---
title: "Dovecot 2.4 SSL Certificate Configuration Change"
language: en
topics: ["linux", "server"]
full_article_url: https://willem.com/en/2025-06-04_breaking-changes/
---
# Dovecot 2.4 SSL Certificate Configuration Change

*ssl_cert becomes ssl_server_cert_file — and other encryption changes.*

> Dovecot 2.4 renamed several SSL settings. If your mail server's TLS stopped working after the upgrade, this is probably why.

In Dovecot 2.3, SSL certificates were configured with `ssl_cert` and `ssl_key`. In 2.4, these are renamed:

- `ssl_cert` → `ssl_server_cert_file`
- `ssl_key` → `ssl_server_key_file`



The old names are silently ignored — your server starts, but TLS connections fail because no certificate is loaded. This is one of the most common issues after upgrading.

Additionally, the `ssl = required` setting has changed syntax. Check Willem's complete migration guide for the exact new format.

From the full [Dovecot 2.4 migration guide](https://willem.com/en/self-hosting-running-your-own-infrastructure-on-linux/).