diff --git a/crypto/cmp/cmp_protect.c b/crypto/cmp/cmp_protect.c
index 6313cc94cebf3af8dd6bd088d2995e2d36854d42..2001e359c54168e91154e60af55c23e074fba2b1 100644
--- a/crypto/cmp/cmp_protect.c
+++ b/crypto/cmp/cmp_protect.c
@@ -140,7 +140,8 @@ int ossl_cmp_msg_add_extraCerts(OSSL_CMP_CTX *ctx, OSSL_CMP_MSG *msg)
         return 0;
 
     /* Add first ctx->cert and its chain if using signature-based protection */
-    if (!ctx->unprotectedSend && ctx->secretValue == NULL) {
+    if (!ctx->unprotectedSend && ctx->secretValue == NULL
+            && ctx->cert != NULL && ctx->pkey != NULL) {
         int flags_prepend = X509_ADD_FLAG_UP_REF | X509_ADD_FLAG_NO_DUP
             | X509_ADD_FLAG_PREPEND | X509_ADD_FLAG_NO_SS;