diff --git a/acme/db/nosql/certificate.go b/acme/db/nosql/certificate.go
index ef766843..bd46df4d 100644
--- a/acme/db/nosql/certificate.go
+++ b/acme/db/nosql/certificate.go
@@ -59,47 +59,27 @@ func (db *DB) GetCertificate(ctx context.Context, id string) (*acme.Certificate,
 	if nosql.IsErrNotFound(err) {
 		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "certificate %s not found", id)
 	} else if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "error loading certificate")
+		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "error loading certificate %s", id)
 	}
 	dbC := new(dbCert)
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(b, dbC); err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "error unmarshaling certificate")
+		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "error unmarshaling certificate %s", id)
 	}
 
-	leaf, err := parseCert(dbC.Leaf)
+	certs, err := parseBundle(append(dbC.Leaf, dbC.Intermediates...))
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "error parsing leaf of ACME Certificate with ID '%s'", id)
-	}
-
-	intermediates, err := parseBundle(dbC.Intermediates)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "error parsing intermediate bundle of ACME Certificate with ID '%s'", id)
+		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "error parsing certificate chain for ACME certificate with ID %s", id)
 	}
 
 	return &acme.Certificate{
 		ID:            dbC.ID,
 		AccountID:     dbC.AccountID,
 		OrderID:       dbC.OrderID,
-		Leaf:          leaf,
-		Intermediates: intermediates,
+		Leaf:          certs[0],
+		Intermediates: certs[1:],
 	}, nil
 }
 
-func parseCert(b []byte) (*x509.Certificate, error) {
-	block, rest := pem.Decode(b)
-	if block == nil || len(rest) > 0 {
-		return nil, errors.New("error decoding PEM block: contains unexpected data")
-	}
-	if block.Type != "CERTIFICATE" {
-		return nil, errors.New("error decoding PEM: block is not a certificate bundle")
-	}
-	cert, err := x509.ParseCertificate(block.Bytes)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "error parsing x509 certificate")
-	}
-	return cert, nil
-}
-
 func parseBundle(b []byte) ([]*x509.Certificate, error) {
 	var (
 		err    error
diff --git a/acme/db/nosql/certificate_test.go b/acme/db/nosql/certificate_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..83f07f5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/acme/db/nosql/certificate_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,311 @@
+package nosql
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"crypto/x509"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"encoding/pem"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+	"github.com/smallstep/assert"
+	"github.com/smallstep/certificates/acme"
+	"github.com/smallstep/certificates/db"
+	"github.com/smallstep/nosql"
+	nosqldb "github.com/smallstep/nosql/database"
+
+	"go.step.sm/crypto/pemutil"
+)
+
+func TestDB_CreateCertificate(t *testing.T) {
+	leaf, err := pemutil.ReadCertificate("../../../authority/testdata/certs/foo.crt")
+	assert.FatalError(t, err)
+	inter, err := pemutil.ReadCertificate("../../../authority/testdata/certs/intermediate_ca.crt")
+	assert.FatalError(t, err)
+	root, err := pemutil.ReadCertificate("../../../authority/testdata/certs/root_ca.crt")
+	assert.FatalError(t, err)
+	type test struct {
+		db   nosql.DB
+		cert *acme.Certificate
+		err  error
+		_id  *string
+	}
+	var tests = map[string]func(t *testing.T) test{
+		"fail/cmpAndSwap-error": func(t *testing.T) test {
+			cert := &acme.Certificate{
+				AccountID:     "accounttID",
+				OrderID:       "orderID",
+				Leaf:          leaf,
+				Intermediates: []*x509.Certificate{inter, root},
+			}
+			return test{
+				db: &db.MockNoSQLDB{
+					MCmpAndSwap: func(bucket, key, old, nu []byte) ([]byte, bool, error) {
+						assert.Equals(t, bucket, certTable)
+						assert.Equals(t, key, []byte(cert.ID))
