diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index ca348b614e9..1d86cf087d6 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 #include "addrman.h"
 #include "checkpoints.h"
+#include "key.h"
 #include "main.h"
 #include "miner.h"
 #include "net.h"
@@ -394,6 +395,23 @@ void ThreadImport(std::vector<boost::filesystem::path> vImportFiles)
     }
 }
 
+/** Sanity checks
+ *  Ensure that Bitcoin is running in a usable environment with all
+ *  necessary library support.
+ */
+bool InitSanityCheck(void)
+{
+    if(!ECC_InitSanityCheck()) {
+        InitError("OpenSSL appears to lack support for elliptic curve cryptography. For more "
+                  "information, visit https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/OpenSSL_and_EC_Libraries");
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    // TODO: remaining sanity checks, see #4081
+
+    return true;
+}
+
 /** Initialize bitcoin.
  *  @pre Parameters should be parsed and config file should be read.
  */
@@ -598,6 +616,9 @@ bool AppInit2(boost::thread_group& threadGroup)
     std::string strWalletFile = GetArg("-wallet", "wallet.dat");
 #endif
     // ********************************************************* Step 4: application initialization: dir lock, daemonize, pidfile, debug log
+    // Sanity check
+    if (!InitSanityCheck())
+        return InitError(_("Initialization sanity check failed. Bitcoin Core is shutting down."));
 
     std::string strDataDir = GetDataDir().string();
 #ifdef ENABLE_WALLET
diff --git a/src/key.cpp b/src/key.cpp
index aa24f0a6227..4747beffb4e 100644
--- a/src/key.cpp
+++ b/src/key.cpp
@@ -631,3 +631,15 @@ bool CExtPubKey::Derive(CExtPubKey &out, unsigned int nChild) const {
     out.nChild = nChild;
     return pubkey.Derive(out.pubkey, out.vchChainCode, nChild, vchChainCode);
 }
+
+bool ECC_InitSanityCheck() {
+    EC_KEY *pkey = EC_KEY_new_by_curve_name(NID_secp256k1);
+    if(pkey == NULL)
+        return false;
+    EC_KEY_free(pkey);
+
+    // TODO Is there more EC functionality that could be missing?
+    return true;
+}
+
+
diff --git a/src/key.h b/src/key.h
index 983775fd231..11dc65de8cc 100644
--- a/src/key.h
+++ b/src/key.h
@@ -306,4 +306,7 @@ struct CExtKey {
     void SetMaster(const unsigned char *seed, unsigned int nSeedLen);
 };
 
+/** Check that required EC support is available at runtime */
+bool ECC_InitSanityCheck(void);
+
 #endif