diff --git a/appliance/init b/appliance/init
index b1c4d09ea..be46f9648 100755
--- a/appliance/init
+++ b/appliance/init
@@ -70,6 +70,14 @@ if ! test -e /etc/mtab; then
   ln -s /proc/mounts /etc/mtab
 fi
 
+# openssl 3 requires /etc/crypto-policies/back-ends/opensslcnf.config
+# to exist, but it is created in a %post script in crypto-policies
+# https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1977214#c13
+if ! test -r /etc/crypto-policies/back-ends/opensslcnf.config &&
+     test -f /usr/share/crypto-policies/DEFAULT/opensslcnf.txt; then
+  ln -s /usr/share/crypto-policies/DEFAULT/opensslcnf.txt /etc/crypto-policies/back-ends/opensslcnf.config
+fi
+
 # devtmpfs is required since udev 176
 mount -t devtmpfs /dev /dev
 mkdir -p /dev/pts