+						assert.Equals(t, old, nil)
+
+						dbc := new(dbCert)
+						assert.FatalError(t, json.Unmarshal(nu, dbc))
+						assert.FatalError(t, err)
+						assert.Equals(t, dbc.ID, string(key))
+						assert.Equals(t, dbc.ID, cert.ID)
+						assert.Equals(t, dbc.AccountID, cert.AccountID)
+						assert.True(t, clock.Now().Add(-time.Minute).Before(dbc.Created))
+						assert.True(t, clock.Now().Add(time.Minute).After(dbc.Created))
+						return nil, false, errors.New("force")
+					},
+				},
+				cert: cert,
+				err:  errors.New("error saving acme certificate: force"),
+			}
+		},
+		"ok": func(t *testing.T) test {
+			cert := &acme.Certificate{
+				AccountID:     "accounttID",
+				OrderID:       "orderID",
+				Leaf:          leaf,
+				Intermediates: []*x509.Certificate{inter, root},
+			}
+			var (
+				id    string
+				idPtr = &id
+			)
+
+			return test{
+				db: &db.MockNoSQLDB{
+					MCmpAndSwap: func(bucket, key, old, nu []byte) ([]byte, bool, error) {
+						*idPtr = string(key)
+						assert.Equals(t, bucket, certTable)
+						assert.Equals(t, key, []byte(cert.ID))
+						assert.Equals(t, old, nil)
+
+						dbc := new(dbCert)
+						assert.FatalError(t, json.Unmarshal(nu, dbc))
+						assert.FatalError(t, err)
+						assert.Equals(t, dbc.ID, string(key))
+						assert.Equals(t, dbc.ID, cert.ID)
+						assert.Equals(t, dbc.AccountID, cert.AccountID)
+						assert.True(t, clock.Now().Add(-time.Minute).Before(dbc.Created))
+						assert.True(t, clock.Now().Add(time.Minute).After(dbc.Created))
+						return nil, true, nil
+					},
+				},
+				_id:  idPtr,
+				cert: cert,
+			}
+		},
+	}
+	for name, run := range tests {
+		tc := run(t)
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			db := DB{db: tc.db}
+			if err := db.CreateCertificate(context.Background(), tc.cert); err != nil {
+				if assert.NotNil(t, tc.err) {
+					assert.HasPrefix(t, err.Error(), tc.err.Error())
+				}
+			} else {
+				if assert.Nil(t, tc.err) {
+					assert.Equals(t, tc.cert.ID, *tc._id)
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDB_GetCertificate(t *testing.T) {
+	leaf, err := pemutil.ReadCertificate("../../../authority/testdata/certs/foo.crt")
+	assert.FatalError(t, err)
+	inter, err := pemutil.ReadCertificate("../../../authority/testdata/certs/intermediate_ca.crt")
+	assert.FatalError(t, err)
+	root, err := pemutil.ReadCertificate("../../../authority/testdata/certs/root_ca.crt")
+	assert.FatalError(t, err)
+
+	certID := "certID"
+	type test struct {
+		db  nosql.DB
+		err error
+	}
+	var tests = map[string]func(t *testing.T) test{
+		"fail/not-found": func(t *testing.T) test {
+			return test{
+				db: &db.MockNoSQLDB{
+					MGet: func(bucket, key []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+						assert.Equals(t, bucket, certTable)
+						assert.Equals(t, string(key), certID)
+
+						return nil, nosqldb.ErrNotFound
+					},
+				},
+				err: errors.New("certificate certID not found"),
+			}
+		},
+		"fail/db.Get-error": func(t *testing.T) test {
+			return test{
+				db: &db.MockNoSQLDB{
+					MGet: func(bucket, key []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+						assert.Equals(t, bucket, certTable)
+						assert.Equals(t, string(key), certID)
+
+						return nil, errors.Errorf("force")
+					},
+				},
+				err: errors.New("error loading certificate certID: force"),
+			}
+		},
+		"fail/unmarshal-error": func(t *testing.T) test {
+			return test{
+				db: &db.MockNoSQLDB{
+					MGet: func(bucket, key []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+						assert.Equals(t, bucket, certTable)
+						assert.Equals(t, string(key), certID)
+
+						return []byte("foobar"), nil
+					},
+				},
+				err: errors.New("error unmarshaling certificate certID"),
+			}
+		},
+		"fail/parseBundle-error": func(t *testing.T) test {
+			return test{
+				db: &db.MockNoSQLDB{
