diff --git a/crypto/ec/ecdsa_ossl.c b/crypto/ec/ecdsa_ossl.c
index 402a554245..6104e5cbfc 100644
--- a/crypto/ec/ecdsa_ossl.c
+++ b/crypto/ec/ecdsa_ossl.c
@@ -106,6 +106,10 @@ int ossl_ecdsa_deterministic_sign(const unsigned char *dgst, int dlen,
         ERR_raise(ERR_LIB_EC, ERR_R_PASSED_NULL_PARAMETER);
         return 0;
     }
+    if (digestname == NULL) {
+        ERR_raise(ERR_LIB_EC, EC_R_INVALID_DIGEST);
+        return 0;
+    }
 
     *siglen = 0;
     if (!ecdsa_sign_setup(eckey, NULL, &kinv, &r, dgst, dlen,
diff --git a/providers/implementations/signature/ecdsa_sig.c b/providers/implementations/signature/ecdsa_sig.c
index 59e02f4cc4..440b176783 100644
--- a/providers/implementations/signature/ecdsa_sig.c
+++ b/providers/implementations/signature/ecdsa_sig.c
@@ -338,9 +338,13 @@ static int ecdsa_sign_directly(void *vctx,
         return 0;
 
     if (ctx->nonce_type != 0) {
+        const char *mdname = NULL;
+
+        if (ctx->mdname[0] != '\0')
+            mdname = ctx->mdname;
         ret = ossl_ecdsa_deterministic_sign(tbs, tbslen, sig, &sltmp,
                                             ctx->ec, ctx->nonce_type,
-                                            ctx->mdname,
+                                            mdname,
                                             ctx->libctx, ctx->propq);
     } else {
         ret = ECDSA_sign_ex(0, tbs, tbslen, sig, &sltmp, ctx->kinv, ctx->r,