diff --git a/lib/pbench/server/auth/__init__.py b/lib/pbench/server/auth/__init__.py
index 90ad3358ac..f16992e1f2 100644
--- a/lib/pbench/server/auth/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/pbench/server/auth/__init__.py
@@ -205,10 +205,10 @@ def wait_for_oidc_server(
         try:
             oidc_server = server_config.get("openid", "server_url")
             oidc_realm = server_config.get("openid", "realm")
-            # Get a custom cert location to verify Keycloak ssl if its define
-            # in the config file. Otherwise, we default to using system-wide
-            # certificates.
-            cert = server_config.get("openid", "cert_location", fallback=True)
+            # Look for a custom CA to use in the verification of the TLS
+            # connection to the OIDC server.  If it is undefined, the value of
+            # True will result in using the default TLS verification.
+            ca_cert = server_config.get("openid", "tls_ca_file", fallback=True)
         except (NoOptionError, NoSectionError) as exc:
             raise OpenIDClient.NotConfigured() from exc
 
@@ -224,6 +224,8 @@ def wait_for_oidc_server(
         # https://urllib3.readthedocs.io/en/latest/reference/urllib3.util.html#module-urllib3.util.retry
         retry = Retry(
             total=8,
+            connect=0,
+            other=0,
             backoff_factor=2,
             status_forcelist=tuple(int(x) for x in HTTPStatus if x != 200),
         )
@@ -236,11 +238,11 @@ def wait_for_oidc_server(
             try:
                 response = session.get(
                     f"{oidc_server}/realms/{oidc_realm}/.well-known/openid-configuration",
-                    verify=cert,
+                    verify=ca_cert,
                 )
                 response.raise_for_status()
             except Exception as exc:
-                raise OpenIDClient.ServerConnectionError() from exc
+                raise OpenIDClient.ServerConnectionError(str(exc)) from exc
             if response.json().get("issuer") == f"{oidc_server}/realms/{oidc_realm}":
                 logger.debug("OIDC server connection verified")
                 connected = True
@@ -268,14 +270,15 @@ def construct_oidc_client(cls, server_config: PbenchServerConfig) -> "OpenIDClie
             server_url = server_config.get("openid", "server_url")
             client = server_config.get("openid", "client")
             realm = server_config.get("openid", "realm")
+            # Look for a custom CA to use in the verification of the TLS
+            # connection to the OIDC server.  If it is undefined, the value of
+            # True will result in using the default TLS verification.
+            ca_cert = server_config.get("openid", "tls_ca_file", fallback=True)
         except (NoOptionError, NoSectionError) as exc:
             raise OpenIDClient.NotConfigured() from exc
 
         oidc_client = cls(
-            server_url=server_url,
-            client_id=client,
-            realm_name=realm,
-            verify=False,
+            server_url=server_url, client_id=client, realm_name=realm, verify=ca_cert
         )
         oidc_client.set_oidc_public_key()
         return oidc_client
diff --git a/lib/pbench/test/unit/server/auth/test_auth.py b/lib/pbench/test/unit/server/auth/test_auth.py
index 2884d23ea7..8251c46ebd 100644
--- a/lib/pbench/test/unit/server/auth/test_auth.py
+++ b/lib/pbench/test/unit/server/auth/test_auth.py
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ def test_wait_for_oidc_server_fail(self, make_logger):
         config["openid"] = {
             "server_url": "https://example.com",
             "realm": "realm",
-            "cert_location": "/ca.crt",
+            "tls_ca_file": "/ca.crt",
         }
 
         # Keycloak well-known endpoint without any response
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ def test_wait_for_oidc_server_succ(self, make_logger):
         config["openid"] = {
             "server_url": "https://example.com",
             "realm": "realm",
-            "cert_location": "/ca.crt",
+            "tls_ca_file": "/ca.crt",
         }
 
         # Keycloak well-known endpoint returning response with valid issuer
diff --git a/server/lib/config/pbench-server-default.cfg b/server/lib/config/pbench-server-default.cfg
index f61193e5f1..44203c097e 100644
--- a/server/lib/config/pbench-server-default.cfg
+++ b/server/lib/config/pbench-server-default.cfg
@@ -104,9 +104,9 @@ realm = pbench-server
 # Client entity name requesting OIDC to authenticate a user.
 client = pbench-client
 
-# Cert location for connecting to the OIDC client
-# If you want to use a custom CA then its location path should be recorded.
-#cert_location = /path/CA
+# Custom CA for verifying the TLS connection to the OIDC client.
+# If omitted, TLS verification will use the system's trusted CA list.
+#tls_ca_file = /path/to/CA/file
 
 [logging]
 logger_type = devlog
diff --git a/server/pbenchinacan/etc/pbench-server/pbench-server.cfg b/server/pbenchinacan/etc/pbench-server/pbench-server.cfg
index d72ede682d..372d3c9268 100644
--- a/server/pbenchinacan/etc/pbench-server/pbench-server.cfg
+++ b/server/pbenchinacan/etc/pbench-server/pbench-server.cfg
@@ -27,9 +27,8 @@ secret-key = "pbench-in-a-can secret shhh"
 [openid]
 server_url = https://localhost:8090
 
-# Override the default cert value to use for pbenchinacan Keycloak container
-# connection.
-cert_location = /etc/pki/tls/certs/pbench_CA.crt
+# Provide a CA cert for the pbenchinacan Keycloak server connection.
+tls_ca_file = /etc/pki/tls/certs/pbench_CA.crt
 
 ###########################################################################
 # The rest will come from the default config file.