--- a/src/stream/ngx_stream_proxy_module.c
+++ b/src/stream/ngx_stream_proxy_module.c
@@ -2185,6 +2185,10 @@ ngx_stream_proxy_set_ssl(ngx_conf_t *cf,
     cln->handler = ngx_ssl_cleanup_ctx;
     cln->data = pscf->ssl;
 
+    if (ngx_ssl_ciphers(cf, pscf->ssl, &pscf->ssl_ciphers, 0) != NGX_OK) {
+        return NGX_ERROR;
+    }
+
     if (pscf->ssl_certificate) {
 
         if (pscf->ssl_certificate_key == NULL) {
@@ -2216,10 +2220,6 @@ ngx_stream_proxy_set_ssl(ngx_conf_t *cf,
         }
     }
 
-    if (ngx_ssl_ciphers(cf, pscf->ssl, &pscf->ssl_ciphers, 0) != NGX_OK) {
-        return NGX_ERROR;
-    }
-
     if (pscf->ssl_verify) {
         if (pscf->ssl_trusted_certificate.len == 0) {
             ngx_log_error(NGX_LOG_EMERG, cf->log, 0,