diff --git a/crypto/err/err.c b/crypto/err/err.c
index 041aab4cb8..02fae89746 100644
--- a/crypto/err/err.c
+++ b/crypto/err/err.c
@@ -327,8 +327,7 @@ int ERR_unload_strings(int lib, ERR_STRING_DATA *str)
 
 void err_free_strings_int(void)
 {
-    if (!RUN_ONCE(&err_string_init, do_err_strings_init))
-        return;
+    /* obsolete */
 }
 
 /********************************************************/
diff --git a/crypto/init.c b/crypto/init.c
index 6f7c443d59..8d51a1329b 100644
--- a/crypto/init.c
+++ b/crypto/init.c
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ DEFINE_RUN_ONCE_STATIC(ossl_init_load_crypto_nodelete)
 }
 
 static CRYPTO_ONCE load_crypto_strings = CRYPTO_ONCE_STATIC_INIT;
-static int load_crypto_strings_inited = 0;
+
 DEFINE_RUN_ONCE_STATIC(ossl_init_load_crypto_strings)
 {
     int ret = 1;
@@ -181,7 +181,6 @@ DEFINE_RUN_ONCE_STATIC(ossl_init_load_crypto_strings)
 #if !defined(OPENSSL_NO_ERR) && !defined(OPENSSL_NO_AUTOERRINIT)
     OSSL_TRACE(INIT, "ossl_err_load_crypto_strings()\n");
     ret = ossl_err_load_crypto_strings();
-    load_crypto_strings_inited = 1;
 #endif
     return ret;
 }
@@ -397,11 +396,6 @@ void OPENSSL_cleanup(void)
         async_deinit();
     }
 
-    if (load_crypto_strings_inited) {
-        OSSL_TRACE(INIT, "OPENSSL_cleanup: err_free_strings_int()\n");
-        err_free_strings_int();
-    }
-
     /*
      * Note that cleanup order is important:
      * - ossl_rand_cleanup_int could call an ENGINE's RAND cleanup function so
diff --git a/ssl/ssl_init.c b/ssl/ssl_init.c
index a8bcaa907d..cef57356c5 100644
--- a/ssl/ssl_init.c
+++ b/ssl/ssl_init.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ DEFINE_RUN_ONCE_STATIC(ossl_init_ssl_base)
 }
 
 static CRYPTO_ONCE ssl_strings = CRYPTO_ONCE_STATIC_INIT;
-static int ssl_strings_inited = 0;
+
 DEFINE_RUN_ONCE_STATIC(ossl_init_load_ssl_strings)
 {
     /*
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ DEFINE_RUN_ONCE_STATIC(ossl_init_load_ssl_strings)
 #if !defined(OPENSSL_NO_ERR) && !defined(OPENSSL_NO_AUTOERRINIT)
     OSSL_TRACE(INIT, "ossl_init_load_ssl_strings: ossl_err_load_SSL_strings()\n");
     ossl_err_load_SSL_strings();
-    ssl_strings_inited = 1;
 #endif
     return 1;
 }
@@ -82,17 +81,6 @@ static void ssl_library_stop(void)
         ssl_comp_free_compression_methods_int();
 #endif
     }
-
-    if (ssl_strings_inited) {
-        OSSL_TRACE(INIT, "ssl_library_stop: err_free_strings_int()\n");
-        /*
-         * If both crypto and ssl error strings are inited we will end up
-         * calling err_free_strings_int() twice - but that's ok. The second
-         * time will be a no-op. It's easier to do that than to try and track
-         * between the two libraries whether they have both been inited.
-         */
-        err_free_strings_int();
-    }
 }
 
 /*