diff --git a/src/WireMock.Net/HttpsCertificate/CertificateLoader.cs b/src/WireMock.Net/HttpsCertificate/CertificateLoader.cs
index 409bbb6c..b732b032 100644
--- a/src/WireMock.Net/HttpsCertificate/CertificateLoader.cs
+++ b/src/WireMock.Net/HttpsCertificate/CertificateLoader.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-using System;
+using System;
 using System.IO;
 using System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates;
 
@@ -57,7 +57,12 @@ namespace WireMock.HttpsCertificate
                 return new X509Certificate2(filePath, password);
             }
 
-            throw new InvalidOperationException("X509StoreName and X509StoreLocation OR X509CertificateFilePath and X509CertificatePassword are mandatory.");
+            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(filePath))
+            {
+                return new X509Certificate2(filePath);
+            }
+
+            throw new InvalidOperationException("X509StoreName and X509StoreLocation OR X509CertificateFilePath are mandatory. Note that X509CertificatePassword is optional.");
         }
 
         /// <summary>
diff --git a/src/WireMock.Net/Owin/WireMockMiddlewareOptions.cs b/src/WireMock.Net/Owin/WireMockMiddlewareOptions.cs
index 7faf8dc5..1486fd2d 100644
--- a/src/WireMock.Net/Owin/WireMockMiddlewareOptions.cs
+++ b/src/WireMock.Net/Owin/WireMockMiddlewareOptions.cs
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ namespace WireMock.Owin
         /// <inheritdoc cref="IWireMockMiddlewareOptions.CustomCertificateDefined"/>
         public bool CustomCertificateDefined =>
             !string.IsNullOrEmpty(X509StoreName) && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(X509StoreLocation) ||
-            !string.IsNullOrEmpty(X509CertificateFilePath) && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(X509CertificatePassword);
+            !string.IsNullOrEmpty(X509CertificateFilePath);
 
         /// <inheritdoc cref="IWireMockMiddlewareOptions.SaveUnmatchedRequests"/>
         public bool? SaveUnmatchedRequests { get; set; }
diff --git a/src/WireMock.Net/Settings/WireMockCertificateSettings.cs b/src/WireMock.Net/Settings/WireMockCertificateSettings.cs
index a9234c30..ebf27049 100644
--- a/src/WireMock.Net/Settings/WireMockCertificateSettings.cs
+++ b/src/WireMock.Net/Settings/WireMockCertificateSettings.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-using JetBrains.Annotations;
+using JetBrains.Annotations;
 
 namespace WireMock.Settings
 {
@@ -31,6 +31,6 @@ namespace WireMock.Settings
         [PublicAPI]
         public bool IsDefined =>
             !string.IsNullOrEmpty(X509StoreName) && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(X509StoreLocation) ||
-            !string.IsNullOrEmpty(X509CertificateFilePath) && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(X509CertificatePassword);
+            !string.IsNullOrEmpty(X509CertificateFilePath);
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file