diff --git a/sm/certreqgen.c b/sm/certreqgen.c
index c3f3165c2..ab8fbc825 100644
--- a/sm/certreqgen.c
+++ b/sm/certreqgen.c
@@ -611,7 +611,7 @@ create_request (ctrl_t ctrl,
   if (err)
     return err;
 
-  rc = gcry_md_open (&md, GCRY_MD_SHA1, 0);
+  rc = gcry_md_open (&md, GCRY_MD_SHA256, 0);
   if (rc)
     {
       log_error ("md_open failed: %s\n", gpg_strerror (rc));
diff --git a/sm/gpgsm.c b/sm/gpgsm.c
index 855de83d6..ef01a5cdf 100644
--- a/sm/gpgsm.c
+++ b/sm/gpgsm.c
@@ -931,7 +931,7 @@ main ( int argc, char **argv)
 
   /* Note: If you change this default cipher algorithm , please
      remember to update the Gpgconflist entry as well.  */
-  opt.def_cipher_algoid = "3DES";  /*des-EDE3-CBC*/
+  opt.def_cipher_algoid = "AES";
 
   opt.homedir = default_homedir ();
 
@@ -1652,7 +1652,7 @@ main ( int argc, char **argv)
 #ifndef HAVE_W32_SYSTEM
         printf ("prefer-system-dirmngr:%lu:\n", GC_OPT_FLAG_NONE);
 #endif
-        printf ("cipher-algo:%lu:\"3DES:\n", GC_OPT_FLAG_DEFAULT);
+        printf ("cipher-algo:%lu:\"AES:\n", GC_OPT_FLAG_DEFAULT);
         printf ("p12-charset:%lu:\n", GC_OPT_FLAG_DEFAULT);
         printf ("default-key:%lu:\n", GC_OPT_FLAG_DEFAULT);
         printf ("encrypt-to:%lu:\n", GC_OPT_FLAG_DEFAULT);