diff --git a/crypto/x509/x509_lcl.h b/crypto/x509/x509_lcl.h
index f994cb9c27..a71af342dc 100644
--- a/crypto/x509/x509_lcl.h
+++ b/crypto/x509/x509_lcl.h
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@
 struct X509_VERIFY_PARAM_ID_st
 	{
 	unsigned char *host;	/* If not NULL hostname to match */
-	size_t hostlen;
 	unsigned int hostflags;	/* Flags to control matching features */
 	unsigned char *email;	/* If not NULL email address to match */
 	size_t emaillen;
diff --git a/crypto/x509/x509_vfy.c b/crypto/x509/x509_vfy.c
index 30fc974a20..b6d4989e4b 100644
--- a/crypto/x509/x509_vfy.c
+++ b/crypto/x509/x509_vfy.c
@@ -748,8 +748,7 @@ static int check_id(X509_STORE_CTX *ctx)
 	X509_VERIFY_PARAM *vpm = ctx->param;
 	X509_VERIFY_PARAM_ID *id = vpm->id;
 	X509 *x = ctx->cert;
-	if (id->host && !X509_check_host(x, id->host, id->hostlen,
-					 id->hostflags))
+	if (id->host && !X509_check_host(x, id->host, 0, id->hostflags))
 		{
 		if (!check_id_error(ctx, X509_V_ERR_HOSTNAME_MISMATCH))
 			return 0;
diff --git a/crypto/x509/x509_vpm.c b/crypto/x509/x509_vpm.c
index 3bedf7850c..d7cc231d58 100644
--- a/crypto/x509/x509_vpm.c
+++ b/crypto/x509/x509_vpm.c
@@ -91,7 +91,6 @@ static void x509_verify_param_zero(X509_VERIFY_PARAM *param)
 		{
 		OPENSSL_free(paramid->host);
 		paramid->host = NULL;
-		paramid->hostlen = 0;
 		}
 	if (paramid->email)
 		{
@@ -237,7 +236,7 @@ int X509_VERIFY_PARAM_inherit(X509_VERIFY_PARAM *dest,
 
 	if (test_x509_verify_param_copy_id(host, NULL))
 		{
-		if (!X509_VERIFY_PARAM_set1_host(dest, id->host, id->hostlen))
+		if (!X509_VERIFY_PARAM_set1_host(dest, id->host, 0))
 			return 0;
 		dest->id->hostflags = id->hostflags;
 		}
@@ -399,8 +398,7 @@ int X509_VERIFY_PARAM_set1_policies(X509_VERIFY_PARAM *param,
 int X509_VERIFY_PARAM_set1_host(X509_VERIFY_PARAM *param,
 				const unsigned char *name, size_t namelen)
 	{
-	return int_x509_param_set1(&param->id->host, &param->id->hostlen,
-					name, namelen);
+	return int_x509_param_set1(&param->id->host, NULL, name, namelen);
 	}
 
 void X509_VERIFY_PARAM_set_hostflags(X509_VERIFY_PARAM *param,
@@ -444,7 +442,7 @@ const char *X509_VERIFY_PARAM_get0_name(const X509_VERIFY_PARAM *param)
 	return param->name;
 	}
 
-static X509_VERIFY_PARAM_ID _empty_id = {NULL, 0, 0U, NULL, 0, NULL, 0};
+static X509_VERIFY_PARAM_ID _empty_id = {NULL, 0U, NULL, 0, NULL, 0};
 
 #define vpm_empty_id (X509_VERIFY_PARAM_ID *)&_empty_id
 
diff --git a/crypto/x509v3/v3_utl.c b/crypto/x509v3/v3_utl.c
index 6e91ac9816..5401d90e10 100644
--- a/crypto/x509v3/v3_utl.c
+++ b/crypto/x509v3/v3_utl.c
@@ -972,6 +972,10 @@ static int do_x509_check(X509 *x, const unsigned char *chk, size_t chklen,
 int X509_check_host(X509 *x, const unsigned char *chk, size_t chklen,
 					unsigned int flags)
 	{
+	if (chklen == 0)
+		chklen = chk ? strlen((char *)chk) : 0;
+	else if (chk && memchr(chk, '\0', chklen))
+		return 0;
 	return do_x509_check(x, chk, chklen, flags, GEN_DNS);
 	}