diff --git a/ab-nginx.sh b/ab-nginx.sh
index 4ec7080..5e896d5 100755
--- a/ab-nginx.sh
+++ b/ab-nginx.sh
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@ if [ ! -f "./ab-nginx.params" ]; then
     exit 3
 fi
 
+# read .params file
+. ./ab-nginx.params
+
 # check for certs if using SSL
 if [ "$SSL_CERT" ]; then
     if [ ! -f "$SSL_CERT" ]; then
@@ -121,9 +124,6 @@ while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
     shift
 done
 
-# read .params file
-. ./ab-nginx.params
-
 
 # run without TLS
 if [ -z "$SSL_CERT" ]; then