diff --git a/examples/client/client.c b/examples/client/client.c
index c577562235..7c2aa674d4 100644
--- a/examples/client/client.c
+++ b/examples/client/client.c
@@ -3042,10 +3042,6 @@ THREAD_RETURN WOLFSSL_THREAD client_test(void* args)
             != 0) {
         err_sys("unable to load static memory");
     }
-    /* for test case (does not handle all memory used on default build)
-       wolfSSL_SetGlobalHeapHint(heap);
-     */
-
 
     ctx = wolfSSL_CTX_new_ex(method(heap), heap);
     if (ctx == NULL)
diff --git a/examples/server/server.c b/examples/server/server.c
index 2572a185e4..6f0faf3385 100644
--- a/examples/server/server.c
+++ b/examples/server/server.c
@@ -2518,10 +2518,6 @@ THREAD_RETURN WOLFSSL_THREAD server_test(void* args)
             != WOLFSSL_SUCCESS)
         err_sys_ex(catastrophic, "unable to load static memory and create ctx");
 
-    /* for test case (does not handle all memory used on default build)
-       wolfSSL_SetGlobalHeapHint(wolfSSL_CTX_GetHeap(ctx, NULL));
-     */
-
     /* load in a buffer for IO */
     if (wolfSSL_CTX_load_static_memory(&ctx, NULL, memoryIO, sizeof(memoryIO),
                                  WOLFMEM_IO_POOL_FIXED | WOLFMEM_TRACK_STATS, 1)
diff --git a/wolfcrypt/src/memory.c b/wolfcrypt/src/memory.c
index 884bfafc06..2e30c4c818 100644
--- a/wolfcrypt/src/memory.c
+++ b/wolfcrypt/src/memory.c
@@ -904,9 +904,23 @@ int wolfSSL_GetMemStats(WOLFSSL_HEAP* heap, WOLFSSL_MEM_STATS* stats)
  * NOT thread safe, should be set once before any expected XMALLOC XFREE calls
  */
 static void* globalHeapHint = NULL;
-void wolfSSL_SetGlobalHeapHint(void* heap)
+
+
+/* Used to set a new global heap hint. Returns a pointer to the current global
+ * heap hint before being set. */
+void* wolfSSL_SetGlobalHeapHint(void* heap)
 {
+    void *oldHint = globalHeapHint;
+
     globalHeapHint = heap;
+    return oldHint;
+}
+
+
+/* returns a pointer to the current global heap hint */
+void* wolfSSL_GetGlobalHeapHint()
+{
+    return globalHeapHint;
 }
 
 
@@ -967,6 +981,9 @@ void* wolfSSL_Malloc(size_t size, void* heap, int type)
 
         if (hint == NULL) {
             hint = (WOLFSSL_HEAP_HINT*)globalHeapHint;
+        #ifdef WOLFSSL_DEBUG_MEMORY
+            fprintf(stderr, "(Using global heap hint %p) ", hint);
+        #endif
         }
         mem = hint->memory;
 
@@ -1119,6 +1136,9 @@ void wolfSSL_Free(void *ptr, void* heap, int type)
 
             if (hint == NULL) {
                 hint = (WOLFSSL_HEAP_HINT*)globalHeapHint;
+            #ifdef WOLFSSL_DEBUG_MEMORY
+                fprintf(stderr, "(Using global heap hint %p) ", hint);
+            #endif
             }
             mem = hint->memory;
 
@@ -1219,6 +1239,9 @@ void* wolfSSL_Realloc(void *ptr, size_t size, void* heap, int type)
 
         if (hint == NULL) {
             hint = (WOLFSSL_HEAP_HINT*)globalHeapHint;
+        #ifdef WOLFSSL_DEBUG_MEMORY
+            fprintf(stderr, "(Using global heap hint %p) ", hint);
+        #endif
         }
         mem = hint->memory;
 
diff --git a/wolfcrypt/test/test.c b/wolfcrypt/test/test.c
index e1d6387f10..3a34454a77 100644
--- a/wolfcrypt/test/test.c
+++ b/wolfcrypt/test/test.c
@@ -1059,7 +1059,9 @@ options: [-s max_relative_stack_bytes] [-m max_relative_heap_memory_bytes]\n\
         printf("unable to load static memory.\n");
         return(EXIT_FAILURE);
     }
+    #ifndef OPENSSL_EXTRA
     wolfSSL_SetGlobalHeapHint(HEAP_HINT);
+    #endif
 #endif
 
 #if defined(DEBUG_WOLFSSL) && !defined(HAVE_VALGRIND)
@@ -2014,6 +2016,9 @@ options: [-s max_relative_stack_bytes] [-m max_relative_heap_memory_bytes]\n\
     #endif
 #endif
 
+#ifndef OPENSSL_EXTRA
+    wolfSSL_SetGlobalHeapHint(NULL);
+#endif
     TEST_PASS("Test complete\n");
 
     EXIT_TEST(ret);
diff --git a/wolfssl/wolfcrypt/memory.h b/wolfssl/wolfcrypt/memory.h
index 9af3c728f2..87f277c70c 100644
--- a/wolfssl/wolfcrypt/memory.h
+++ b/wolfssl/wolfcrypt/memory.h
@@ -241,6 +241,8 @@ WOLFSSL_API int wolfSSL_GetAllocators(wolfSSL_Malloc_cb* mf,
     } WOLFSSL_HEAP_HINT;
 
     WOLFSSL_API void wolfSSL_SetGlobalHeapHint(void* heap);
+    WOLFSSL_API void* wolfSSL_SetGlobalHeapHint(void* heap);
+    WOLFSSL_API void* wolfSSL_GetGlobalHeapHint(void);
     WOLFSSL_API int wc_LoadStaticMemory_ex(WOLFSSL_HEAP_HINT** pHint,
             unsigned int listSz, const unsigned int *sizeList,
             const unsigned int *distList, unsigned char* buf, unsigned int sz,