diff --git a/pkg/http-server/start.go b/pkg/http-server/start.go
index bf9199ade..f8cfa9ec7 100644
--- a/pkg/http-server/start.go
+++ b/pkg/http-server/start.go
@@ -49,13 +49,21 @@ func Start(port, configFile, certFile, privateKeyFile string) {
 func (g *APIServer) start(routes []*Route, port, certFile, privateKeyFile string) {
 
 	var (
-		err    error
 		logger = logging.GetDefaultLogger() // new logger
-		router = mux.NewRouter()            // new router
+		err    error
+		router = mux.NewRouter() // new router
 	)
 
 	logger.Info("registering routes...")
 
+	if privateKeyFile != "" || certFile != "" {
+		logger.Debugf("certfile is %s, privateKeyFile is %s", certFile, privateKeyFile)
+
+		if err := g.validateFiles(privateKeyFile, certFile); err != nil {
+			logger.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+
 	// register all routes
 	for _, v := range routes {
 		logger.Info("Route ", v.verb, " - ", v.path)
@@ -72,19 +80,25 @@ func (g *APIServer) start(routes []*Route, port, certFile, privateKeyFile string
 		Handler: router,
 	}
 
+	message := make(chan string)
 	go func() {
 		var err error
 		if certFile != "" && privateKeyFile != "" {
 			// In case a certificate file is specified, the server support TLS
+			message <- "https server listening at port %v"
 			err = server.ListenAndServeTLS(certFile, privateKeyFile)
 		} else {
+			message <- "http server listening at port %v"
 			err = server.ListenAndServe()
 		}
 		if err != nil && err != http.ErrServerClosed {
 			logger.Fatal(err)
 		}
 	}()
-	logger.Infof("http server listening at port %v", port)
+
+	logger.Infof(<-message, port)
+
+	close(message)
 
 	// Wait for interrupt signal to gracefully shutdown the server
 	quit := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
diff --git a/pkg/http-server/validate.go b/pkg/http-server/validate.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3986944bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/http-server/validate.go
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+/*
+    Copyright (C) 2020 Accurics, Inc.
+
+	Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+    you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+    You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+		http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+	Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+    distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+    WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+    See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+    limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package httpserver
+
+import "fmt"
+
+func (g *APIServer) validateFiles(privateKeyFile, certFile string) error {
+	keylength := len(privateKeyFile)
+	certlength := len(certFile)
+
+	if keylength > 0 && certlength == 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("private key file provided but certficate file missing")
+	} else if keylength == 0 && certlength > 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("certificate file provided but private key file missing")
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/http-server/validate_test.go b/pkg/http-server/validate_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..67a550468
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/http-server/validate_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+/*
+    Copyright (C) 2020 Accurics, Inc.
+
+	Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+    you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+    You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+		http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+	Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+    distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+    WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+    See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+    limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package httpserver
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestValidateFiles(t *testing.T) {
+	server := APIServer{}
+	table := []struct {
+		name           string
+		privateKeyFile string
+		certFile       string
+		wantOutput     interface{}
+		wantErr        error
+	}{
+		{
+			name:           "both file names provided",
+			privateKeyFile: "key",
+			certFile:       "cert",
+			wantErr:        nil,
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "privatekey filename absent",
+			privateKeyFile: "",
+			certFile:       "server.crt",
+			wantErr:        fmt.Errorf("certificate file provided but private key file missing"),
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "both file names blank",
+			privateKeyFile: "",
+			certFile:       "",
+			wantErr:        nil,
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "cert filename absent",
+			privateKeyFile: "keyfile",
+			certFile:       "",
+			wantErr:        fmt.Errorf("private key file provided but certficate file missing"),
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range table {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			gotErr := server.validateFiles(tt.privateKeyFile, tt.certFile)
+			if !reflect.DeepEqual(gotErr, tt.wantErr) {
+				if tt.wantErr != nil && gotErr != nil && tt.wantErr.Error() != gotErr.Error() {
+					t.Errorf("error got: '%v', want: '%v'", gotErr, tt.wantErr)
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}