diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 6f358655..2a32b97b 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -248,11 +248,9 @@ UTILS = \
 	utils/geo_lookup.cc \
 	utils/https_client.cc \
 	utils/ip_tree.cc \
-	utils/md5.cc \
 	utils/msc_tree.cc \
 	utils/random.cc \
 	utils/regex.cc \
-	utils/sha1.cc \
 	utils/system.cc \
 	utils/shared_files.cc
 
diff --git a/src/utils/md5.cc b/src/utils/md5.cc
deleted file mode 100644
index 99b9d278..00000000
--- a/src/utils/md5.cc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,40 +0,0 @@
-
-
-#include "src/utils/md5.h"
-#include "mbedtls/md5.h"
-
-namespace modsecurity {
-namespace Utils {
-
-
-std::string Md5::hexdigest(const std::string& input) {
-    unsigned char digest[16];
-
-    mbedtls_md5(reinterpret_cast<const unsigned char *>(input.c_str()),
-        input.size(), digest);
-
-    char buf[33];
-    for (int i = 0; i < 16; i++) {
-        sprintf(buf+i*2, "%02x", digest[i]);
-    }
-
-    return std::string(buf, 32);
-}
-
-
-std::string Md5::digest(const std::string& input) {
-    unsigned char output[16];
-    std::string ret;
-
-    mbedtls_md5(reinterpret_cast<const unsigned char *>(input.c_str()),
-        input.size(), output);
-
-    ret.assign(reinterpret_cast<const char *>(output), 16);
-
-    return ret;
-}
-
-
-}  // namespace Utils
-}  // namespace modsecurity
-
diff --git a/src/utils/md5.h b/src/utils/md5.h
index b6ebc120..68f5d748 100644
--- a/src/utils/md5.h
+++ b/src/utils/md5.h
@@ -13,29 +13,20 @@
  *
  */
 
-#include <string>
-
-#include "modsecurity/actions/action.h"
-#include "src/actions/transformations/transformation.h"
-
 #ifndef SRC_UTILS_MD5_H_
 #define SRC_UTILS_MD5_H_
 
-#include <cstring>
-#include <iostream>
+#include "src/utils/sha1.h"
+#include "mbedtls/md5.h"
+#include <string>
 
-namespace modsecurity {
-namespace Utils {
+namespace modsecurity::Utils {
 
-class Md5 {
- public:
-    Md5() { }
 
-    static std::string hexdigest(const std::string& input);
-    static std::string digest(const std::string& input);
+class Md5 : public DigestImpl<&mbedtls_md5, 16> {
 };
 
-}  // namespace Utils
-}  // namespace modsecurity
+
+}  // namespace modsecurity::Utils
 
 #endif  // SRC_UTILS_MD5_H_
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/utils/sha1.cc b/src/utils/sha1.cc
deleted file mode 100644
index 4c28d4ed..00000000
--- a/src/utils/sha1.cc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,60 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * ModSecurity, http://www.modsecurity.org/
- * Copyright (c) 2015 - 2021 Trustwave Holdings, Inc. (http://www.trustwave.com/)
- *
- * You may not use this file except in compliance with
- * the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
- *
- *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- *
- * If any of the files related to licensing are missing or if you have any
- * other questions related to licensing please contact Trustwave Holdings, Inc.
- * directly using the email address security@modsecurity.org.
- *
- */
-
-
-#include "src/utils/sha1.h"
-#include "mbedtls/sha1.h"
-#include <fstream>
-#include <iostream>
-#include <cstring>
-
-namespace modsecurity {
-namespace Utils {
-
-
-std::string Sha1::hexdigest(const std::string& input) {
-    unsigned char digest[20] = { 0 };
-    static const char* const lut = "0123456789abcdef";
-
-    mbedtls_sha1(reinterpret_cast<const unsigned char *>(input.c_str()),
-        input.size(), digest);
-    std::string a;
-
-    for (int i = 0; i < 20; i++) {
-        const unsigned char c = digest[i];
-        a.push_back(lut[c >> 4]);
-        a.push_back(lut[c & 15]);
-    }
-
-    return a;
-}
-
-
-std::string Sha1::digest(const std::string& input) {
-    unsigned char output[20];
-    std::string ret;
-
-    mbedtls_sha1(reinterpret_cast<const unsigned char *>(input.c_str()),
-        input.size(), output);
-
-    ret.assign(reinterpret_cast<const char *>(output), 20);
-
-    return ret;
-}
-
-
-}  // namespace Utils
-}  // namespace modsecurity
-
diff --git a/src/utils/sha1.h b/src/utils/sha1.h
index 6bae47c2..2dac3ea2 100644
--- a/src/utils/sha1.h
+++ b/src/utils/sha1.h
@@ -13,26 +13,63 @@
  *
  */
 
-
 #ifndef SRC_UTILS_SHA1_H_
 #define SRC_UTILS_SHA1_H_
 
-#include <algorithm>
-#include <iostream>
 #include <string>
+#include <cassert>
 
-namespace modsecurity {
-namespace Utils {
+#include "src/utils/string.h"
+#include "mbedtls/sha1.h"
 
-class Sha1 {
+namespace modsecurity::Utils {
+
+
+using DigestOp = int (*)(const unsigned char *, size_t, unsigned char []);
+
+
+template<DigestOp digestOp, int DigestSize>
+class DigestImpl {
  public:
-    Sha1() { }
 
-    static std::string hexdigest(const std::string& input);
-    static std::string digest(const std::string& input);
+    static std::string digest(const std::string& input) {
+        return digestHelper(input, [](const auto digest) { 
+            return std::string(digest);
+        });
+    }
+
+    static void digestReplace(std::string& value) {
+        digestHelper(value, [&value](const auto digest) mutable { 
+            value = digest;
+        });
+    }
+
+    static std::string hexdigest(const std::string &input) {
+        return digestHelper(input, [](const auto digest) { 
+            return utils::string::string_to_hex(digest);
+        });
+    }
+
+private:
+
+    template<typename ConvertOp>
+    static auto digestHelper(const std::string &input,
+        ConvertOp convertOp) -> auto {
+        char digest[DigestSize];
+
+        auto ret = digestOp(reinterpret_cast<const unsigned char *>(input.c_str()),
+                 input.size(), reinterpret_cast<unsigned char *>(digest));
+        assert(ret == 0);
+
+        return convertOp(std::string_view(digest, DigestSize));
+    }
 };
 
-}  // namespace Utils
-}  // namespace modsecurity
+
+class Sha1 : public DigestImpl<&mbedtls_sha1, 20> {
+};
+
+
+}  // namespace modsecurity::Utils
 
 #endif  // SRC_UTILS_SHA1_H_