diff --git a/acme4j-client/src/test/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/impl/DefaultConnectionTest.java b/acme4j-client/src/test/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/impl/DefaultConnectionTest.java
index bb8a1e8b..8f527644 100644
--- a/acme4j-client/src/test/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/impl/DefaultConnectionTest.java
+++ b/acme4j-client/src/test/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/impl/DefaultConnectionTest.java
@@ -22,12 +22,10 @@ import static uk.co.datumedge.hamcrest.json.SameJSONAs.sameJSONAs;
 import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
 import java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream;
 import java.io.IOException;
-import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.net.HttpURLConnection;
 import java.net.URI;
 import java.net.URISyntaxException;
 import java.security.KeyPair;
-import java.security.cert.CertificateFactory;
 import java.security.cert.X509Certificate;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.HashSet;
@@ -386,11 +384,7 @@ public class DefaultConnectionTest {
      */
     @Test
     public void testReadCertificate() throws Exception {
-        CertificateFactory certificateFactory = CertificateFactory.getInstance("X.509");
-        X509Certificate original;
-        try (InputStream cert = getClass().getResourceAsStream("/cert.pem")) {
-            original = (X509Certificate) certificateFactory.generateCertificate(cert);
-        }
+        X509Certificate original = TestUtils.createCertificate();
 
         when(mockUrlConnection.getHeaderField("Content-Type")).thenReturn("application/pkix-cert");
         when(mockUrlConnection.getInputStream()).thenReturn(new ByteArrayInputStream(original.getEncoded()));
diff --git a/acme4j-client/src/test/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/util/TestUtils.java b/acme4j-client/src/test/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/util/TestUtils.java
index ab09460c..2bdb2d11 100644
--- a/acme4j-client/src/test/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/util/TestUtils.java
+++ b/acme4j-client/src/test/java/org/shredzone/acme4j/util/TestUtils.java
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ import java.security.MessageDigest;
 import java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException;
 import java.security.PrivateKey;
 import java.security.PublicKey;
+import java.security.cert.CertificateException;
+import java.security.cert.CertificateFactory;
+import java.security.cert.X509Certificate;
 import java.security.spec.InvalidKeySpecException;
 import java.security.spec.PKCS8EncodedKeySpec;
 import java.security.spec.X509EncodedKeySpec;
@@ -133,6 +136,21 @@ public final class TestUtils {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Creates a standard certificate for testing. This certificate is read from a test
+     * resource and is guaranteed not to change between test runs.
+     *
+     * @return {@link X509Certificate} for testing
+     */
+    public static X509Certificate createCertificate() throws IOException {
+        try (InputStream cert = TestUtils.class.getResourceAsStream("/cert.pem")) {
+            CertificateFactory certificateFactory = CertificateFactory.getInstance("X.509");
+            return (X509Certificate) certificateFactory.generateCertificate(cert);
+        } catch (CertificateException ex) {
+            throw new IOException(ex);
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Generates a new keypair for unit tests, and return its N, E, KTY and THUMBPRINT
      * parameters to be set in the {@link TestUtils} class.