diff --git a/pkg/controller/common/certificates/ca_secret.go b/pkg/controller/common/certificates/ca_secret.go
index 52570811383..08d025cdb1a 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/common/certificates/ca_secret.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/common/certificates/ca_secret.go
@@ -5,10 +5,14 @@
 package certificates
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"time"
 
 	pkgerrors "github.com/pkg/errors"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+
+	ulog "github.com/elastic/cloud-on-k8s/v3/pkg/utils/log"
 )
 
 // ParseCustomCASecret checks that mandatory fields are present and returns a CA struct.
@@ -32,6 +36,24 @@ func ParseCustomCASecret(s corev1.Secret) (*CA, error) {
 	return parseCAFromSecret(s, keyFileName, crtFileName)
 }
 
+// ValidateCustomCA validates the time-bounds of the given CA certificate and checks that the public key matches the
+// private one. It returns nil if the CA is valid and an error otherwise.
+func ValidateCustomCA(ctx context.Context, ca *CA) error {
+	now := time.Now()
+	log := ulog.FromContext(ctx)
+	switch {
+	case now.Before(ca.Cert.NotBefore):
+		return fmt.Errorf("the CA certificate is not yet valid")
+	case now.After(ca.Cert.NotAfter):
+		return fmt.Errorf("the CA certificate has expired")
+	case !PrivateMatchesPublicKey(ctx, ca.Cert.PublicKey, ca.PrivateKey):
+		return fmt.Errorf("the private key does not match the public one")
+	case now.After(ca.Cert.NotAfter.Add(-DefaultRotateBefore)):
+		log.Info("CA cert will expire soon", "subject", ca.Cert.Subject, "expiration", ca.Cert.NotAfter)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // parseCAFromSecret internal helper func to retrieve and parse a CA stored at the given keys in a Secret.
 func parseCAFromSecret(s corev1.Secret, keyFileName string, crtFileName string) (*CA, error) {
 	// Validate private key
diff --git a/pkg/controller/common/certificates/ca_secret_test.go b/pkg/controller/common/certificates/ca_secret_test.go
index 7323a41463c..06a53179a35 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/common/certificates/ca_secret_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/common/certificates/ca_secret_test.go
@@ -5,8 +5,12 @@
 package certificates
 
 import (
+	cryptorand "crypto/rand"
+	"crypto/rsa"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 )
 
@@ -132,3 +136,63 @@ func TestParseCustomCASecret(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestValidateCustomCA(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		ca      func() *CA
+		wantErr bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "valid ca",
+			ca: func() *CA {
+				testCa, err := NewSelfSignedCA(CABuilderOptions{})
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+				return testCa
+			},
+			wantErr: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "expired ca",
+			ca: func() *CA {
+				testCa, err := NewSelfSignedCA(CABuilderOptions{})
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+				testCa.Cert.NotAfter = time.Now().Add(-1 * time.Hour)
+				return testCa
+			},
+			wantErr: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "not valid yet ca",
+			ca: func() *CA {
+				testCa, err := NewSelfSignedCA(CABuilderOptions{})
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+				testCa.Cert.NotBefore = time.Now().Add(1 * time.Hour)
+				return testCa
+			},
+			wantErr: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "cert public key & private key mismatch",
+			ca: func() *CA {
+				testCa, err := NewSelfSignedCA(CABuilderOptions{})
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+				privateKey2, err := rsa.GenerateKey(cryptorand.Reader, 2048)
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+				testCa.PrivateKey = privateKey2
+				return testCa
+			},
+			wantErr: true,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			err := ValidateCustomCA(t.Context(), tt.ca())
+			if tt.wantErr {
+				require.Error(t, err, "expected error but got none")
+			} else {
+				require.NoError(t, err, "expected no err")
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/controller/elasticsearch/certificates/transport/ca.go b/pkg/controller/elasticsearch/certificates/transport/ca.go
index ac1f6ad1bac..06f89421cbf 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/elasticsearch/certificates/transport/ca.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/elasticsearch/certificates/transport/ca.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ package transport
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"fmt"
 
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
@@ -84,6 +85,14 @@ func ReconcileOrRetrieveCA(
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	if err := certificates.ValidateCustomCA(ctx, ca); err != nil {
+		// Surface validation errors to the user via an event
+		validationErr := fmt.Errorf("error validating custom CA certificate in %s/%s: %w",
+			customCASecret.GetNamespace(), customCASecret.GetName(), err)
+		driver.Recorder().Eventf(&es, corev1.EventTypeWarning, events.EventReasonValidation, validationErr.Error())
+		return nil, validationErr
+	}
+
 	// Garbage collect the self-signed CA secret which might be left over from an earlier revision on a best effort basis.
 	err = driver.K8sClient().Delete(ctx, &corev1.Secret{
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{