diff --git a/library/ssl_misc.h b/library/ssl_misc.h
index 01420dde23..2d513339f6 100644
--- a/library/ssl_misc.h
+++ b/library/ssl_misc.h
@@ -510,8 +510,9 @@ struct mbedtls_ssl_handshake_params
 #endif
 
 #if defined(MBEDTLS_SSL_SRV_C)
-    /** cert_request_send to indicate whether client certitifacte request */
-    uint16_t cert_request_send;
+    /* Flag indicating if a CertificateRequest message has been sent
+     * to the client or not. */
+    uint16_t certificate_request_sent;
 #endif /* MBEDTLS_SSL_SRV_C */
 
 #if defined(MBEDTLS_SSL_SESSION_TICKETS)
diff --git a/library/ssl_tls13_generic.c b/library/ssl_tls13_generic.c
index ab4d077a55..786a72c025 100644
--- a/library/ssl_tls13_generic.c
+++ b/library/ssl_tls13_generic.c
@@ -315,14 +315,6 @@ int mbedtls_ssl_tls13_process_certificate_verify( mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl )
 
     MBEDTLS_SSL_DEBUG_MSG( 2, ( "=> parse certificate verify" ) );
 
-    if( ssl->handshake->cert_request_send &&
-        ssl->session_negotiate->peer_cert == NULL ) 
-    {
-        MBEDTLS_SSL_DEBUG_MSG( 2, ( "<= skip parse certificate verify" ) );
-        ret = 0;
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
-
     MBEDTLS_SSL_PROC_CHK(
         mbedtls_ssl_tls13_fetch_handshake_msg( ssl,
                 MBEDTLS_SSL_HS_CERTIFICATE_VERIFY, &buf, &buf_len ) );
@@ -472,6 +464,13 @@ static int ssl_tls13_parse_certificate( mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl,
         mbedtls_free( ssl->session_negotiate->peer_cert );
     }
 
+    if( certificate_list_len == 0 )
+    {
+        ssl->session_negotiate->peer_cert = NULL;
+        ret = 0;
+        goto exit;
+    }
+
     if( ( ssl->session_negotiate->peer_cert =
           mbedtls_calloc( 1, sizeof( mbedtls_x509_crt ) ) ) == NULL )
     {
@@ -557,6 +556,7 @@ static int ssl_tls13_parse_certificate( mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl,
         return( MBEDTLS_ERR_SSL_DECODE_ERROR );
     }
 
+exit:
     MBEDTLS_SSL_DEBUG_CRT( 3, "peer certificate", ssl->session_negotiate->peer_cert );
 
     return( ret );
@@ -620,15 +620,15 @@ static int ssl_tls13_validate_certificate( mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl )
     }
 #endif /* MBEDTLS_SSL_SRV_C */
 
-    if( authmode == MBEDTLS_SSL_VERIFY_NONE )
+#if defined(MBEDTLS_SSL_CLI_C)
+    if( ssl->conf->endpoint == MBEDTLS_SSL_IS_CLIENT &&
+        ssl->session_negotiate->peer_cert == NULL )
     {
-        /* NOTE: This happens on client-side only, with the
-         * server-side case of VERIFY_NONE being handled earlier
-         * and leading to `ssl->verify_result` being set to
-         * MBEDTLS_X509_BADCERT_SKIP_VERIFY --
-         * is this difference intentional? */
-        return( 0 );
+        MBEDTLS_SSL_PEND_FATAL_ALERT( MBEDTLS_SSL_ALERT_MSG_NO_CERT,
+                                      MBEDTLS_ERR_SSL_FATAL_ALERT_MESSAGE );
+        return( MBEDTLS_ERR_SSL_FATAL_ALERT_MESSAGE );
     }
+#endif /* MBEDTLS_SSL_CLI_C */
 
 #if defined(MBEDTLS_SSL_SERVER_NAME_INDICATION)
     if( ssl->handshake->sni_ca_chain != NULL )
@@ -746,36 +746,23 @@ int mbedtls_ssl_tls13_process_certificate( mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl )
     int ret = MBEDTLS_ERR_ERROR_CORRUPTION_DETECTED;
     MBEDTLS_SSL_DEBUG_MSG( 2, ( "=> parse certificate" ) );
 
