diff --git a/libunbound/libworker.c b/libunbound/libworker.c
index b9ef02217..ebc1df2e5 100644
--- a/libunbound/libworker.c
+++ b/libunbound/libworker.c
@@ -168,14 +168,12 @@ libworker_setup(struct ub_ctx* ctx, int is_bg, struct ub_event_base* eb)
 		hints_delete(w->env->hints);
 		w->env->hints = NULL;
 	}
-	if(cfg->ssl_upstream || (cfg->tls_cert_bundle && cfg->tls_cert_bundle[0]) || cfg->tls_win_cert) {
-		w->sslctx = connect_sslctx_create(NULL, NULL,
-			cfg->tls_cert_bundle, cfg->tls_win_cert);
-		if(!w->sslctx) {
-			/* to make the setup fail after unlock */
-			hints_delete(w->env->hints);
-			w->env->hints = NULL;
-		}
+	w->sslctx = connect_sslctx_create(NULL, NULL,
+		cfg->tls_cert_bundle, cfg->tls_win_cert);
+	if(!w->sslctx) {
+		/* to make the setup fail after unlock */
+		hints_delete(w->env->hints);
+		w->env->hints = NULL;
 	}
 	if(!w->is_bg || w->is_bg_thread) {
 		lock_basic_unlock(&ctx->cfglock);