diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index aadff2e08713a3470a1bb6dce223662445bf2241..df5967cf72af3a99a183df9a6d45d6fa30376f63 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -748,6 +748,11 @@
 
  Changes between 0.9.8j and 0.9.8k  [xx XXX xxxx]
 
+  *) Set S/MIME signing as the default purpose rather than setting it 
+     unconditionally. This allows applications to override it at the store
+     level.
+     [Steve Henson]
+
   *) Permit restricted recursion of ASN1 strings. This is needed in practice
      to handle some structures.
      [Steve Henson]
diff --git a/crypto/cms/cms_smime.c b/crypto/cms/cms_smime.c
index f754b3ce4fb75f48d5ee3d52461dd9ef62559f60..faa9c1d1d79db77fe9bdd11e82f933a06a4c5b5c 100644
--- a/crypto/cms/cms_smime.c
+++ b/crypto/cms/cms_smime.c
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ static int cms_signerinfo_verify_cert(CMS_SignerInfo *si,
 						CMS_R_STORE_INIT_ERROR);
 		goto err;
 		}
-	X509_STORE_CTX_set_purpose(&ctx, X509_PURPOSE_SMIME_SIGN);
+	X509_STORE_CTX_set_default(&cert_ctx, "smime_sign");
 	if (crls)
 		X509_STORE_CTX_set0_crls(&ctx, crls);
 
diff --git a/crypto/pkcs7/pk7_smime.c b/crypto/pkcs7/pk7_smime.c
index a577141d3b0a143bbad03c12c8bb804c4581033e..86742d0dcd501524e197f9460bba4ca60ada6723 100644
--- a/crypto/pkcs7/pk7_smime.c
+++ b/crypto/pkcs7/pk7_smime.c
@@ -327,8 +327,7 @@ int PKCS7_verify(PKCS7 *p7, STACK_OF(X509) *certs, X509_STORE *store,
 				sk_X509_free(signers);
 				return 0;
 				}
-			X509_STORE_CTX_set_purpose(&cert_ctx,
-						X509_PURPOSE_SMIME_SIGN);
+			X509_STORE_CTX_set_default(&cert_ctx, "smime_sign");
 		} else if(!X509_STORE_CTX_init (&cert_ctx, store, signer, NULL)) {
 			PKCS7err(PKCS7_F_PKCS7_VERIFY,ERR_R_X509_LIB);
 			sk_X509_free(signers);
diff --git a/crypto/x509/x509_vpm.c b/crypto/x509/x509_vpm.c
index a80f8e947868d3cf5b02b6dad676b436cf57f651..acc50f97d5411f24eb7c151ab71ba00a9a37b1b1 100644
--- a/crypto/x509/x509_vpm.c
+++ b/crypto/x509/x509_vpm.c
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ static void x509_verify_param_zero(X509_VERIFY_PARAM *param)
 	param->name = NULL;
 	param->purpose = 0;
 	param->trust = 0;
-	param->inh_flags = X509_VP_FLAG_DEFAULT;
+	/*param->inh_flags = X509_VP_FLAG_DEFAULT;*/
+	param->inh_flags = 0;
 	param->flags = 0;
 	param->depth = -1;
 	if (param->policies)
@@ -324,7 +325,17 @@ static const X509_VERIFY_PARAM default_table[] = {
 	NULL		/* policies */
 	},
 	{
-	"pkcs7",			/* SSL/TLS client parameters */
+	"pkcs7",			/* S/MIME sign parameters */
+	0,				/* Check time */
+	0,				/* internal flags */
+	0,				/* flags */
+	X509_PURPOSE_SMIME_SIGN,	/* purpose */
+	X509_TRUST_EMAIL,		/* trust */
+	-1,				/* depth */
+	NULL				/* policies */
+	},
+	{
+	"smime_sign",			/* S/MIME sign parameters */
 	0,				/* Check time */
 	0,				/* internal flags */
 	0,				/* flags */