-    /* Coordination:
-     * Check if we expect a certificate, and if yes,
-     * check if a non-empty certificate has been sent.
-     */
 #if defined(MBEDTLS_KEY_EXCHANGE_ECDHE_ECDSA_ENABLED)
-    if( ssl->handshake->cert_request_send )
-    {
-        unsigned char *buf;
-        size_t buf_len;
+    unsigned char *buf;
+    size_t buf_len;
 
-        MBEDTLS_SSL_PROC_CHK( mbedtls_ssl_tls13_fetch_handshake_msg(
-                              ssl, MBEDTLS_SSL_HS_CERTIFICATE,
-                              &buf, &buf_len ) );
+    MBEDTLS_SSL_PROC_CHK( mbedtls_ssl_tls13_fetch_handshake_msg(
+                          ssl, MBEDTLS_SSL_HS_CERTIFICATE,
+                          &buf, &buf_len ) );
 
-        /* Parse the certificate chain sent by the peer. */
-        MBEDTLS_SSL_PROC_CHK( ssl_tls13_parse_certificate( ssl, buf,
-                                                           buf + buf_len ) );
-        /* Validate the certificate chain and set the verification results. */
-        MBEDTLS_SSL_PROC_CHK( ssl_tls13_validate_certificate( ssl ) );
+    /* Parse the certificate chain sent by the peer. */
+    MBEDTLS_SSL_PROC_CHK( ssl_tls13_parse_certificate( ssl, buf,
+                                                       buf + buf_len ) );
+    /* Validate the certificate chain and set the verification results. */
+    MBEDTLS_SSL_PROC_CHK( ssl_tls13_validate_certificate( ssl ) );
 
-        mbedtls_ssl_add_hs_msg_to_checksum( ssl, MBEDTLS_SSL_HS_CERTIFICATE,
-                                            buf, buf_len );
-    }
-    else
+    mbedtls_ssl_add_hs_msg_to_checksum( ssl, MBEDTLS_SSL_HS_CERTIFICATE,
+                                        buf, buf_len );
 #endif /* MBEDTLS_KEY_EXCHANGE_ECDHE_ECDSA_ENABLED */
-    {
-        MBEDTLS_SSL_DEBUG_MSG( 2, ( "<= skip parse certificate" ) );
-        ret = 0;
-    }
-
 
 cleanup:
 
diff --git a/library/ssl_tls13_server.c b/library/ssl_tls13_server.c
index fa297cb78f..43018d0dbf 100644
--- a/library/ssl_tls13_server.c
+++ b/library/ssl_tls13_server.c
@@ -1342,7 +1342,7 @@ static int ssl_tls13_certificate_request_coordinate( mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl )
     if( authmode == MBEDTLS_SSL_VERIFY_NONE )
         return( SSL_CERTIFICATE_REQUEST_SKIP );
 
-    ssl->handshake->cert_request_send = 1;
+    ssl->handshake->certificate_request_sent = 1;
 
     return( SSL_CERTIFICATE_REQUEST_SEND_REQUEST );
 }
@@ -1497,7 +1497,8 @@ static int ssl_tls13_write_server_finished( mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl )
                 MBEDTLS_ERR_SSL_HANDSHAKE_FAILURE );
         return( ret );
     }
-    if( ssl->handshake->cert_request_send )
+
+    if( ssl->handshake->certificate_request_sent )
     {
         mbedtls_ssl_handshake_set_state( ssl, MBEDTLS_SSL_CLIENT_CERTIFICATE );
 
@@ -1517,9 +1518,9 @@ static int ssl_tls13_process_client_finished( mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl )
     int ret = MBEDTLS_ERR_ERROR_CORRUPTION_DETECTED;
 
