diff --git a/vlib/crypto/md5/md5.v b/vlib/crypto/md5/md5.v
index 2bd9bc87d2..83f4470cc5 100644
--- a/vlib/crypto/md5/md5.v
+++ b/vlib/crypto/md5/md5.v
@@ -87,14 +87,15 @@ pub fn (d mut Digest) write(p_ []byte) ?int {
 	return nn
 }
 
-pub fn (d &Digest) sum(b_in mut []byte) []byte {
+pub fn (d &Digest) sum(b_in []byte) []byte {
 	// Make a copy of d so that caller can keep writing and summing.
 	mut d0 := *d
 	hash := d0.checksum()
+	mut b_out := b_in.clone()
 	for b in hash {
-		b_in << b
+		b_out << b
 	}
-	return *b_in
+	return b_out
 }
 
 pub fn (d mut Digest) checksum() []byte {
diff --git a/vlib/crypto/sha1/sha1.v b/vlib/crypto/sha1/sha1.v
index 45f6dd14c5..0795c88435 100644
--- a/vlib/crypto/sha1/sha1.v
+++ b/vlib/crypto/sha1/sha1.v
@@ -91,14 +91,15 @@ pub fn (d mut Digest) write(p_ []byte) ?int {
 	return nn
 }
 
-pub fn (d &Digest) sum(b_in mut []byte) []byte {
+pub fn (d &Digest) sum(b_in []byte) []byte {
 	// Make a copy of d so that caller can keep writing and summing.
 	mut d0 := *d
 	hash := d0.checksum()
+	mut b_out := b_in.clone()
 	for b in hash {
-		b_in << b
+		b_out << b
 	}
-	return *b_in
+	return b_out
 }
 
 fn (d mut Digest) checksum() []byte {
diff --git a/vlib/crypto/sha256/sha256.v b/vlib/crypto/sha256/sha256.v
index e6447b4dfa..467db5f412 100644
--- a/vlib/crypto/sha256/sha256.v
+++ b/vlib/crypto/sha256/sha256.v
@@ -124,20 +124,21 @@ fn (d mut Digest) write(p_ []byte) ?int {
 	return nn
 }
 
-fn (d &Digest) sum(b_in mut []byte) []byte {
+fn (d &Digest) sum(b_in []byte) []byte {
 	// Make a copy of d so that caller can keep writing and summing.
 	mut d0 := *d
 	hash := d0.checksum()
+	mut b_out := b_in.clone()
 	if d0.is224 {
 		for b in hash.left(Size224) {
-			b_in << b
+			b_out << b
 		}
 	} else {
 		for b in hash {
-			b_in << b
+			b_out << b
 		}
 	}
-	return *b_in
+	return b_out
 }
 
 fn (d mut Digest) checksum() []byte {
diff --git a/vlib/crypto/sha512/sha512.v b/vlib/crypto/sha512/sha512.v
index 9f3db5f742..e669843972 100644
--- a/vlib/crypto/sha512/sha512.v
+++ b/vlib/crypto/sha512/sha512.v
@@ -178,29 +178,30 @@ fn (d mut Digest) write(p_ []byte) ?int {
 	return nn
 }
 
-fn (d mut Digest) sum(b_in mut []byte) []byte {
+fn (d mut Digest) sum(b_in []byte) []byte {
 	// Make a copy of d so that caller can keep writing and summing.
 	mut d0 := *d
 	hash := d0.checksum()
+	mut b_out := b_in.clone()
 	switch d0.function {
 	case crypto.Hash.SHA384:
 		for b in hash.left(Size384) {
-			b_in << b
+			b_out << b
 		}
 	case crypto.Hash.SHA512_224:
 		for b in hash.left(Size224) {
-			b_in << b
+			b_out << b
 		}
 	case crypto.Hash.SHA512_256:
 		for b in hash.left(Size256) {
-			b_in << b
+			b_out << b
 		}
 	default:
 		for b in hash {
-			b_in << b
+			b_out << b
 		}
 	}
-	return *b_in
+	return b_out
 }
 
 fn (d mut Digest) checksum() []byte {