diff --git a/lib/pem.js b/lib/pem.js
index 2ce8e33a..7d66e630 100644
--- a/lib/pem.js
+++ b/lib/pem.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ var spawn = require('child_process').spawn,
     fs = require('fs'),
     net = require('net'),
     crypto = require('crypto'),
+    which = require('which'),
     pathOpenSSL,
     tempDir = process.env.PEMJS_TMPDIR || (os.tmpdir || os.tmpDir) && (os.tmpdir || os.tmpDir)() || '/tmp';
 
@@ -70,8 +71,6 @@ function createPrivateKey(keyBitsize, callback) {
  * @param {Array}  [options.altNames] is a list of subjectAltNames in the subjectAltName field
  * @param {Function} callback Callback function with an error object and {csr, clientKey}
  */
-
-
 function createCSR(options, callback) {
     if (!callback && typeof options === 'function') {
         callback = options;
@@ -536,55 +535,62 @@ function generateCSRSubject(options) {
  */
 function spawnOpenSSL(params, callback) {
     var pathBin = pathOpenSSL || process.env.OPENSSL_BIN || 'openssl';
-    var openssl = spawn(pathBin, params),
-        stdout = '',
-        stderr = '';
 
-    openssl.stdout.on('data', function(data) {
-        stdout += (data || '').toString('binary');
-    });
+    testOpenSSLPath(pathBin, function(err) {
+        if(err) {
+            return callback(err);
+        }
 
-    openssl.stderr.on('data', function(data) {
-        stderr += (data || '').toString('binary');
-    });
+        var openssl = spawn(pathBin, params),
+            stdout = '',
+            stderr = '';
 
-    // We need both the return code and access to all of stdout.  Stdout isn't
-    // *really* available until the close event fires; the timing nuance was
-    // making this fail periodically.
-    var needed = 2; // wait for both exit and close.
-    var code = -1;
-    var finished = false;
-    var done = function(err) {
-        if (finished) {
-            return;
-        }
+        openssl.stdout.on('data', function(data) {
+            stdout += (data || '').toString('binary');
+        });
 
-        if (err) {
-            finished = true;
-            return callback(err);
-        }
+        openssl.stderr.on('data', function(data) {
+            stderr += (data || '').toString('binary');
+        });
 
-        if (--needed < 1) {
-            finished = true;
-            if (code) {
-                callback(new Error('Invalid openssl exit code: ' + code + '\n% openssl ' + params.join(' ') + '\n' + stderr), code);
-            } else {
-                callback(null, code, stdout, stderr);
+        // We need both the return code and access to all of stdout.  Stdout isn't
+        // *really* available until the close event fires; the timing nuance was
+        // making this fail periodically.
+        var needed = 2; // wait for both exit and close.
+        var code = -1;
+        var finished = false;
+        var done = function(err) {
+            if (finished) {
+                return;
             }
-        }
-    };
 
-    openssl.on('error', done);
+            if (err) {
+                finished = true;
+                return callback(err);
+            }
+
+            if (--needed < 1) {
+                finished = true;
+                if (code) {
+                    callback(new Error('Invalid openssl exit code: ' + code + '\n% openssl ' + params.join(' ') + '\n' + stderr), code);
+                } else {
+                    callback(null, code, stdout, stderr);
+                }
+            }
+        };
+
+        openssl.on('error', done);
 
-    openssl.on('exit', function(ret) {
-        code = ret;
-        done();
-    });
+        openssl.on('exit', function(ret) {
+            code = ret;
+            done();
+        });
 
-    openssl.on('close', function() {
-        stdout = new Buffer(stdout, 'binary').toString('utf-8');
-        stderr = new Buffer(stderr, 'binary').toString('utf-8');
-        done();
+        openssl.on('close', function() {
+            stdout = new Buffer(stdout, 'binary').toString('utf-8');
+            stderr = new Buffer(stderr, 'binary').toString('utf-8');
+            done();
+        });
     });
 }
 
@@ -667,4 +673,20 @@ function execOpenSSL(params, searchStr, tmpfiles, callback) {
             return callback(new Error(searchStr + ' not found from openssl output:\n---stdout---\n' + stdout + '\n---stderr---\n' + stderr + '\ncode: ' + code));
         }
     });
+}
+
+/**
+ * Validates the pathBin for the openssl command
+ *
+ * @param {String} pathBin The path to OpenSSL Bin
+ * @param {Function} callback Callback function with an error object
+ */
+function testOpenSSLPath(pathBin, callback){
+    which(pathBin, function(error){
+        if(error){
+           return callback(new Error('Could not find openssl on your system on this path: ' + pathBin));
+        }
+
+        callback();
+    });
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index a52f6001..89f9a8c1 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@
   "scripts": {
     "test": "nodeunit test"
   },
-  "dependencies": {},
+  "dependencies": {
+    "which": "^1.0.8"
+  },
   "devDependencies": {
     "nodeunit": "*"
   },
@@ -19,4 +21,4 @@
   "engines": {
     "node": "*"
   }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}