# HAProxy is unable to load SSL certificate from PEM file despite valid PEM file and config file

**URL:** <https://discourse.haproxy.org/t/haproxy-is-unable-to-load-ssl-certificate-from-pem-file-despite-valid-pem-file-and-config-file/6009>\
**Category:** Help!\
**Created:** [December 9, 2020, 2:17am UTC](https://discourse.haproxy.org/t/haproxy-is-unable-to-load-ssl-certificate-from-pem-file-despite-valid-pem-file-and-config-file/6009 "2020-12-09T02:17:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ajorona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@ajorona](https://discourse.haproxy.org/u/ajorona)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2020, 2:17am UTC](https://discourse.haproxy.org/t/haproxy-is-unable-to-load-ssl-certificate-from-pem-file-despite-valid-pem-file-and-config-file/6009/1 "2020-12-09T02:17:30Z")

</div>

Though close to the previous question, this is not a duplicate. The issue is not addressed by other Q&A that addresses a much older version of HAProxy.

```
HA-Proxy version 1.7.12 2019/10/25

PRETTY_NAME="Debian GNU/Linux 10 (buster)"
NAME="Debian GNU/Linux"
VERSION_ID="10"
VERSION="10 (buster)"
VERSION_CODENAME=buster

```

I have my x509 certificate preceding my RSA private key:

```
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
...
-----END CERTIFICATE-----
-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
...
-----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----

```

I validated these with:

```
openssl x509 -inform PEM -in app.perm
openssl rsa -inform PEM -in app.perm

```

haproxy is compiled with OpenSSL:

```
root@00000000:/usr/local/etc/haproxy# haproxy -vv | 
grep OpenSSL
Built with OpenSSL version : OpenSSL 1.1.1d 10 Sep 2019
Running on OpenSSL version : OpenSSL 1.1.1d 10 Sep 2019
OpenSSL library supports TLS extensions : yes
OpenSSL library supports SNI : yes
OpenSSL library supports prefer-server-ciphers : yes

```

And the configuration file is valid:  
root@f540c2c89385:/usr/local/etc/haproxy# haproxy -c -f  
haproxy.cfg  
Configuration file is valid

Yet, I get an error saying that the SSL certificate cannot be parsed from the PEM file…

```
<7>haproxy-systemd-wrapper: executing /usr/local/sbin/haproxy -p /run/haproxy.pid -db -f 
/usr/local/etc/haproxy/haproxy.cfg -Ds 
[ALERT] 342/180504 (7) : parsing [/usr/local/etc/haproxy/haproxy.cfg:28] : 'bind *:443' : 
unable to load SSL certificate from PEM file '/usr/local/etc/haproxy/certs/app.perm'.
[ALERT] 342/180504 (7) : Error(s) found in configuration file : 
/usr/local/etc/haproxy/haproxy.cfg
[ALERT] 342/180504 (7) : Fatal errors found in configuration.
<5>haproxy-systemd-wrapper: exit, haproxy RC=1

```

Is there a way that I can get more error information?

I believe that maybe, I am getting an error that points me in the wrong direction. I thought it was a parsing error, but checking the file thoroughly indicates it is not ☹

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![arreumb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@arreumb](https://discourse.haproxy.org/u/arreumb)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2020, 10:52pm UTC](https://discourse.haproxy.org/t/haproxy-is-unable-to-load-ssl-certificate-from-pem-file-despite-valid-pem-file-and-config-file/6009/2 "2020-12-14T22:52:45Z")

</div>

Shouldn’t be app.pem instead of app.perm?