diff --git a/src/x509_str.c b/src/x509_str.c
index 2c48c41964..90113caede 100644
--- a/src/x509_str.c
+++ b/src/x509_str.c
@@ -318,6 +318,11 @@ static void SetupStoreCtxError_ex(WOLFSSL_X509_STORE_CTX* ctx, int ret,
 {
     int error = GetX509Error(ret);
 
+    /* Do not overwrite a previously recorded error with success; preserve
+     * the worst-seen error across the chain walk. */
+    if (error == 0 && ctx->error != 0)
+        return;
+
     wolfSSL_X509_STORE_CTX_set_error(ctx, error);
     wolfSSL_X509_STORE_CTX_set_error_depth(ctx, depth);
 }
@@ -635,9 +640,14 @@ int wolfSSL_X509_verify_cert(WOLFSSL_X509_STORE_CTX* ctx)
                 if (ctx->store->verify_cb) {
                     ret = ctx->store->verify_cb(0, ctx);
                     if (ret != WOLFSSL_SUCCESS) {
+                        ret = WOLFSSL_FAILURE;
                         goto exit;
                     }
                 }
+                else {
+                    ret = WOLFSSL_FAILURE;
+                    goto exit;
+                }
             } else
         #endif
             {
@@ -2174,4 +2184,3 @@ int wolfSSL_X509_STORE_set1_param(WOLFSSL_X509_STORE *ctx,
 #endif /* !WOLFCRYPT_ONLY */
 
 #endif /* !WOLFSSL_X509_STORE_INCLUDED */
-
diff --git a/tests/api/test_ossl_x509_str.c b/tests/api/test_ossl_x509_str.c
index 111994a347..99b82877c3 100644
--- a/tests/api/test_ossl_x509_str.c
+++ b/tests/api/test_ossl_x509_str.c
@@ -1074,6 +1074,56 @@ int test_X509_STORE_InvalidCa(void)
     ExpectIntEQ(X509_STORE_CTX_init(ctx, str, cert, untrusted), 1);
     ExpectIntEQ(X509_verify_cert(ctx), 1);
     ExpectIntEQ(last_errcode, X509_V_ERR_INVALID_CA);
+    /* Defense in depth: ctx->error must not be clobbered back to X509_V_OK
+     * by the later successful verification of the intermediate against the
+     * trusted root.  The worst-seen error must persist. */
+    ExpectIntEQ(X509_STORE_CTX_get_error(ctx), X509_V_ERR_INVALID_CA);
+
+    X509_free(cert);
+    X509_STORE_free(str);
+    X509_STORE_CTX_free(ctx);
+    sk_X509_pop_free(untrusted, NULL);
+#endif
+    return EXPECT_RESULT();
+}
+
+int test_X509_STORE_InvalidCa_NoCallback(void)
+{
+    EXPECT_DECLS;
+#if defined(OPENSSL_ALL) && !defined(NO_RSA) && !defined(NO_FILESYSTEM)
+    const char* filename = "./certs/intermediate/ca_false_intermediate/"
+                                                    "test_int_not_cacert.pem";
+    const char* srvfile = "./certs/intermediate/ca_false_intermediate/"
+                                            "test_sign_bynoca_srv.pem";
+    X509_STORE_CTX* ctx = NULL;
+    X509_STORE* str = NULL;
+    XFILE fp = XBADFILE;
+    X509* cert = NULL;
+    STACK_OF(X509)* untrusted = NULL;
+
+    ExpectTrue((fp = XFOPEN(srvfile, "rb"))
+            != XBADFILE);
+    ExpectNotNull(cert = PEM_read_X509(fp, 0, 0, 0 ));
+    if (fp != XBADFILE) {
+        XFCLOSE(fp);
+        fp = XBADFILE;
+    }
+
+    ExpectNotNull(str = X509_STORE_new());
+    ExpectNotNull(ctx = X509_STORE_CTX_new());
+    ExpectNotNull(untrusted = sk_X509_new_null());
+
+    /* Create cert chain stack with an intermediate that is CA:FALSE. */
+    ExpectIntEQ(test_X509_STORE_untrusted_load_cert_to_stack(filename,
+                untrusted), TEST_SUCCESS);
+
+    ExpectIntEQ(X509_STORE_load_locations(str,
+                "./certs/intermediate/ca_false_intermediate/test_ca.pem",
+                                                                    NULL), 1);
+    ExpectIntEQ(X509_STORE_CTX_init(ctx, str, cert, untrusted), 1);
+    /* No verify callback: verification must fail on CA:FALSE issuer. */
+    ExpectIntNE(X509_verify_cert(ctx), 1);
+    ExpectIntEQ(X509_STORE_CTX_get_error(ctx), X509_V_ERR_INVALID_CA);
 
     X509_free(cert);
     X509_STORE_free(str);
@@ -1793,4 +1843,3 @@ int test_X509_STORE_No_SSL_CTX(void)
 #endif
     return EXPECT_RESULT();
 }
-
diff --git a/tests/api/test_ossl_x509_str.h b/tests/api/test_ossl_x509_str.h
index 9525a3a187..6737046453 100644
--- a/tests/api/test_ossl_x509_str.h
+++ b/tests/api/test_ossl_x509_str.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ int test_wolfSSL_X509_STORE_CTX(void);
 int test_wolfSSL_X509_STORE_CTX_ex(void);
 int test_X509_STORE_untrusted(void);
 int test_X509_STORE_InvalidCa(void);
+int test_X509_STORE_InvalidCa_NoCallback(void);
 int test_wolfSSL_X509_STORE_CTX_trusted_stack_cleanup(void);
 int test_wolfSSL_X509_STORE_CTX_get_issuer(void);
 int test_wolfSSL_X509_STORE_set_flags(void);
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ int test_X509_STORE_No_SSL_CTX(void);
     TEST_DECL_GROUP("ossl_x509_store", test_wolfSSL_X509_STORE_CTX_ex),        \
     TEST_DECL_GROUP("ossl_x509_store", test_X509_STORE_untrusted),             \
     TEST_DECL_GROUP("ossl_x509_store", test_X509_STORE_InvalidCa),             \
+    TEST_DECL_GROUP("ossl_x509_store", test_X509_STORE_InvalidCa_NoCallback),  \
     TEST_DECL_GROUP("ossl_x509_store",                                         \
                            test_wolfSSL_X509_STORE_CTX_trusted_stack_cleanup), \
     TEST_DECL_GROUP("ossl_x509_store",                                         \