# SSL certificate chain incomplete (intermediate not sent) - harkus.co.uk **URL:** \ **Category:** Hosting Support\ **Created:** [October 19, 2026, 6:11pm UTC](https://forum.infinityfree.com/t/ssl-certificate-chain-incomplete-intermediate-not-sent-harkus-co-uk/121440 "2026-10-19T18:11:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![harkusfund](https://forum.infinityfree.com/letter_avatar/harkusfund/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@harkusfund](https://forum.infinityfree.com/u/harkusfund)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2026, 6:11pm UTC](https://forum.infinityfree.com/t/ssl-certificate-chain-incomplete-intermediate-not-sent-harkus-co-uk/121440/1 "2026-10-19T18:11:55Z")
Hi, On the account for [harkus.co.uk](http://harkus.co.uk), the SSL certificate installed from the panel is served without the intermediate certificate(s): the TLS handshake returns only the leaf certificate (chain length 1). Browsers still load the site because they fetch the intermediate via the certificate’s AIA URL, but strict clients fail with “unable to get local issuer certificate” (curl, openssl s\_client, Python ssl, older devices). Evidence: - openssl s\_client -connect harkus.co.uk:443 returns only the leaf and reports “unable to get local issuer certificate”. - This happens with both providers: Let’s Encrypt (order 6860349) and now Google Trust (order 6863040), so the bundle seems not to be sent server-side regardless of the CA. Current certificate: - [CN=harkus.co.uk](http://CN=harkus.co.uk) - Issuer: WR1, Google Trust Services - Valid: 2026-10-19 to 2027-01-17 - AIA: [http://i.pki.goog/wr1.crt](http://i.pki.goog/wr1.crt) Also, the panel’s Step 5 “Verify Installation” shows a blank Status/Issuer/Expires. Could you please install the full chain (leaf + intermediate) for [harkus.co.uk](http://harkus.co.uk), or let me know how to serve the full chain? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://infinityfree-forum-uploads.s3.dualstack.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/original/3X/b/0/b024fd3fa88bae093c9576e55c2c94e33f890206.svg) [@system](https://forum.infinityfree.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2026, 6:11pm UTC](https://forum.infinityfree.com/t/ssl-certificate-chain-incomplete-intermediate-not-sent-harkus-co-uk/121440/2 "2026-10-19T18:11:56Z")
Welcome to the InfinityFree community forum! Good to have you here. - Most people answering here are volunteers. They’re often the fastest source of help. Admin (the only staff member) checks in about once a day for issues on our end. - Volunteers can’t see your account or website. Share what you actually see, like error messages and what happens when you try something. That’s more useful than your theory of what’s wrong. - AI tools often get InfinityFree wrong. If a volunteer’s advice differs from what an AI told you, please try the volunteer’s suggestion first. - Solving an issue is a joint effort. Try the suggestions you get and report back what happened. ---
**Author:** ![Lemni](https://forum.infinityfree.com/user_avatar/forum.infinityfree.com/lemni/32/68303_2.png) [@Lemni](https://forum.infinityfree.com/u/Lemni)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2026, 6:12pm UTC](https://forum.infinityfree.com/t/ssl-certificate-chain-incomplete-intermediate-not-sent-harkus-co-uk/121440/3 "2026-10-19T18:12:23Z")
_Beep boop, I’m a bot! I dug through the forum to get you started. I sometimes get things wrong though, so do with this what you will until a human has a look._ I can’t fix this one, and I couldn’t find anything saying you can change what chain the server sends. A person needs to look at it. The closest answer I found is from a 2022 topic about the same symptom (SSL Labs reporting an incomplete chain on a certificate from the panel). The reply there said intermediate certificates aren’t supported on the hosting, and that browsers and operating systems fetch the missing intermediate themselves: > [@Server SSL chain is incomplete](https://forum.infinityfree.com/t/server-ssl-chain-is-incomplete/68910): > > Username (e.g. epiz\_XXX) or Website URL epiz\_28730022 Other Information Hi InfinityFree, I am running WordPress on InfinityFree,and I am using the Really Simple SSL plugin. The plugin has a SSL check powered by Qualys. I ran it, and