Service SSL Certificates not updating update with Let's Encrypt

Answered

Simon Rhodes

• March 25, 2026 14:18

I kept getting emails like

The SSL certificate for “ftp” on “server3.example.com” will expire in less than 30 days.

I thought the "Free 90-day cPanel Hostname SSL" would update automatically.

Sadly it didn't. I managed to install a self hosted certificate.

Spent all day trying various fixes.

One of them was renaming the server from server3.example.com to server4.example.com 

and changing it back again.

This was because historically example.com was a sub domain of example.co.uk.

Then deleting the DNS entries for server4.example.com and rebooting.

Also tried recreated the httpd config files.

Running

/usr/local/cpanel/bin/checkallsslcerts --verbose --allow-retry

Gives me lots of DNS errors related to server4.example.com, which doesn't exist anymore 

and eventually I see messages like this.

The system will check for the certificate for the “dovecot” service.
The system will attempt to replace the self-signed certificate for the “dovecot” service with a signed certificate from the “Let’s Encrypt™” provider.
The system will attempt to install a certificate for the “dovecot” service from the system SSL storage.
None of the certificates in the system SSL storage were acceptable to use for the “dovecot” service.
The system previously attempted to get a new certificate from the “Let’s Encrypt™” provider and will not make another attempt.

The A record for server3.example.com resolves correctly.

Does anyone have any ideas?

 

• 

  cPRex Jurassic Moderator

  • March 26, 2026 13:12

  Hey there!  Can you try this to remove that old hostname information from the machine?

  https://support.cpanel.net/hc/en-us/articles/5208055750039-Old-hostname-shows-up-in-new-hostname-certificates

  Let me know if that helps!

  1
• 

  Simon Rhodes

  • March 26, 2026 17:45
  • Edited

  Thank you that removed the server4, I was still getting some for server3.

  I created a DNS zone for example.com, even though there was one setup up server3.example.com.

  I ran the command again and it created the certificate.

  Then I went into "Manage Service SSL Certificates" and installed the certificate.

  Restarting my browser allowed me to use the new certificate.

  I've checked the certificate and it's been issued to autoconfig.server3.example.com.

   

  Thank again for you help in resolving this.

  0
• 

  cPRex Jurassic Moderator

  • March 26, 2026 18:27

  I'm glad that helped get you pointed in the right direction!

  1

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