diff --git a/lib/pem.js b/lib/pem.js
index 6237c2f0..aa4c7462 100644
--- a/lib/pem.js
+++ b/lib/pem.js
@@ -868,27 +868,41 @@ function checkPkcs12 (bufferOrPath, passphrase, callback) {
  * Verifies the signing chain of the passed certificate
  * @static
  * @param {String|Array} PEM encoded certificate include intermediate certificates
- * @param {String|Array} List of CA certificates
+ * @param {String|Array} [List] of CA certificates
  * @param {Function} callback Callback function with an error object and a boolean valid
  */
 function verifySigningChain (certificate, ca, callback) {
+  if (!callback && typeof ca === 'function') {
+    callback = ca
+    ca = undefined
+  }
   if (!Array.isArray(certificate)) {
     certificate = [certificate]
   }
-  if (!Array.isArray(ca)) {
-    ca = [ca]
+  if (!Array.isArray(ca) && ca !== undefined) {
+    if (ca !== '') {
+      ca = [ca]
+    }
   }
 
-  var files = [
-    ca.join('\n'),
-    certificate.join('\n')
-  ]
+  var files = []
 
-  var params = ['verify',
-    '-CAfile',
-    '--TMPFILE--',
-    '--TMPFILE--'
-  ]
+  if (ca !== undefined) {
+    // ca certificates
+    files.push(ca.join('\n'))
+  }
+  // certificate incl. intermediate certificates
+  files.push(certificate.join('\n'))
+
+  var params = ['verify']
+
+  if (ca !== undefined) {
+    // ca certificates
+    params.push('-CAfile')
+    params.push('--TMPFILE--')
+  }
+  // certificate incl. intermediate certificates
+  params.push('--TMPFILE--')
 
   openssl.spawnWrapper(params, files, function (err, code, stdout) {
     if (err) {
diff --git a/test/fixtures/google.com.pem b/test/fixtures/google.com.pem
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0d3c0955
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/google.com.pem
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----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+-----END CERTIFICATE-----
+-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----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+-----END CERTIFICATE-----
+-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----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+-----END CERTIFICATE-----
diff --git a/test/pem.spec.js b/test/pem.spec.js
index 15beea16..13e08f05 100644
--- a/test/pem.spec.js
+++ b/test/pem.spec.js
@@ -581,6 +581,14 @@ describe('General Tests', function () {
             })
         })
       })
+      it('Verify google.com certificate without provided CA certificates', function (done) {
+        var certificate = fs.readFileSync('./test/fixtures/google.com.pem').toString()
+        pem.verifySigningChain(certificate, function (error, valid) {
+          hlp.checkError(error)
+          expect(valid).to.be.false()
+          done()
+        })
+      })
       it('Verify deep sigining chain', function (done) {
         pem.createCertificate({
           commonName: 'Intermediate CA Certificate',