diff --git a/server/certificates/acme_config.go b/server/certificates/acme_config.go
index 721fda8..69568e6 100644
--- a/server/certificates/acme_config.go
+++ b/server/certificates/acme_config.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"crypto/elliptic"
 	"crypto/rand"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
 
 	"github.com/go-acme/lego/v4/certcrypto"
@@ -33,8 +34,8 @@ func setupAcmeConfig(configFile, acmeAPI, acmeMail, acmeEabHmac, acmeEabKID stri
 		// Validate Config
 		_, err := lego.NewClient(myAcmeConfig)
 		if err != nil {
-			// TODO: should we fail hard instead?
-			log.Error().Err(err).Msg("Can't create ACME client, continuing with mock certs only")
+			log.Info().Err(err).Msg("config validation failed, you might just delete the config file and let it recreate")
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("acme config validation failed: %w", err)
 		}
 		return myAcmeConfig, nil
 	} else if !os.IsNotExist(err) {