+					MGet: func(bucket, key []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+						assert.Equals(t, bucket, certTable)
+						assert.Equals(t, string(key), certID)
+
+						cert := dbCert{
+							ID:        certID,
+							AccountID: "accountID",
+							OrderID:   "orderID",
+							Leaf: pem.EncodeToMemory(&pem.Block{
+								Type:  "Public Key",
+								Bytes: leaf.Raw,
+							}),
+							Created: clock.Now(),
+						}
+						b, err := json.Marshal(cert)
+						assert.FatalError(t, err)
+
+						return b, nil
+					},
+				},
+				err: errors.Errorf("error parsing certificate chain for ACME certificate with ID certID"),
+			}
+		},
+		"ok": func(t *testing.T) test {
+			return test{
+				db: &db.MockNoSQLDB{
+					MGet: func(bucket, key []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+						assert.Equals(t, bucket, certTable)
+						assert.Equals(t, string(key), certID)
+
+						cert := dbCert{
+							ID:        certID,
+							AccountID: "accountID",
+							OrderID:   "orderID",
+							Leaf: pem.EncodeToMemory(&pem.Block{
+								Type:  "CERTIFICATE",
+								Bytes: leaf.Raw,
+							}),
+							Intermediates: append(pem.EncodeToMemory(&pem.Block{
+								Type:  "CERTIFICATE",
+								Bytes: inter.Raw,
+							}), pem.EncodeToMemory(&pem.Block{
+								Type:  "CERTIFICATE",
+								Bytes: root.Raw,
+							})...),
+							Created: clock.Now(),
+						}
+						b, err := json.Marshal(cert)
+						assert.FatalError(t, err)
+
+						return b, nil
+					},
+				},
+			}
+		},
+	}
+	for name, run := range tests {
+		tc := run(t)
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			db := DB{db: tc.db}
+			cert, err := db.GetCertificate(context.Background(), certID)
+			if err != nil {
+				if assert.NotNil(t, tc.err) {
+					assert.HasPrefix(t, err.Error(), tc.err.Error())
+				}
+			} else {
+				if assert.Nil(t, tc.err) {
+					assert.Equals(t, cert.ID, certID)
+					assert.Equals(t, cert.AccountID, "accountID")
+					assert.Equals(t, cert.OrderID, "orderID")
+					assert.Equals(t, cert.Leaf, leaf)
+					assert.Equals(t, cert.Intermediates, []*x509.Certificate{inter, root})
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func Test_parseBundle(t *testing.T) {
+	leaf, err := pemutil.ReadCertificate("../../../authority/testdata/certs/foo.crt")
+	assert.FatalError(t, err)
+	inter, err := pemutil.ReadCertificate("../../../authority/testdata/certs/intermediate_ca.crt")
+	assert.FatalError(t, err)
+	root, err := pemutil.ReadCertificate("../../../authority/testdata/certs/root_ca.crt")
+	assert.FatalError(t, err)
+
+	var certs []byte
+	for _, cert := range []*x509.Certificate{leaf, inter, root} {
+		certs = append(certs, pem.EncodeToMemory(&pem.Block{
+			Type:  "CERTIFICATE",
+			Bytes: cert.Raw,
+		})...)
+	}
+
+	type test struct {
+		b   []byte
+		err error
+	}
+	var tests = map[string]test{
+		"fail/bad-type-error": {
+			b: pem.EncodeToMemory(&pem.Block{
+				Type:  "Public Key",
+				Bytes: leaf.Raw,
+			}),
+			err: errors.Errorf("error decoding PEM: data contains block that is not a certificate"),
+		},
+		"fail/bad-pem-error": {
+			b: pem.EncodeToMemory(&pem.Block{
+				Type:  "CERTIFICATE",
+				Bytes: []byte("foo"),
+			}),
+			err: errors.Errorf("error parsing x509 certificate"),
+		},
+		"fail/unexpected-data": {
+			b: append(pem.EncodeToMemory(&pem.Block{
+				Type:  "CERTIFICATE",
+				Bytes: leaf.Raw,
+			}), []byte("foo")...),
+			err: errors.Errorf("error decoding PEM: unexpected data"),
+		},
+		"ok": {
+			b: certs,
+		},
+	}
+	for name, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			ret, err := parseBundle(tc.b)
+			if err != nil {
+				if assert.NotNil(t, tc.err) {
+					assert.HasPrefix(t, err.Error(), tc.err.Error())
+				}
+			} else {
+				if assert.Nil(t, tc.err) {
+					assert.Equals(t, ret, []*x509.Certificate{leaf, inter, root})
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}