diff --git a/Libraries/SPTarkov.Server.Core/Helpers/CertificateHelper.cs b/Libraries/SPTarkov.Server.Core/Helpers/CertificateHelper.cs
index 131035cd..ec1c7830 100644
--- a/Libraries/SPTarkov.Server.Core/Helpers/CertificateHelper.cs
+++ b/Libraries/SPTarkov.Server.Core/Helpers/CertificateHelper.cs
@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@ namespace SPTarkov.Server.Core.Helpers
                 // Generate self-signed certificate
                 certificate = GenerateSelfSignedCertificate("localhost");
                 SaveCertificate(certificate); // Save cert and new key
+                certificate = LoadCertificate();
+                if (certificate == null)
+                {
+                    // if we are still null here there is a serious problem creating cert
+                    throw new Exception("Certificate could not be loaded for the second time.");
+                }
 
                 _logger.Success($"Generated and stored self-signed certificate ({certificatePath})");
             }
@@ -51,10 +57,14 @@ namespace SPTarkov.Server.Core.Helpers
                 // Generate self-signed certificate
                 certificate = GenerateSelfSignedCertificate("localhost");
                 SaveCertificatePfx(certificate); // Save cert
+                certificate = LoadCertificatePfx(); // load it after
+                if (certificate == null)
+                {
+                    // if we are still null here there is a serious problem creating cert
+                    throw new Exception("Certificate could not be loaded for the second time.");
+                }
 
                 _logger.Success($"Generated and stored self-signed certificate ({certificatePath})");
-                _logger.Success("First-time generation requires server be restarted for it to pick up cert");
-                Environment.Exit(1);
             }
 
             return certificate;
diff --git a/SPTarkov.Server/SPTarkov.Server.csproj b/SPTarkov.Server/SPTarkov.Server.csproj
index 9dc128dd..7baf810b 100644
--- a/SPTarkov.Server/SPTarkov.Server.csproj
+++ b/SPTarkov.Server/SPTarkov.Server.csproj
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 
   <ItemGroup>
     <Content Include="Assets\**">
-      <CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory>
+      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
     </Content>
     <None Remove="appsettings.json" />
     <Content Include="appsettings.json">