diff --git a/acme/crypto.go b/acme/crypto.go
index a7110b0f..fc0ff288 100644
--- a/acme/crypto.go
+++ b/acme/crypto.go
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import (
 	"crypto/x509"
 	"crypto/x509/pkix"
 	"encoding/pem"
+	"math/big"
+	"time"
 )
 
 func generatePrivateKey(keyLength int) (*rsa.PrivateKey, error) {
@@ -31,3 +33,49 @@ func pemEncode(data interface{}) []byte {
 
 	return pem.EncodeToMemory(pemBlock)
 }
+
+func GetCertExpiration(cert []byte) (time.Time, error) {
+	pCert, err := x509.ParseCertificate(cert)
+	if err != nil {
+		return time.Time{}, err
+	}
+
+	return pCert.NotAfter, nil
+}
+
+func generatePemCert(privKey *rsa.PrivateKey, domain string) ([]byte, error) {
+	derBytes, err := generateDerCert(privKey, time.Time{}, domain)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return pem.EncodeToMemory(&pem.Block{Type: "CERTIFICATE", Bytes: derBytes}), nil
+}
+
+func generateDerCert(privKey *rsa.PrivateKey, expiration time.Time, domain string) ([]byte, error) {
+	serialNumberLimit := new(big.Int).Lsh(big.NewInt(1), 128)
+	serialNumber, err := rand.Int(rand.Reader, serialNumberLimit)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	zero := time.Time{}
+	if expiration == zero {
+		expiration = time.Now().Add(365)
+	}
+
+	template := x509.Certificate{
+		SerialNumber: serialNumber,
+		Subject: pkix.Name{
+			CommonName: "ACME Challenge TEMP",
+		},
+		NotBefore: time.Now(),
+		NotAfter:  expiration,
+
+		KeyUsage:              x509.KeyUsageKeyEncipherment,
+		BasicConstraintsValid: true,
+		DNSNames:              []string{domain},
+	}
+
+	return x509.CreateCertificate(rand.Reader, &template, &template, &privKey.PublicKey, privKey)
+}
diff --git a/acme/crypto_test.go b/acme/crypto_test.go
index 49c72e0c..b1e8713f 100644
--- a/acme/crypto_test.go
+++ b/acme/crypto_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"crypto/rsa"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 )
 
 func TestGeneratePrivateKey(t *testing.T) {
@@ -50,6 +51,30 @@ func TestPEMEncode(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestCertExpiration(t *testing.T) {
+	privKey, err := generatePrivateKey(2048)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("Error generating private key:", err)
+	}
+
+	expiration := time.Now().Add(365)
+	expiration = expiration.Round(time.Second)
+	certBytes, err := generateDerCert(privKey, expiration, "test.com")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("Error generating cert:", err)
+	}
+
+	buf := bytes.NewBufferString("TestingRSAIsSoMuchFun")
+
+	if ctime, err := GetCertExpiration(buf.Bytes()); err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("Expected getCertExpiration to return an error for garbage string but returned %v", ctime)
+	}
+
+	if ctime, err := GetCertExpiration(certBytes); err != nil || ctime != expiration.UTC() {
+		t.Errorf("Expected getCertExpiration to return %v but returned: %v, err: %v", expiration.UTC(), ctime, err)
+	}
+}
+
 type MockRandReader struct {
 	b *bytes.Buffer
 }
diff --git a/acme/simple_http_challenge.go b/acme/simple_http_challenge.go
index 099d5e78..9cb4ffdd 100644
--- a/acme/simple_http_challenge.go
+++ b/acme/simple_http_challenge.go
@@ -2,16 +2,13 @@ package acme
 
 import (
 	"crypto/rand"
-	"crypto/rsa"
 	"crypto/tls"
 	"crypto/x509"
-	"crypto/x509/pkix"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"encoding/pem"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
-	"math/big"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"strings"
@@ -122,7 +119,7 @@ func (s *simpleHTTPChallenge) startHTTPSServer(domain string, token string) (net
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	tempCertPEM, err := generateCert(tempPrivKey, domain)
+	tempCertPEM, err := generatePemCert(tempPrivKey, domain)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -190,31 +187,3 @@ func getRandomString(length int) string {
 	}
 	return string(bytes)
 }
-
-func generateCert(privKey *rsa.PrivateKey, domain string) ([]byte, error) {
-	serialNumberLimit := new(big.Int).Lsh(big.NewInt(1), 128)
-	serialNumber, err := rand.Int(rand.Reader, serialNumberLimit)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	template := x509.Certificate{
-		SerialNumber: serialNumber,
-		Subject: pkix.Name{
-			CommonName: "ACME Challenge TEMP",
-		},
-		NotBefore: time.Now(),
-		NotAfter:  time.Now().Add(365),
-
-		KeyUsage:              x509.KeyUsageKeyEncipherment,
-		BasicConstraintsValid: true,
-		DNSNames:              []string{domain},
-	}
-
-	derBytes, err := x509.CreateCertificate(rand.Reader, &template, &template, &privKey.PublicKey, privKey)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	return pem.EncodeToMemory(&pem.Block{Type: "CERTIFICATE", Bytes: derBytes}), nil
-}