diff --git a/cmd/cosign/cli/fulcio/fulcioroots/fulcioroots.go b/cmd/cosign/cli/fulcio/fulcioroots/fulcioroots.go
index db1fc460c7ec..c0890bd77c2e 100644
--- a/cmd/cosign/cli/fulcio/fulcioroots/fulcioroots.go
+++ b/cmd/cosign/cli/fulcio/fulcioroots/fulcioroots.go
@@ -83,8 +83,8 @@ func GetIntermediates() *x509.CertPool {
 }
 
 func initRoots() (*x509.CertPool, *x509.CertPool, error) {
-	rootPool := x509.NewCertPool()
-	intermediatePool := x509.NewCertPool()
+	var rootPool *x509.CertPool
+	var intermediatePool *x509.CertPool
 
 	rootEnv := os.Getenv(altRoot)
 	if rootEnv != "" {
@@ -99,8 +99,14 @@ func initRoots() (*x509.CertPool, *x509.CertPool, error) {
 		for _, cert := range certs {
 			// root certificates are self-signed
 			if bytes.Equal(cert.RawSubject, cert.RawIssuer) {
+				if rootPool == nil {
+					rootPool = x509.NewCertPool()
+				}
 				rootPool.AddCert(cert)
 			} else {
+				if intermediatePool == nil {
+					intermediatePool = x509.NewCertPool()
+				}
 				intermediatePool.AddCert(cert)
 			}
 		}
@@ -127,12 +133,21 @@ func initRoots() (*x509.CertPool, *x509.CertPool, error) {
 			for _, cert := range certs {
 				// root certificates are self-signed
 				if bytes.Equal(cert.RawSubject, cert.RawIssuer) {
+					if rootPool == nil {
+						rootPool = x509.NewCertPool()
+					}
 					rootPool.AddCert(cert)
 				} else {
+					if intermediatePool == nil {
+						intermediatePool = x509.NewCertPool()
+					}
 					intermediatePool.AddCert(cert)
 				}
 			}
 		}
+		if intermediatePool == nil {
+			intermediatePool = x509.NewCertPool()
+		}
 		intermediatePool.AppendCertsFromPEM([]byte(fulcioIntermediateV1))
 	}
 	return rootPool, intermediatePool, nil
diff --git a/cmd/cosign/cli/verify/verify.go b/cmd/cosign/cli/verify/verify.go
index e55381e0b1dd..fb9595fd54a3 100644
--- a/cmd/cosign/cli/verify/verify.go
+++ b/cmd/cosign/cli/verify/verify.go
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ func (c *VerifyCommand) Exec(ctx context.Context, images []string) (err error) {
 			co.RekorClient = rekorClient
 		}
 		co.RootCerts = fulcio.GetRoots()
+		co.IntermediateCerts = fulcio.GetIntermediates()
 	}
 	keyRef := c.KeyRef
 	certRef := c.CertRef
diff --git a/cmd/cosign/cli/verify/verify_attestation.go b/cmd/cosign/cli/verify/verify_attestation.go
index 8ab95fd7daca..938676339764 100644
--- a/cmd/cosign/cli/verify/verify_attestation.go
+++ b/cmd/cosign/cli/verify/verify_attestation.go
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ func (c *VerifyAttestationCommand) Exec(ctx context.Context, images []string) (e
 			co.RekorClient = rekorClient
 		}
 		co.RootCerts = fulcio.GetRoots()
+		co.IntermediateCerts = fulcio.GetIntermediates()
 	}
 	keyRef := c.KeyRef
 
