diff --git a/include/poet/HashFunctions.hpp b/include/poet/HashFunctions.hpp
index 1a7b1c4f1..49e86559a 100644
--- a/include/poet/HashFunctions.hpp
+++ b/include/poet/HashFunctions.hpp
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// //  Time-stamp: "Last modified 2023-03-27 14:51:05 mluebke"
+// //  Time-stamp: "Last modified 2023-03-31 14:59:49 mluebke"
 
 /*
 ** Copyright (C) 2018-2021 Alexander Lindemann, Max Luebke (University of
@@ -24,17 +24,12 @@
 #define HASHFUNCTIONS_H_
 
 #include <cstdint>
-#include <openssl/evp.h>
 
 namespace poet {
 
 // Sum of POET interpreted as ASCII
 constexpr uint32_t HASH_SEED = 80 + 79 + 69 + 84;
 
-void initHashCtx(const EVP_MD *md);
-void freeHashCtx();
-
-uint64_t hashDHT(int key_size, const void *key);
 uint64_t Murmur2_64A(int len, const void *key);
 
 } // namespace poet
diff --git a/src/ChemistryModule/DHT_Wrapper.cpp b/src/ChemistryModule/DHT_Wrapper.cpp
index 27e975f1a..d3e33999a 100644
--- a/src/ChemistryModule/DHT_Wrapper.cpp
+++ b/src/ChemistryModule/DHT_Wrapper.cpp
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
 #include <cstring>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <math.h>
-#include <openssl/evp.h>
 #include <stdexcept>
 #include <vector>
 
@@ -71,7 +70,6 @@ void poet::DHT_ResultObject::ResultsToWP(std::vector<double> &curr_wp) {
 DHT_Wrapper::DHT_Wrapper(MPI_Comm dht_comm, uint32_t dht_size,
                          uint32_t key_count, uint32_t data_count)
     : key_count(key_count), data_count(data_count) {
-  poet::initHashCtx(EVP_md5());
   // initialize DHT object
   uint32_t key_size = key_count * sizeof(DHT_Keyelement);
   uint32_t data_size = data_count * sizeof(double);
@@ -100,7 +98,6 @@ DHT_Wrapper::~DHT_Wrapper() {
   // free DHT
   DHT_free(dht_object, NULL, NULL);
 
-  poet::freeHashCtx();
 }
 auto DHT_Wrapper::checkDHT(int length, double dt,
                            const std::vector<double> &work_package)
diff --git a/src/ChemistryModule/HashFunctions.cpp b/src/ChemistryModule/HashFunctions.cpp
index 79a8773cd..da6e10138 100644
--- a/src/ChemistryModule/HashFunctions.cpp
+++ b/src/ChemistryModule/HashFunctions.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-//  Time-stamp: "Last modified 2023-03-27 14:50:53 mluebke"
+//  Time-stamp: "Last modified 2023-03-31 15:00:11 mluebke"
 /*
 **-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ** MurmurHash2 was written by Austin Appleby, and is placed in the public
@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@
 #include "poet/HashFunctions.hpp"
 
 #include <cstddef>
-#include <openssl/evp.h>
-#include <openssl/md5.h>
 #include <stdexcept>
 
 #if defined(_MSC_VER)
@@ -43,42 +41,6 @@
 
 #endif // !defined(_MSC_VER)
 
-// HACK: I know this is not a good practice, but this will do it for now!
-EVP_MD_CTX *ctx = NULL;
-
-void poet::initHashCtx(const EVP_MD *md) {
-  if (ctx == NULL) {
-    ctx = EVP_MD_CTX_new();
-    EVP_DigestInit_ex(ctx, md, NULL);
-  }
-}
-
-void poet::freeHashCtx() {
-  EVP_MD_CTX_free(ctx);
-  ctx = NULL;
-}
-
-uint64_t poet::hashDHT(int key_size, const void *key) {
-  unsigned char sum[MD5_DIGEST_LENGTH];
-  uint32_t md_len;
-  uint64_t retval, *v1, *v2;
-
-  // calculate md5 using MD5 functions
-  EVP_DigestUpdate(ctx, key, key_size);
-  EVP_DigestFinal_ex(ctx, sum, &md_len);
-
-  if (md_len != MD5_DIGEST_LENGTH) {
-    throw std::runtime_error("Something went wrong during MD5 hashing!");
-  }
-
-  // divide hash in 2 64 bit parts and XOR them
-  v1 = (uint64_t *)&sum[0];
-  v2 = (uint64_t *)&sum[8];
-  retval = *v1 ^ *v2;
-
-  return retval;
-}
-
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // MurmurHash2, 64-bit versions, by Austin Appleby