diff --git a/components/esp-tls/esp_tls.c b/components/esp-tls/esp_tls.c
index 002306dbeb..861861d5de 100644
--- a/components/esp-tls/esp_tls.c
+++ b/components/esp-tls/esp_tls.c
@@ -141,22 +141,33 @@ err_freeaddr:
     return ret;
 }
 
+esp_err_t esp_tls_init_global_ca_store()
+{
+    if (global_cacert == NULL) {
+        global_cacert = (mbedtls_x509_crt *)calloc(1, sizeof(mbedtls_x509_crt));
+        if (global_cacert == NULL) {
+            ESP_LOGE(TAG, "global_cacert not allocated");
+            return ESP_ERR_NO_MEM;
+        }
+        mbedtls_x509_crt_init(global_cacert);
+    }
+    return ESP_OK;
+}
+
 esp_err_t esp_tls_set_global_ca_store(const unsigned char *cacert_pem_buf, const unsigned int cacert_pem_bytes)
 {
+    int ret;
     if (cacert_pem_buf == NULL) {
         ESP_LOGE(TAG, "cacert_pem_buf is null");
         return ESP_ERR_INVALID_ARG;
     }
-    if (global_cacert != NULL) {
-        mbedtls_x509_crt_free(global_cacert);
-    }
-    global_cacert = (mbedtls_x509_crt *)calloc(1, sizeof(mbedtls_x509_crt));
     if (global_cacert == NULL) {
-        ESP_LOGE(TAG, "global_cacert not allocated");
-        return ESP_ERR_NO_MEM;
+        ret = esp_tls_init_global_ca_store();
+        if (ret != ESP_OK) {
+            return ret;
+        }
     }
-    mbedtls_x509_crt_init(global_cacert);
-    int ret = mbedtls_x509_crt_parse(global_cacert, cacert_pem_buf, cacert_pem_bytes);
+    ret = mbedtls_x509_crt_parse(global_cacert, cacert_pem_buf, cacert_pem_bytes);
     if (ret < 0) {
         ESP_LOGE(TAG, "mbedtls_x509_crt_parse returned -0x%x\n\n", -ret);
         mbedtls_x509_crt_free(global_cacert);
diff --git a/components/esp-tls/esp_tls.h b/components/esp-tls/esp_tls.h
index 15830d5a3c..38538ed0a3 100644
--- a/components/esp-tls/esp_tls.h
+++ b/components/esp-tls/esp_tls.h
@@ -260,10 +260,25 @@ void esp_tls_conn_delete(esp_tls_t *tls);
 size_t esp_tls_get_bytes_avail(esp_tls_t *tls);
 
 /**
- * @brief      Create a global CA store with the buffer provided in cfg.
+ * @brief      Create a global CA store, initially empty.
  *
- * This function should be called if the application wants to use the same CA store for
- * multiple connections. The application must call this function before calling esp_tls_conn_new().
+ * This function should be called if the application wants to use the same CA store for multiple connections.
+ * This function initialises the global CA store which can be then set by calling esp_tls_set_global_ca_store().
+ * To be effective, this function must be called before any call to esp_tls_set_global_ca_store().
+ *
+ * @return
+ *             - ESP_OK             if creating global CA store was successful.
+ *             - ESP_ERR_NO_MEM     if an error occured when allocating the mbedTLS resources.
+ */
+esp_err_t esp_tls_init_global_ca_store();
+
+/**
+ * @brief      Set the global CA store with the buffer provided in pem format.
+ *
+ * This function should be called if the application wants to set the global CA store for
+ * multiple connections i.e. to add the certificates in the provided buffer to the certificate chain.
+ * This function implicitly calls esp_tls_init_global_ca_store() if it has not already been called.
+ * The application must call this function before calling esp_tls_conn_new().
  *
  * @param[in]  cacert_pem_buf    Buffer which has certificates in pem format. This buffer
  *                               is used for creating a global CA store, which can be used
@@ -271,7 +286,7 @@ size_t esp_tls_get_bytes_avail(esp_tls_t *tls);
  * @param[in]  cacert_pem_bytes  Length of the buffer.
  *
  * @return
- *             - ESP_OK  if creating global CA store was successful.
+ *             - ESP_OK  if adding certificates was successful.
  *             - Other   if an error occured or an action must be taken by the calling process.
  */
 esp_err_t esp_tls_set_global_ca_store(const unsigned char *cacert_pem_buf, const unsigned int cacert_pem_bytes);