diff --git a/src/sage/combinat/posets/lattices.py b/src/sage/combinat/posets/lattices.py
index 72e242f80ea..1acf7f39dfe 100644
--- a/src/sage/combinat/posets/lattices.py
+++ b/src/sage/combinat/posets/lattices.py
@@ -803,7 +803,7 @@ def is_complemented(self):
         """
         return self._hasse_diagram.is_complemented_lattice()
 
-    def is_relatively_complemented(self):
+    def is_relatively_complemented(self, certificate=False):
         """
         Return ``True`` if the lattice is relatively complemented, and
         ``False`` otherwise.
@@ -811,6 +811,18 @@ def is_relatively_complemented(self):
         A lattice is relatively complemented if every interval of it
         is a complemented lattice.
 
+        INPUT:
+
+        - ``certificate`` -- (default: ``False``) Whether to return
+          a certificate if the lattice is not relatively complemented.
+
+        OUTPUT:
+
+        - If ``certificate=True`` return either ``(True, None)`` or
+          ``(False, (a, b, c))``, where `b` is the only element that
+          covers `a` and is covered by `c`. If ``certificate=False``
+          return ``True`` or ``False``.
+
         EXAMPLES::
 
             sage: L = LatticePoset({1: [2, 3, 4, 8], 2: [5, 6], 3: [5, 7],
@@ -834,6 +846,11 @@ def is_relatively_complemented(self):
             sage: L.is_relatively_complemented()
             False
 
+        We can also get a non-complemented 3-element interval::
+
+            sage: L.is_relatively_complemented(certificate=True)
+            (False, (1, 6, 11))
+
         TESTS::
 
             sage: [Posets.ChainPoset(i).is_relatively_complemented() for
@@ -864,19 +881,27 @@ def is_relatively_complemented(self):
         H = self._hasse_diagram
         n = H.order()
         if n < 3:
-            return True
+            return (True, None) if certificate else True
 
         # Quick check: the lattice must be atomic and coatomic.
-        if H.out_degree(0) != H.in_degree().count(1):
-            return False
-        if H.in_degree(n-1) != H.out_degree().count(1):
-            return False
+        if not certificate:
+            if H.out_degree(0) != H.in_degree().count(1):
+                return False
+            if H.in_degree(n-1) != H.out_degree().count(1):
+                return False
 
         for e1 in range(n-1):
             C = Counter(flatten([H.neighbors_out(e2) for e2 in H.neighbors_out(e1)]))
-            if any(c == 1 and len(H.closed_interval(e1, e3)) == 3 for e3, c in C.iteritems()):
-                return False
-        return True
+            for e3, c in C.iteritems():
+                if c == 1 and len(H.closed_interval(e1, e3)) == 3:
+                    if not certificate:
+                        return False
+                    e2 = H.neighbors_in(e3)[0]
+                    e1 = H.neighbors_in(e2)[0]
+                    return (False, (self._vertex_to_element(e1),
+                                    self._vertex_to_element(e2),
+                                    self._vertex_to_element(e3)))
+        return (True, None) if certificate else True
 
     def breadth(self, certificate=False):
         r"""