diff --git a/src/org/jgroups/stack/GossipRouter.java b/src/org/jgroups/stack/GossipRouter.java
index a96c5968b0..8389d1489f 100644
--- a/src/org/jgroups/stack/GossipRouter.java
+++ b/src/org/jgroups/stack/GossipRouter.java
@@ -170,7 +170,6 @@ public GossipRouter init() throws Exception {
           .registerProbeHandler(this)
           .printHeaders(b -> String.format("GossipRouter [addr=%s, cluster=GossipRouter, version=%s]\n",
                                            localAddress(), Version.description));
-        tls.init();
         return this;
     }
 
@@ -919,6 +918,7 @@ public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
           .setPasscode(diag_passcode);
         String type="";
         if(tls.enabled()) {
+            tls.init();
             SSLContext context=tls.createContext();
             SocketFactory socket_factory=tls.createSocketFactory(context);
             router.socketFactory(socket_factory);
diff --git a/src/org/jgroups/util/TLS.java b/src/org/jgroups/util/TLS.java
index f0c804762a..f69551b131 100644
--- a/src/org/jgroups/util/TLS.java
+++ b/src/org/jgroups/util/TLS.java
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 import javax.net.ssl.SSLContext;
 import javax.net.ssl.SSLParameters;
 import javax.net.ssl.SSLServerSocket;
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 
@@ -111,6 +113,11 @@ public void init() throws Exception {
             truststore_type=keystore_type;
             truststore_password=keystore_password;
         }
+        if(keystore_path != null) {
+            File tmp=new File(keystore_path);
+            if(!tmp.exists())
+                throw new FileNotFoundException(keystore_path);
+        }
     }
 
     public SSLContext createContext() {