diff --git a/ldapcherry/backend/backendLdap.py b/ldapcherry/backend/backendLdap.py
index 610a439..e8ad15c 100644
--- a/ldapcherry/backend/backendLdap.py
+++ b/ldapcherry/backend/backendLdap.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import ldap
 import ldap.modlist as modlist
 import logging
 import ldapcherry.backend
+import os
 import re
 
 class DelUserDontExists(Exception):
@@ -17,6 +18,11 @@ class DelUserDontExists(Exception):
         self.user = user
         self.log = "cannot remove user, user <%(user)s> does not exist" % { 'user' : user}
 
+class CaFileDontExist(Exception):
+    def __init__(self, cafile):
+        self.cafile = cafile
+        self.log = "CA file %(cafile)s don't exist" % { 'cafile': cafile }
+
 NO_ATTR   = 0
 DISPLAYED_ATTRS = 1
 LISTED_ATTRS = 2
@@ -112,20 +118,31 @@ class Backend(ldapcherry.backend.Backend):
 
     def _connect(self):
         ldap_client = ldap.initialize(self.uri)
-        ldap_client.set_option(ldap.OPT_REFERRALS, 0)
-        ldap_client.set_option(ldap.OPT_TIMEOUT, self.timeout)
+        ldap.set_option(ldap.OPT_REFERRALS, 0)
+        ldap.set_option(ldap.OPT_TIMEOUT, self.timeout)
         if self.starttls == 'on':
-            ldap_client.set_option(ldap.OPT_X_TLS_DEMAND, True)
+            ldap.set_option(ldap.OPT_X_TLS_DEMAND, True)
         else:
-            ldap_client.set_option(ldap.OPT_X_TLS_DEMAND, False)
+            ldap.set_option(ldap.OPT_X_TLS_DEMAND, False)
         if self.ca and self.checkcert == 'on':
-            ldap_client.set_option(ldap.OPT_X_TLS_CACERTFILE, self.ca)
+            if os.path.isfile(self.ca):
+                ldap.set_option(ldap.OPT_X_TLS_CACERTFILE, self.ca)
+            else:
+                raise CaFileDontExist(self.ca)
         #else:
-        #    ldap_client.set_option(ldap.OPT_X_TLS_CACERTFILE, '')
+        #    ldap.set_option(ldap.OPT_X_TLS_CACERTFILE, '')
         if self.checkcert == 'off':
-            ldap_client.set_option(ldap.OPT_X_TLS_REQUIRE_CERT, ldap.OPT_X_TLS_ALLOW)
+            # this is dark magic
+            # remove any of these two lines and it doesn't work
+            ldap.set_option(ldap.OPT_X_TLS_REQUIRE_CERT, ldap.OPT_X_TLS_NEVER)
+            ldap_client.set_option(ldap.OPT_X_TLS_REQUIRE_CERT, ldap.OPT_X_TLS_NEVER)
         else:
+            # this is even darker magic
             ldap_client.set_option(ldap.OPT_X_TLS_REQUIRE_CERT, ldap.OPT_X_TLS_DEMAND)
+            # it doesn't make sense to set it to never (don't check certifate) 
+            # but it only works with this option... and it checks the certificat
+            # (I've lost my sanity over this)
+            ldap.set_option(ldap.OPT_X_TLS_REQUIRE_CERT, ldap.OPT_X_TLS_NEVER)
         if self.starttls == 'on':
             try:
                 ldap_client.start_tls_s()
diff --git a/tests/test_BackendLdap.py b/tests/test_BackendLdap.py
index 3fe92e5..7d0628d 100644
--- a/tests/test_BackendLdap.py
+++ b/tests/test_BackendLdap.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from __future__ import unicode_literals
 import pytest
 import sys
 from sets import Set
-from ldapcherry.backend.backendLdap import Backend, DelUserDontExists
+from ldapcherry.backend.backendLdap import Backend, DelUserDontExists, CaFileDontExist
 from ldapcherry.exceptions import * 
 from disable import travis_disabled
 import cherrypy
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ cfg = {
 'binddn'             : 'cn=dnscherry,dc=example,dc=org',
 'password'           : 'password',
 'uri'                : 'ldap://ldap.dnscherry.org:390',
-'ca'                 : './test/cfg/ca.crt',
+'ca'                 : './tests/test_env/etc/ldapcherry/TEST-cacert.pem',
 'starttls'           : 'off',
 'checkcert'          : 'off',
 'user_filter_tmpl'   : '(uid=%(username)s)',
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ class TestError(object):
         inv = Backend(cfg, cherrypy.log, 'ldap', attr, 'uid')
         return True
 