     MBEDTLS_SSL_DEBUG_MSG( 1,
-                  ( "Switch to handshake traffic keys for inbound traffic" ) );
-    mbedtls_ssl_set_inbound_transform( ssl, ssl->handshake->transform_handshake );
-
+                  ( "Switch to handshake traffic keys for outbound traffic" ) );
+    if( ! ssl->handshake->certificate_request_sent )
+        mbedtls_ssl_set_inbound_transform( ssl, ssl->handshake->transform_handshake );
     ret = mbedtls_ssl_tls13_process_finished_message( ssl );
     if( ret != 0 )
         return( ret );
@@ -1625,11 +1626,14 @@ int mbedtls_ssl_tls13_handshake_server_step( mbedtls_ssl_context *ssl )
 
         case MBEDTLS_SSL_CLIENT_CERTIFICATE:
             ret = mbedtls_ssl_tls13_process_certificate( ssl );
-            if( ret == 0 )
+            if( ret == 0 && ssl->session_negotiate->peer_cert != NULL)
             {
                 mbedtls_ssl_handshake_set_state(
                     ssl, MBEDTLS_SSL_CLIENT_CERTIFICATE_VERIFY );
             }
+            else
+                mbedtls_ssl_handshake_set_state(
+                    ssl, MBEDTLS_SSL_CLIENT_FINISHED );
             break;
 
         case MBEDTLS_SSL_CLIENT_CERTIFICATE_VERIFY:
diff --git a/tests/ssl-opt.sh b/tests/ssl-opt.sh
index 2aeee4ffbc..eb9c1f48f9 100755
--- a/tests/ssl-opt.sh
+++ b/tests/ssl-opt.sh
@@ -11291,7 +11291,7 @@ requires_config_enabled MBEDTLS_SSL_SRV_C
 run_test    "TLS 1.3: Server side check - gnutls with client authentication" \
             "$P_SRV debug_level=4 auth_mode=required crt_file=data_files/server5.crt key_file=data_files/server5.key force_version=tls13 tickets=0" \
             "$G_NEXT_CLI localhost -d 4 --x509certfile data_files/server5.crt --x509keyfile data_files/server5.key --priority=NORMAL:-VERS-ALL:+VERS-TLS1.3:%NO_TICKETS:%DISABLE_TLS13_COMPAT_MODE -V" \
-            1 \
+            0 \
             -s "tls13 server state: MBEDTLS_SSL_CLIENT_HELLO" \
             -s "tls13 server state: MBEDTLS_SSL_SERVER_HELLO" \
             -s "tls13 server state: MBEDTLS_SSL_ENCRYPTED_EXTENSIONS" \
@@ -11310,7 +11310,7 @@ requires_config_enabled MBEDTLS_SSL_CLI_C
 run_test    "TLS 1.3: Server side check - mbedtls" \
             "$P_SRV debug_level=4 crt_file=data_files/server5.crt key_file=data_files/server5.key force_version=tls13 tickets=0" \
             "$P_CLI debug_level=4 force_version=tls13" \
-            1 \
+            0 \
             -s "tls13 server state: MBEDTLS_SSL_CLIENT_HELLO" \
             -s "tls13 server state: MBEDTLS_SSL_SERVER_HELLO" \
             -s "tls13 server state: MBEDTLS_SSL_ENCRYPTED_EXTENSIONS" \
@@ -11329,7 +11329,7 @@ requires_config_enabled MBEDTLS_SSL_CLI_C
 run_test    "TLS 1.3: Server side check - mbedtls with client authentication" \
             "$P_SRV debug_level=4 auth_mode=required crt_file=data_files/server5.crt key_file=data_files/server5.key force_version=tls13 tickets=0" \
             "$P_CLI debug_level=4 crt_file=data_files/server5.crt key_file=data_files/server5.key force_version=tls13" \
-            1 \
+            0 \
             -s "tls13 server state: MBEDTLS_SSL_CLIENT_HELLO" \
             -s "tls13 server state: MBEDTLS_SSL_SERVER_HELLO" \
             -s "tls13 server state: MBEDTLS_SSL_ENCRYPTED_EXTENSIONS" \