diff --git a/builtin/credential/cert/backend.go b/builtin/credential/cert/backend.go
index 72089037a..567ef8163 100644
--- a/builtin/credential/cert/backend.go
+++ b/builtin/credential/cert/backend.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func Backend() *backend {
 			pathListCRLs(&b),
 			pathCRLs(&b),
 		},
-		AuthRenew:      b.pathLoginRenew,
+		AuthRenew:      b.loginPathWrapper(b.pathLoginRenew),
 		Invalidate:     b.invalidate,
 		BackendType:    logical.TypeCredential,
 		InitializeFunc: b.initialize,
@@ -101,12 +101,12 @@ func (b *backend) initOCSPClient(cacheSize int) {
 	}, cacheSize)
 }
 
-func (b *backend) updatedConfig(config *config) error {
+func (b *backend) updatedConfig(config *config) {
 	b.ocspClientMutex.Lock()
 	defer b.ocspClientMutex.Unlock()
 	b.initOCSPClient(config.OcspCacheSize)
 	b.configUpdated.Store(false)
-	return nil
+	return
 }
 
 func (b *backend) fetchCRL(ctx context.Context, storage logical.Storage, name string, crl *CRLInfo) error {
diff --git a/builtin/credential/cert/path_crls.go b/builtin/credential/cert/path_crls.go
index 787c5572d..75edcc32c 100644
--- a/builtin/credential/cert/path_crls.go
+++ b/builtin/credential/cert/path_crls.go
@@ -71,6 +71,16 @@ using the same name as specified here.`,
 	}
 }
 
+func (b *backend) populateCrlsIfNil(ctx context.Context, storage logical.Storage) error {
+	b.crlUpdateMutex.RLock()
+	if b.crls == nil {
+		b.crlUpdateMutex.RUnlock()
+		return b.lockThenpopulateCRLs(ctx, storage)
+	}
+	b.crlUpdateMutex.RUnlock()
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (b *backend) lockThenpopulateCRLs(ctx context.Context, storage logical.Storage) error {
 	b.crlUpdateMutex.Lock()
 	defer b.crlUpdateMutex.Unlock()
diff --git a/builtin/credential/cert/path_crls_test.go b/builtin/credential/cert/path_crls_test.go
index aa293a52c..9ca1f1243 100644
--- a/builtin/credential/cert/path_crls_test.go
+++ b/builtin/credential/cert/path_crls_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"crypto/rand"
 	"crypto/x509"
 	"crypto/x509/pkix"
+	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"math/big"
 	"net/http"
@@ -14,6 +15,8 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/helper/testhelpers/corehelpers"
+
 	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/sdk/framework"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/sdk/helper/certutil"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/sdk/logical"
@@ -162,7 +165,7 @@ func TestCRLFetch(t *testing.T) {
 
 	b.crlUpdateMutex.Lock()
 	if len(b.crls["testcrl"].Serials) != 1 {
-		t.Fatalf("wrong number of certs in CRL")
+		t.Fatalf("wrong number of certs in CRL got %d, expected 1", len(b.crls["testcrl"].Serials))
 	}
 	b.crlUpdateMutex.Unlock()
 
@@ -188,11 +191,14 @@ func TestCRLFetch(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Give ourselves a little extra room on slower CI systems to ensure we
 	// can fetch the new CRL.
-	time.Sleep(150 * time.Millisecond)
+	corehelpers.RetryUntil(t, 2*time.Second, func() error {
+		b.crlUpdateMutex.Lock()
+		defer b.crlUpdateMutex.Unlock()
 
-	b.crlUpdateMutex.Lock()
-	if len(b.crls["testcrl"].Serials) != 2 {
-		t.Fatalf("wrong number of certs in CRL")
-	}
-	b.crlUpdateMutex.Unlock()
+		serialCount := len(b.crls["testcrl"].Serials)
+		if serialCount != 2 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("CRL refresh did not occur serial count %d", serialCount)
+		}
+		return nil
+	})
 }
diff --git a/builtin/credential/cert/path_login.go b/builtin/credential/cert/path_login.go
index 8547e9209..59c48e76f 100644
--- a/builtin/credential/cert/path_login.go
+++ b/builtin/credential/cert/path_login.go
@@ -39,15 +39,27 @@ func pathLogin(b *backend) *framework.Path {
 			},
 		},
 		Callbacks: map[logical.Operation]framework.OperationFunc{
-			logical.UpdateOperation:         b.pathLogin,
+			logical.UpdateOperation:         b.loginPathWrapper(b.pathLogin),
 			logical.AliasLookaheadOperation: b.pathLoginAliasLookahead,
-			logical.ResolveRoleOperation:    b.pathLoginResolveRole,
+			logical.ResolveRoleOperation:    b.loginPathWrapper(b.pathLoginResolveRole),
 		},
 	}
 }
 
+func (b *backend) loginPathWrapper(wrappedOp func(ctx context.Context, req *logical.Request, data *framework.FieldData) (*logical.Response, error)) framework.OperationFunc {
+	return func(ctx context.Context, req *logical.Request, data *framework.FieldData) (*logical.Response, error) {
+		// Make sure that the CRLs have been loaded before processing a login request,
+		// they might have been nil'd by an invalidate func call.
+		if err := b.populateCrlsIfNil(ctx, req.Storage); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		return wrappedOp(ctx, req, data)
+	}
+}
+
 func (b *backend) pathLoginResolveRole(ctx context.Context, req *logical.Request, data *framework.FieldData) (*logical.Response, error) {
 	var matched *ParsedCert
+
 	if verifyResp, resp, err := b.verifyCredentials(ctx, req, data); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	} else if resp != nil {
@@ -90,13 +102,6 @@ func (b *backend) pathLogin(ctx context.Context, req *logical.Request, data *fra
 		b.updatedConfig(config)
 	}
 
-	if b.crls == nil {
-		// Probably invalidated due to replication, but we need these to proceed
-		if err := b.populateCRLs(ctx, req.Storage); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-	}
-
 	var matched *ParsedCert
 	if verifyResp, resp, err := b.verifyCredentials(ctx, req, data); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -173,12 +178,6 @@ func (b *backend) pathLoginRenew(ctx context.Context, req *logical.Request, d *f
 		b.updatedConfig(config)
 	}
 
-	if b.crls == nil {
-		if err := b.populateCRLs(ctx, req.Storage); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-	}
-
 	if !config.DisableBinding {
 		var matched *ParsedCert
 		if verifyResp, resp, err := b.verifyCredentials(ctx, req, d); err != nil {
diff --git a/changelog/18945.txt b/changelog/18945.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a6f6a6630
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/18945.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:bug
+auth/cert: Address a race condition accessing the loaded crls without a lock
+```