diff --git a/bin/confgen/util.c b/bin/confgen/util.c
index 9f65ac1ccc..5d7ce509e4 100644
--- a/bin/confgen/util.c
+++ b/bin/confgen/util.c
@@ -47,6 +47,5 @@ fatal(const char *format, ...) {
 	vfprintf(stderr, format, args);
 	va_end(args);
 	fprintf(stderr, "\n");
-	isc__tls_setfatalmode();
 	_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 }
diff --git a/bin/delv/delv.c b/bin/delv/delv.c
index 4bd00bfa9a..c3b2d1c6f2 100644
--- a/bin/delv/delv.c
+++ b/bin/delv/delv.c
@@ -263,7 +263,6 @@ fatal(const char *format, ...) {
 	vfprintf(stderr, format, args);
 	va_end(args);
 	fprintf(stderr, "\n");
-	isc__tls_setfatalmode();
 	_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 }
 
diff --git a/bin/dig/dighost.c b/bin/dig/dighost.c
index 1f10437a41..1e2303a1af 100644
--- a/bin/dig/dighost.c
+++ b/bin/dig/dighost.c
@@ -406,7 +406,6 @@ fatal(const char *format, ...) {
 	vfprintf(stderr, format, args);
 	va_end(args);
 	fprintf(stderr, "\n");
-	isc__tls_setfatalmode();
 	if (fatalexit == 0 && exitcode != 0) {
 		fatalexit = exitcode;
 	} else if (fatalexit == 0) {
diff --git a/bin/dnssec/dnssectool.c b/bin/dnssec/dnssectool.c
index 34552864e6..6f54444647 100644
--- a/bin/dnssec/dnssectool.c
+++ b/bin/dnssec/dnssectool.c
@@ -84,9 +84,6 @@ fatal(const char *format, ...) {
 	if (fatalcallback != NULL) {
 		(*fatalcallback)();
 	}
-	isc__tls_setfatalmode();
-
-	/* Make sure that various atexit() calls are skipped */
 	_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 }
 
diff --git a/bin/named/server.c b/bin/named/server.c
index 0992923744..fe4c16ad60 100644
--- a/bin/named/server.c
+++ b/bin/named/server.c
@@ -10203,7 +10203,6 @@ fatal(const char *msg, isc_result_t result) {
 		      NAMED_LOGMODULE_SERVER, ISC_LOG_CRITICAL,
 		      "exiting (due to fatal error)");
 	named_os_shutdown();
-	isc__tls_setfatalmode();
 	_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 }
 
diff --git a/bin/nsupdate/nsupdate.c b/bin/nsupdate/nsupdate.c
index bd01da7916..f81c1965b2 100644
--- a/bin/nsupdate/nsupdate.c
+++ b/bin/nsupdate/nsupdate.c
@@ -279,7 +279,6 @@ fatal(const char *format, ...) {
 	vfprintf(stderr, format, args);
 	va_end(args);
 	fprintf(stderr, "\n");
-	isc__tls_setfatalmode();
 	_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 }
 
diff --git a/bin/rndc/util.c b/bin/rndc/util.c
index 948ca87334..e0529aa772 100644
--- a/bin/rndc/util.c
+++ b/bin/rndc/util.c
@@ -46,6 +46,5 @@ fatal(const char *format, ...) {
 	vfprintf(stderr, format, args);
 	va_end(args);
 	fprintf(stderr, "\n");
-	isc__tls_setfatalmode();
 	_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 }
diff --git a/bin/tools/mdig.c b/bin/tools/mdig.c
index 915d543691..c1ac42978e 100644
--- a/bin/tools/mdig.c
+++ b/bin/tools/mdig.c
@@ -897,7 +897,6 @@ fatal(const char *format, ...) {
 	vfprintf(stderr, format, args);
 	va_end(args);
 	fprintf(stderr, "\n");
-	isc__tls_setfatalmode();
 	_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 }
 
diff --git a/bin/tools/nsec3hash.c b/bin/tools/nsec3hash.c
index 046c8b7894..9d77a10d2a 100644
--- a/bin/tools/nsec3hash.c
+++ b/bin/tools/nsec3hash.c
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ fatal(const char *format, ...) {
 	vfprintf(stderr, format, args);
 	va_end(args);
 	fprintf(stderr, "\n");
-	isc__tls_setfatalmode();
 	_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/isc/include/isc/tls.h b/lib/isc/include/isc/tls.h
index 109a7f7eab..75ad88df46 100644
--- a/lib/isc/include/isc/tls.h
+++ b/lib/isc/include/isc/tls.h
@@ -615,6 +615,3 @@ isc__tls_shutdown(void);
 
 void
 isc__tls_setdestroycheck(bool check);
-
-void
-isc__tls_setfatalmode(void);
diff --git a/lib/isc/tls.c b/lib/isc/tls.c
index b2fca8b459..281c09a92e 100644
--- a/lib/isc/tls.c
+++ b/lib/isc/tls.c
@@ -77,12 +77,6 @@ isc__tls_set_thread_id(CRYPTO_THREADID *id) {
 }
 #endif
 
-#ifdef ISC_TEST_OPENSSL_MEMORY_LEAKS
-static atomic_bool handle_fatal = false;
-#else
-static atomic_bool handle_fatal = true;
-#endif
-
 #if !defined(LIBRESSL_VERSION_NUMBER) && OPENSSL_VERSION_NUMBER >= 0x30000000L
 /*
  * This was crippled with LibreSSL, so just skip it:
@@ -115,7 +109,7 @@ isc__tls_free_ex(void *ptr, const char *file, int line) {
 	if (ptr == NULL) {
 		return;
 	}
-	if (!atomic_load(&handle_fatal) || isc__tls_mctx != NULL) {
+	if (isc__tls_mctx != NULL) {
 		isc__mem_free(isc__tls_mctx, ptr, 0, file, (unsigned int)line);
 	}
 }
@@ -143,7 +137,7 @@ isc__tls_free_ex(void *ptr, const char *file, int line) {
 	if (ptr == NULL) {
 		return;
 	}
-	if (!atomic_load(&handle_fatal) || isc__tls_mctx != NULL) {
+	if (isc__tls_mctx != NULL) {
 		isc__mem_free(isc__tls_mctx, ptr, 0);
 	}
 }
@@ -1796,8 +1790,3 @@ isc_tlsctx_set_random_session_id_context(isc_tlsctx_t *ctx) {
 	RUNTIME_CHECK(
 		SSL_CTX_set_session_id_context(ctx, session_id_ctx, len) == 1);
 }
-
-void
-isc__tls_setfatalmode(void) {
-	atomic_store(&handle_fatal, true);
-}