my score was B. I clicked the button that says “View detailed info on Qualys SSL Labs” button to see more info. I saw the page, and I found that the certificate chain is incomplete. By the way, in the page, you can see that DNS CAA… That matches what you describe. It’s an old topic, though, and I can’t tell whether it still applies. I also found nothing about how to upload or serve a full chain yourself. Your point that the same thing happens with both Let’s Encrypt and Google Trust fits a server-side cause rather than anything about the CA. Other people have reported leaf-only chains recently, such as this one: > [@SSL certificate chain incomplete for tailo.es (missing intermediate)](https://forum.infinityfree.com/t/ssl-certificate-chain-incomplete-for-tailo-es-missing-intermediate/120578): > > Website URL [https://tailo.es](https://tailo.es)Error Message UNABLE\_TO\_VERIFY\_LEAF\_SIGNATURE / “unable to verify the first certificate” from strict TLS clients (Node.js, curl without extra trust store). openssl shows only the leaf cert with no intermediate: 0 s:CN=tailo.es i:C=US, O=Let’s Encrypt, CN=YR1 Other Information Certificate order created 2026-09-10 on hosting account if0\_42875857. I’ve used “Install SSL Certificate Automatically” twice, hours apart, but the leaf-only cert is still being served, no in… I didn’t find an answer in that topic. I also found a similar report of the blank Status/Issuer/Expires fields in the panel, but no explanation of why it happens: > [@Let's Encrypt SSL installed but Live Status is blank — NET::ERR\_CERT\_AUTHORITY\_INVALID (shoplinkng.c](https://forum.infinityfree.com/t/lets-encrypt-ssl-installed-but-live-status-is-blank-net-err-cert-authority-invalid-shoplinkng-c/120708): > > Website URL Error Message net::ERR\_CERT\_AUTHORITY\_INVALID Your connection is not private Attackers might be trying to steal your information from [shoplinkng.com](http://shoplinkng.com) (for example, passwords, messages, or credit cards). NET::ERR\_CERT\_AUTHORITY\_INVALID Other Information Hello, I’m having an SSL issue on my domain [shoplinkng.com](http://shoplinkng.com) (account if0\_42183298). In my client area: Installed SSL Status shows: Let’s Encrypt, expires 2026-12-07 white_check_markLive SSL Status shows: blank (dashes for St… ---
**Author:** ![Admin](https://forum.infinityfree.com/user_avatar/forum.infinityfree.com/admin/32/36437_2.png) [@Admin](https://forum.infinityfree.com/u/Admin)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2026, 8:03pm UTC](https://forum.infinityfree.com/t/ssl-certificate-chain-incomplete-intermediate-not-sent-harkus-co-uk/121440/4 "2026-10-19T20:03:46Z")
This article specifically covers the error you’re seeing: > [@SSL checker shows "certificate not trusted" warning](https://forum.infinityfree.com/t/ssl-checker-shows-certificate-not-trusted-warning/49697): > > When you check your InfinityFree SSL certificate with online SSL checker tools, you might see a warning like this: The certificate is not trusted in all web browsers. You may need to install an Intermediate/chain certificate to link it to a trusted root certificate. This warning sounds scary, but it’s actually not a problem for your website visitors. What this warning means for your site You can safely ignore this warning. Your site will work perfectly fine with HTTPS for virtually all mode… But for your case specifically: as you already known, the lack of a certificate chain doesn’t affect browsers, is mostly affects automated tools. However, even if your site did have a full CA chain, you wouldn’t be able to connect with cURL or Python to your website, because non-browser access is blocked on our hosting: > [@Browser Security System - Features and Limitations](https://forum.infinityfree.com/t/browser-security-system-features-and-limitations/49353): > > InfinityFree uses a security system on all free hosting accounts to ensure your website is accessed by real web browsers, not bots or automated scripts. While this protects your site from malicious traffic, it can affect certain types of access. How the security system works The system checks that visitors can execute JavaScript and accept cookies: features that all modern web browsers support. This verification happens automatically and most website visitors will never notice it. You may occa…