diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index 55c1bb54d..eeda38569 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -392,6 +392,23 @@ void ThreadImport(std::vector<boost::filesystem::path> vImportFiles)
     }
 }
 
+/** Sanity checks
+ *  Ensure that Dogecoin 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 BitCoin issue #4081
+
+    return true;
+}
+
 /** Initialize dogecoin.
  *  @pre Parameters should be parsed and config file should be read.
  */
@@ -612,6 +629,9 @@ bool AppInit2(boost::thread_group& threadGroup)
     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. Dogecoin Core is shutting down."));
 
     std::string strDataDir = GetDataDir().string();
 #ifdef ENABLE_WALLET
diff --git a/src/key.cpp b/src/key.cpp
index ac05ed254..c64d302d2 100644
--- a/src/key.cpp
+++ b/src/key.cpp
@@ -656,3 +656,15 @@ 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 56a20e15f..f7cf0e369 100644
--- a/src/key.h
+++ b/src/key.h
@@ -313,4 +313,7 @@ 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