diff --git a/apps/ts.c b/apps/ts.c
index 2497c3b..e4a7515 100644
--- a/apps/ts.c
+++ b/apps/ts.c
@@ -980,6 +980,10 @@
     const char *propq = app_get0_propq();
 
     cert_ctx = X509_STORE_new();
+    if (cert_ctx == NULL) {
+        BIO_printf(bio_err, "memory allocation failure\n");
+        return NULL;
+    }
     X509_STORE_set_verify_cb(cert_ctx, verify_cb);
     if (CApath != NULL) {
         lookup = X509_STORE_add_lookup(cert_ctx, X509_LOOKUP_hash_dir());