsa_sign_pss.c
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #include "mbedtls/build_info.h"
 
 #include "mbedtls/platform.h"
+/* md.h is included this early since MD_CAN_XXX macros are defined there. */
+#include "mbedtls/md.h"
 
 #if !defined(MBEDTLS_MD_C) || !defined(MBEDTLS_ENTROPY_C) ||  \
     !defined(MBEDTLS_RSA_C) || !defined(MBEDTLS_MD_CAN_SHA256) ||        \
@@ -37,7 +39,6 @@ int main(void)
 
 #include "mbedtls/entropy.h"
 #include "mbedtls/ctr_drbg.h"
-#include "mbedtls/md.h"
 #include "mbedtls/rsa.h"
 #include "mbedtls/pk.h"
 
diff --git a/programs/pkey/rsa_verify.c b/programs/pkey/rsa_verify.c
index e17d776f8d..d525010dfa 100644
--- a/programs/pkey/rsa_verify.c
+++ b/programs/pkey/rsa_verify.c
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #include "mbedtls/build_info.h"
 
 #include "mbedtls/platform.h"
+/* md.h is included this early since MD_CAN_XXX macros are defined there. */
+#include "mbedtls/md.h"
 
 #if !defined(MBEDTLS_BIGNUM_C) || !defined(MBEDTLS_RSA_C) ||  \
     !defined(MBEDTLS_MD_CAN_SHA256) || !defined(MBEDTLS_MD_C) || \
@@ -34,7 +36,6 @@ int main(void)
 #else
 
 #include "mbedtls/rsa.h"
-#include "mbedtls/md.h"
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
diff --git a/programs/pkey/rsa_verify_pss.c b/programs/pkey/rsa_verify_pss.c
index bbd8c17b28..e21e92749b 100644
--- a/programs/pkey/rsa_verify_pss.c
+++ b/programs/pkey/rsa_verify_pss.c
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #include "mbedtls/build_info.h"
 
 #include "mbedtls/platform.h"
+/* md.h is included this early since MD_CAN_XXX macros are defined there. */
+#include "mbedtls/md.h"
 
 #if !defined(MBEDTLS_MD_C) || !defined(MBEDTLS_ENTROPY_C) ||  \
     !defined(MBEDTLS_RSA_C) || !defined(MBEDTLS_MD_CAN_SHA256) ||        \
@@ -38,7 +40,6 @@ int main(void)
 #include "mbedtls/md.h"
 #include "mbedtls/pem.h"
 #include "mbedtls/pk.h"
-#include "mbedtls/md.h"
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
diff --git a/programs/x509/cert_req.c b/programs/x509/cert_req.c
index 01d09bc013..396aaf3f8a 100644
--- a/programs/x509/cert_req.c
+++ b/programs/x509/cert_req.c
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #include "mbedtls/build_info.h"
 
 #include "mbedtls/platform.h"
+/* md.h is included this early since MD_CAN_XXX macros are defined there. */
+#include "mbedtls/md.h"
 
 #if !defined(MBEDTLS_X509_CSR_WRITE_C) || !defined(MBEDTLS_FS_IO) ||  \
     !defined(MBEDTLS_PK_PARSE_C) || !defined(MBEDTLS_MD_CAN_SHA256) || \
diff --git a/programs/x509/cert_write.c b/programs/x509/cert_write.c
index 99ede78fae..a822684241 100644
--- a/programs/x509/cert_write.c
+++ b/programs/x509/cert_write.c
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #include "mbedtls/build_info.h"
 
 #include "mbedtls/platform.h"
+/* md.h is included this early since MD_CAN_XXX macros are defined there. */
+#include "mbedtls/md.h"
 
 #if !defined(MBEDTLS_X509_CRT_WRITE_C) || \
     !defined(MBEDTLS_X509_CRT_PARSE_C) || !defined(MBEDTLS_FS_IO) || \
@@ -41,7 +43,6 @@ int main(void)
 #include "mbedtls/oid.h"
 #include "mbedtls/entropy.h"
 #include "mbedtls/ctr_drbg.h"
-#include "mbedtls/md.h"
 #include "mbedtls/error.h"
 #include "test/helpers.h"