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Fix SSL Error in Clojure

Step-by-step guide to fix SSL Error in Clojure. Includes root cause analysis, code examples, debugging tips, and prevention strategies.

SSL Errors in Clojure and How to Resolve Them

SSL/TLS errors occur when your application fails to establish a secure connection — usually due to certificate issues, protocol mismatches, or misconfigured trust stores.

Why It Happens

  • Expired or self-signed certificates
  • Missing intermediate CA certificates
  • TLS version mismatch between client and server
  • Incorrect trust store configuration

The Correct Fix

The temptation is to disable SSL verification. Don't. Here's the right approach:

;; Bad: skipping SSL
(http/get url {:insecure? true})

;; Good: use proper trust store
(http/get url {:trust-store "/path/to/truststore.jks"
               :trust-store-pass "changeit"})

Steps to Diagnose

  1. Check certificate validity: openssl s_client -connect host:443
  2. Verify the certificate chain is complete
  3. Ensure your runtime's CA store is up to date
  4. Never disable verification in production — it defeats the entire purpose of TLS

Bugsly Catches SSL Failures Early

SSL errors often appear only in specific environments. [Bugsly](https://bugsly.io) logs SSL handshake failures with full connection details — remote host, TLS version, and certificate info — so you can diagnose without reproducing the exact environment.

Additional Resources

  • Review the official documentation for your framework version
  • Search your error tracking tool for similar patterns across your codebase
  • Consider adding integration tests that cover this specific scenario
  • Document the fix in your team's knowledge base for future reference

Staying proactive about these errors saves debugging time down the road.

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