-    @travis_disabled
     def testConnectSSLNoCheck(self):
         cfg2 = cfg.copy()
         cfg2['uri'] = 'ldaps://ldap.ldapcherry.org:637'
@@ -61,7 +60,6 @@ class TestError(object):
         ldap.simple_bind_s(inv.binddn, inv.bindpassword)
         return True
 
-    @travis_disabled
     def testConnectSSL(self):
         cfg2 = cfg.copy()
         cfg2['uri'] = 'ldaps://ldap.dnscherry.org:637'
@@ -75,28 +73,40 @@ class TestError(object):
         cfg2['uri'] = 'ldaps://notaldap:637'
         cfg2['checkcert'] = 'on'
         inv = Backend(cfg2, cherrypy.log, 'ldap', attr, 'uid')
-        ldapc = inv._connect()
         try:
+            ldapc = inv._connect()
             ldapc.simple_bind_s(inv.binddn, inv.bindpassword)
         except ldap.SERVER_DOWN as e:
             return 
         else:
             raise AssertionError("expected an exception")
 
-    @travis_disabled
+    def testMissingCA(self):
+        cfg2 = cfg.copy()
+        cfg2['uri'] = 'ldaps://ldap.dnscherry.org:637'
+        cfg2['checkcert'] = 'on'
+        cfg2['ca'] = './test/cfg/not_a_ca.crt'
+        try:
+            inv = Backend(cfg2, cherrypy.log, 'ldap', attr, 'uid')
+            ldapc = inv._connect()
+        except CaFileDontExist as e:
+            return
+        else:
+            raise AssertionError("expected an exception")
+
     def testConnectSSLWrongCA(self):
         cfg2 = cfg.copy()
         cfg2['uri'] = 'ldaps://ldap.ldapcherry.org:637'
         cfg2['checkcert'] = 'on'
-        cfg2['ca'] = './test/cfg/wrong_ca.crt'
         inv = Backend(cfg2, cherrypy.log, 'ldap', attr, 'uid')
         ldapc = inv._connect()
         try:
             ldapc.simple_bind_s(inv.binddn, inv.bindpassword)
         except ldap.SERVER_DOWN as e:
             assert e[0]['info'] == 'TLS: hostname does not match CN in peer certificate'
+        else:
+            raise AssertionError("expected an exception")
 
-    @travis_disabled
     def testConnectStartTLS(self):
         cfg2 = cfg.copy()
         cfg2['uri'] = 'ldap://ldap.ldapcherry.org:390'
@@ -105,10 +115,7 @@ class TestError(object):
         cfg2['ca'] = './test/cfg/ca.crt'
         inv = Backend(cfg2, cherrypy.log, 'ldap', attr, 'uid')
         ldapc = inv._connect()
-        try:
-            ldapc.simple_bind_s(inv.binddn, inv.bindpassword)
-        except ldap.SERVER_DOWN as e:
-            assert e[0]['info'] == 'TLS: hostname does not match CN in peer certificate'
+        ldapc.simple_bind_s(inv.binddn, inv.bindpassword)
 
     def testAuthSuccess(self):
         inv = Backend(cfg, cherrypy.log, 'ldap', attr, 'uid')