diff --git a/apps/apps.c b/apps/apps.c
index 2c2974224..1089c8b8a 100644
--- a/apps/apps.c
+++ b/apps/apps.c
@@ -1150,6 +1150,12 @@ ENGINE *setup_engine(BIO *err, const char *engine, int debug)
 
         if (engine)
                 {
+		if(strcmp(engine, "auto") == 0)
+			{
+			BIO_printf(err,"enabling auto ENGINE support\n");
+			ENGINE_register_all_complete();
+			return NULL;
+			}
 		if((e = ENGINE_by_id(engine)) == NULL)
 			{
 			BIO_printf(err,"invalid engine \"%s\"\n", engine);
diff --git a/apps/apps.h b/apps/apps.h
index 810710909..57ca7659a 100644
--- a/apps/apps.h
+++ b/apps/apps.h
@@ -127,20 +127,18 @@ extern BIO *bio_err;
 #      define apps_startup() \
 		do { _fmode=_O_BINARY; do_pipe_sig(); CRYPTO_malloc_init(); \
 		ERR_load_crypto_strings(); OpenSSL_add_all_algorithms(); \
-		ENGINE_load_builtin_engines(); ENGINE_register_all_complete(); \
-		setup_ui_method(); } while(0)
+		ENGINE_load_builtin_engines(); setup_ui_method(); } while(0)
 #    else
 #      define apps_startup() \
 		do { _fmode=O_BINARY; do_pipe_sig(); CRYPTO_malloc_init(); \
 		ERR_load_crypto_strings(); OpenSSL_add_all_algorithms(); \
-		ENGINE_load_builtin_engines(); ENGINE_register_all_complete(); \
-		setup_ui_method(); } while(0)
+		ENGINE_load_builtin_engines(); setup_ui_method(); } while(0)
 #    endif
 #  else
 #    define apps_startup() \
 		do { do_pipe_sig(); OpenSSL_add_all_algorithms(); \
 		ERR_load_crypto_strings(); ENGINE_load_builtin_engines(); \
-		ENGINE_register_all_complete(); setup_ui_method(); } while(0)
+		setup_ui_method(); } while(0)
 #  endif
 #  define apps_shutdown() \
 		do { destroy_ui_method(); EVP_cleanup(); \