diff --git a/pkg/cosign/verify.go b/pkg/cosign/verify.go
index ff1adb3ebc04..e2e9d98a368f 100644
--- a/pkg/cosign/verify.go
+++ b/pkg/cosign/verify.go
@@ -475,7 +475,8 @@ func VerifyImageSignature(ctx context.Context, sig oci.Signature, h v1.Hash, co
 		// If the chain annotation is not present or there is only a root
 		if chain == nil || len(chain) <= 1 {
 			co.IntermediateCerts = nil
-		} else {
+		} else if co.IntermediateCerts == nil {
+			// If the intermediate certs have not been loaded in by TUF
 			pool := x509.NewCertPool()
 			for _, cert := range chain[:len(chain)-1] {
 				pool.AddCert(cert)
@@ -653,7 +654,8 @@ func verifyImageAttestations(ctx context.Context, atts oci.Signatures, h v1.Hash
 				// If the chain annotation is not present or there is only a root
 				if chain == nil || len(chain) <= 1 {
 					co.IntermediateCerts = nil
-				} else {
+				} else if co.IntermediateCerts == nil {
+					// If the intermediate certs have not been loaded in by TUF
 					pool := x509.NewCertPool()
 					for _, cert := range chain[:len(chain)-1] {
 						pool.AddCert(cert)
diff --git a/pkg/cosign/verify_test.go b/pkg/cosign/verify_test.go
index 6208cd020326..2c38ccd0cc44 100644
--- a/pkg/cosign/verify_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cosign/verify_test.go
@@ -309,6 +309,42 @@ func TestVerifyImageSignatureWithMissingSub(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestVerifyImageSignatureWithExistingSub(t *testing.T) {
+	rootCert, rootKey, _ := test.GenerateRootCa()
+	subCert, subKey, _ := test.GenerateSubordinateCa(rootCert, rootKey)
+	leafCert, privKey, _ := test.GenerateLeafCert("subject", "oidc-issuer", subCert, subKey)
+	pemRoot := pem.EncodeToMemory(&pem.Block{Type: "CERTIFICATE", Bytes: rootCert.Raw})
+	pemSub := pem.EncodeToMemory(&pem.Block{Type: "CERTIFICATE", Bytes: subCert.Raw})
+	pemLeaf := pem.EncodeToMemory(&pem.Block{Type: "CERTIFICATE", Bytes: leafCert.Raw})
+
+	otherSubCert, _, _ := test.GenerateSubordinateCa(rootCert, rootKey)
+
+	rootPool := x509.NewCertPool()
+	rootPool.AddCert(rootCert)
+	subPool := x509.NewCertPool()
+	// Load in different sub cert so the chain doesn't verify
+	rootPool.AddCert(otherSubCert)
+
+	payload := []byte{1, 2, 3, 4}
+	h := sha256.Sum256(payload)
+	signature, _ := privKey.Sign(rand.Reader, h[:], crypto.SHA256)
+
+	ociSig, _ := static.NewSignature(payload,
+		base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(signature),
+		static.WithCertChain(pemLeaf, appendSlices([][]byte{pemSub, pemRoot})))
+	verified, err := VerifyImageSignature(context.TODO(), ociSig, v1.Hash{}, &CheckOpts{RootCerts: rootPool, IntermediateCerts: subPool})
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error while verifying signature")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "certificate signed by unknown authority") {
+		t.Fatal("expected error while verifying signature")
+	}
+	// TODO: Create fake bundle and test verification
+	if verified == true {
+		t.Fatalf("expected verified=false, got verified=true")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestValidateAndUnpackCertSuccess(t *testing.T) {
 	subject := "email@email"
 	oidcIssuer := "https://accounts.google.com"
diff --git a/pkg/sget/sget.go b/pkg/sget/sget.go
index f61e23b80807..2eba346d96f0 100644
--- a/pkg/sget/sget.go
+++ b/pkg/sget/sget.go
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ func (sg *SecureGet) Do(ctx context.Context) error {
 		fulcioVerified := (co.SigVerifier == nil)
 
 		co.RootCerts = fulcio.GetRoots()
+		co.IntermediateCerts = fulcio.GetIntermediates()
 
 		sp, bundleVerified, err := cosign.VerifyImageSignatures(ctx, ref, co)
 		if err != nil {