diff --git a/lib/diaspora_federation.rb b/lib/diaspora_federation.rb
index 2542a6a..7fc1729 100644
--- a/lib/diaspora_federation.rb
+++ b/lib/diaspora_federation.rb
@@ -77,9 +77,11 @@ module DiasporaFederation
     def validate_config
       configuration_error "server_uri: Missing or invalid" unless @server_uri.respond_to? :host
 
-      configuration_error "certificate_authorities: Not configured" if @certificate_authorities.nil?
-      unless File.file? @certificate_authorities
-        configuration_error "certificate_authorities: File not found: #{@certificate_authorities}"
+      unless defined?(::Rails) && !::Rails.env.production?
+        configuration_error "certificate_authorities: Not configured" if @certificate_authorities.nil?
+        unless File.file? @certificate_authorities
+          configuration_error "certificate_authorities: File not found: #{@certificate_authorities}"
+        end
       end
 
       unless @callbacks.definition_complete?
diff --git a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation_spec.rb b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation_spec.rb
index c875582..7d6c59f 100644
--- a/spec/lib/diaspora_federation_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/diaspora_federation_spec.rb
@@ -14,20 +14,35 @@ module DiasporaFederation
         DiasporaFederation.server_uri = temp
       end
 
-      it "should fail if the certificate_authorities is missing" do
-        temp = DiasporaFederation.certificate_authorities
-        DiasporaFederation.certificate_authorities = nil
-        expect { DiasporaFederation.validate_config }.to raise_error ConfigurationError,
-                                                                     "certificate_authorities: Not configured"
-        DiasporaFederation.certificate_authorities = temp
-      end
+      context "certificate_authorities" do
+        before do
+          @certificate_authorities = DiasporaFederation.certificate_authorities
+        end
 
-      it "should fail if the certificate_authorities is missing" do
-        temp = DiasporaFederation.certificate_authorities
-        DiasporaFederation.certificate_authorities = "/unknown"
-        expect { DiasporaFederation.validate_config }.to raise_error ConfigurationError,
-                                                                     "certificate_authorities: File not found: /unknown"
-        DiasporaFederation.certificate_authorities = temp
+        it "allows certificate_authorities to be missing in test environment" do
+          ::Rails.env = "test"
+          DiasporaFederation.certificate_authorities = nil
+          expect { DiasporaFederation.validate_config }.not_to raise_error
+        end
+
+        it "should fail in production if the certificate_authorities is missing" do
+          ::Rails.env = "production"
+          DiasporaFederation.certificate_authorities = nil
+          expect { DiasporaFederation.validate_config }.to raise_error ConfigurationError,
+                                                                       "certificate_authorities: Not configured"
+        end
+
+        it "should fail in production if the certificate_authorities file is missing" do
+          ::Rails.env = "production"
+          DiasporaFederation.certificate_authorities = "/unknown"
+          expect { DiasporaFederation.validate_config }.to raise_error ConfigurationError,
+                                                                       "certificate_authorities: File not found: /unknown"
+        end
+
+        after do
+          DiasporaFederation.certificate_authorities = @certificate_authorities
+          ::Rails.env = ENV["RAILS_ENV"] || "test"
+        end
       end
 
       it "should validate the callbacks" do