diff --git a/components/esp_modem/test/target_ota/components/manual_ota/manual_ota.cpp b/components/esp_modem/test/target_ota/components/manual_ota/manual_ota.cpp
index c78c9b4e4..d2c6e2e10 100644
--- a/components/esp_modem/test/target_ota/components/manual_ota/manual_ota.cpp
+++ b/components/esp_modem/test/target_ota/components/manual_ota/manual_ota.cpp
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ bool manual_ota::begin()
         esp_transport_handle_t tcp = esp_transport_tcp_init();
         ssl_ = esp_transport_batch_tls_init(tcp, max_buffer_size_);
         http_.config_.transport = ssl_;
+        if (http_.config_.cert_pem == nullptr || common_name_ == nullptr) {
+            ESP_LOGE(TAG, "TLS with no verification is not supported");
+            return fail();
+        }
         if (!esp_transport_batch_set_ca_cert(ssl_, http_.config_.cert_pem, 0)) {
             return fail();
         }
diff --git a/components/esp_modem/test/target_ota/components/manual_ota/manual_ota.hpp b/components/esp_modem/test/target_ota/components/manual_ota/manual_ota.hpp
index baa1302a9..1e5d87483 100644
--- a/components/esp_modem/test/target_ota/components/manual_ota/manual_ota.hpp
+++ b/components/esp_modem/test/target_ota/components/manual_ota/manual_ota.hpp
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ public:
     /**
      * @brief Set common name of the server to verify
      */
-    const char *common_name_;
+    const char *common_name_{};
     /**
      * @brief Wrapper around the http client -- Please set the http config
      */