diff --git a/src/crypto/x509/parser.go b/src/crypto/x509/parser.go
index 3d51ddd7f5..f085162a4e 100644
--- a/src/crypto/x509/parser.go
+++ b/src/crypto/x509/parser.go
@@ -734,10 +734,12 @@ func processExtensions(out *Certificate) error {
 				if !val.ReadASN1(&akid, cryptobyte_asn1.SEQUENCE) {
 					return errors.New("x509: invalid authority key identifier")
 				}
-				if !akid.ReadASN1(&akid, cryptobyte_asn1.Tag(0).ContextSpecific()) {
-					return errors.New("x509: invalid authority key identifier")
+				if akid.PeekASN1Tag(cryptobyte_asn1.Tag(0).ContextSpecific()) {
+					if !akid.ReadASN1(&akid, cryptobyte_asn1.Tag(0).ContextSpecific()) {
+						return errors.New("x509: invalid authority key identifier")
+					}
+					out.AuthorityKeyId = akid
 				}
-				out.AuthorityKeyId = akid
 			case 37:
 				out.ExtKeyUsage, out.UnknownExtKeyUsage, err = parseExtKeyUsageExtension(e.Value)
 				if err != nil {
diff --git a/src/crypto/x509/x509_test.go b/src/crypto/x509/x509_test.go
index 802bce0f9a..a4053abf41 100644
--- a/src/crypto/x509/x509_test.go
+++ b/src/crypto/x509/x509_test.go
@@ -3174,3 +3174,45 @@ func TestSigAlgMismatch(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+const optionalAuthKeyIDPEM = `-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----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+-----END CERTIFICATE-----`
+
+func TestAuthKeyIdOptional(t *testing.T) {
+	b, _ := pem.Decode([]byte(optionalAuthKeyIDPEM))
+	if b == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("couldn't decode test certificate")
+	}
+	_, err := ParseCertificate(b.Bytes)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ParseCertificate to failed to parse certificate with optional authority key identifier fields: %s", err)
+	}
+}