diff --git a/spec-main/api-app-spec.ts b/spec-main/api-app-spec.ts
index 3d86691b884f..68ad3b059c82 100644
--- a/spec-main/api-app-spec.ts
+++ b/spec-main/api-app-spec.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import * as http from 'http'
 import * as net from 'net'
 import * as fs from 'fs'
 import * as path from 'path'
-import { app, BrowserWindow, Menu } from 'electron'
+import { app, BrowserWindow, Menu, session } from 'electron'
 import { emittedOnce } from './events-helpers'
 import { closeWindow, closeAllWindows } from './window-helpers'
 import { ifdescribe } from './spec-helpers'
@@ -305,6 +305,15 @@ describe('app module', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  describe('certificate-error event', () => {
+    afterEach(closeAllWindows)
+    it('is emitted when visiting a server with a self-signed cert', async () => {
+      const w = new BrowserWindow({ show: false })
+      w.loadURL(secureUrl)
+      await emittedOnce(app, 'certificate-error')
+    })
+  })
+
   // xdescribe('app.importCertificate', () => {
   //   let w = null
 
@@ -708,6 +717,7 @@ describe('app module', () => {
       if (process.platform === 'linux') {
         this.skip()
       }
+      session.fromPartition('empty-certificate').setCertificateVerifyProc((req, cb) => { cb(0) })
     })
 
     beforeEach(() => {
@@ -722,6 +732,8 @@ describe('app module', () => {
 
     afterEach(() => closeWindow(w).then(() => { w = null as any }))
 
+    after(() => session.fromPartition('empty-certificate').setCertificateVerifyProc(null))
+
     it('can respond with empty certificate list', async () => {
       app.once('select-client-certificate', function (event, webContents, url, list, callback) {
         console.log('select-client-certificate emitted')
diff --git a/spec-main/index.js b/spec-main/index.js
index d79d766b8121..b6075851a7ec 100644
--- a/spec-main/index.js
+++ b/spec-main/index.js
@@ -20,9 +20,6 @@ v8.setFlagsFromString('--expose_gc')
 app.commandLine.appendSwitch('js-flags', '--expose_gc')
 // Prevent the spec runner quiting when the first window closes
 app.on('window-all-closed', () => null)
-// TODO: This API should _probably_ only be enabled for the specific test that needs it
-// not the entire test suite
-app.commandLine.appendSwitch('ignore-certificate-errors')
 
 // Use fake device for Media Stream to replace actual camera and microphone.
 app.commandLine.appendSwitch('use-fake-device-for-media-stream')