diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/60740-openssl_certificate-check-existence.yml b/changelogs/fragments/60740-openssl_certificate-check-existence.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7e99211a49a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/60740-openssl_certificate-check-existence.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+- "openssl_certificate - improve behavior when required files are missing."
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/crypto/openssl_certificate.py b/lib/ansible/modules/crypto/openssl_certificate.py
index c2905a34d6b..a16ab4db2c3 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/crypto/openssl_certificate.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/crypto/openssl_certificate.py
@@ -809,7 +809,6 @@ try:
     from cryptography import x509
     from cryptography.hazmat.backends import default_backend
     from cryptography.hazmat.primitives.serialization import Encoding
-    from cryptography.hazmat.primitives.hashes import SHA1
     from cryptography.x509 import NameAttribute, Name
     from cryptography.x509.oid import NameOID
     CRYPTOGRAPHY_VERSION = LooseVersion(cryptography.__version__)
@@ -1000,6 +999,16 @@ class SelfSignedCertificateCryptography(Certificate):
         self.digest = crypto_utils.select_message_digest(module.params['selfsigned_digest'])
         self.version = module.params['selfsigned_version']
         self.serial_number = x509.random_serial_number()
+
+        if not os.path.exists(self.csr_path):
+            raise CertificateError(
+                'The certificate signing request file {0} does not exist'.format(self.csr_path)
+            )
+        if not os.path.exists(self.privatekey_path):
+            raise CertificateError(
+                'The private key file {0} does not exist'.format(self.privatekey_path)
+            )
+
         self.csr = crypto_utils.load_certificate_request(self.csr_path, backend=self.backend)
         self._module = module
 
@@ -1093,6 +1102,16 @@ class SelfSignedCertificate(Certificate):
         self.digest = module.params['selfsigned_digest']
         self.version = module.params['selfsigned_version']
         self.serial_number = randint(1000, 99999)
+
+        if not os.path.exists(self.csr_path):
+            raise CertificateError(
+                'The certificate signing request file {0} does not exist'.format(self.csr_path)
+            )
+        if not os.path.exists(self.privatekey_path):
+            raise CertificateError(
+                'The private key file {0} does not exist'.format(self.privatekey_path)
+            )
+
         self.csr = crypto_utils.load_certificate_request(self.csr_path)
         try:
             self.privatekey = crypto_utils.load_privatekey(
@@ -1175,6 +1194,20 @@ class OwnCACertificateCryptography(Certificate):
         self.ca_cert_path = module.params['ownca_path']
         self.ca_privatekey_path = module.params['ownca_privatekey_path']
         self.ca_privatekey_passphrase = module.params['ownca_privatekey_passphrase']
+
+        if not os.path.exists(self.csr_path):
+            raise CertificateError(
+                'The certificate signing request file {0} does not exist'.format(self.csr_path)
+            )
+        if not os.path.exists(self.ca_cert_path):
+            raise CertificateError(
+                'The CA certificate file {0} does not exist'.format(self.ca_cert_path)
+            )
+        if not os.path.exists(self.ca_privatekey_path):
+            raise CertificateError(
+                'The CA private key file {0} does not exist'.format(self.ca_privatekey_path)
+            )
+
         self.csr = crypto_utils.load_certificate_request(self.csr_path, backend=self.backend)
         self.ca_cert = crypto_utils.load_certificate(self.ca_cert_path, backend=self.backend)
         try:
@@ -1272,6 +1305,20 @@ class OwnCACertificate(Certificate):
         self.ca_cert_path = module.params['ownca_path']
         self.ca_privatekey_path = module.params['ownca_privatekey_path']
         self.ca_privatekey_passphrase = module.params['ownca_privatekey_passphrase']
+
+        if not os.path.exists(self.csr_path):
+            raise CertificateError(
+                'The certificate signing request file {0} does not exist'.format(self.csr_path)
+            )
+        if not os.path.exists(self.ca_cert_path):
+            raise CertificateError(
+                'The CA certificate file {0} does not exist'.format(self.ca_cert_path)
+            )
+        if not os.path.exists(self.ca_privatekey_path):
+            raise CertificateError(
+                'The CA private key file {0} does not exist'.format(self.ca_privatekey_path)
+            )
+
         self.csr = crypto_utils.load_certificate_request(self.csr_path)
         self.ca_cert = crypto_utils.load_certificate(self.ca_cert_path)
         try: