diff --git a/app/components/form/fields/TlsCertsField.tsx b/app/components/form/fields/TlsCertsField.tsx
index dec73aa26..39cffa5d3 100644
--- a/app/components/form/fields/TlsCertsField.tsx
+++ b/app/components/form/fields/TlsCertsField.tsx
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import * as MiniTable from '~/ui/lib/MiniTable'
 import { Modal } from '~/ui/lib/Modal'
 
 import { DescriptionField } from './DescriptionField'
+import { ErrorMessage } from './ErrorMessage'
 import { FileField } from './FileField'
 import { validateName } from './NameField'
 import { TextField } from './TextField'
@@ -26,8 +27,18 @@ export function TlsCertsField({ control }: { control: Control<SiloCreateFormValu
   const [showAddCert, setShowAddCert] = useState(false)
 
   const {
-    field: { value: items, onChange },
-  } = useController({ control, name: 'tlsCertificates' })
+    field: { value: items, onChange, ref },
+    fieldState: { error },
+  } = useController({
+    control,
+    name: 'tlsCertificates',
+    rules: {
+      // docs recommend validate over required for array-valued field
+      // https://react-hook-form.com/docs/useform/register
+      validate: (certs) =>
+        certs.length < 1 ? 'At least one certificate is required' : undefined,
+    },
+  })
 
   return (
     <>
@@ -61,16 +72,18 @@ export function TlsCertsField({ control }: { control: Control<SiloCreateFormValu
           </MiniTable.Table>
         )}
 
-        <Button size="sm" onClick={() => setShowAddCert(true)}>
+        {/* ref on button element allows scrollTo to work when the form has a "missing TLS cert" error */}
+        <Button size="sm" onClick={() => setShowAddCert(true)} ref={ref}>
           Add TLS certificate
         </Button>
+        <ErrorMessage error={error} label="TLS certificate" />
       </div>
 
       {showAddCert && (
         <AddCertModal
           onDismiss={() => setShowAddCert(false)}
           onSubmit={async (values) => {
-            const certCreate: (typeof items)[number] = {
+            const certCreate: CertificateCreate = {
               ...values,
               // cert and key are required fields. they will always be present if we get here
               cert: await values.cert!.text(),
diff --git a/test/e2e/silos.e2e.ts b/test/e2e/silos.e2e.ts
index 4dccf3656..87a33a84d 100644
--- a/test/e2e/silos.e2e.ts
+++ b/test/e2e/silos.e2e.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 import { expect, test } from '@playwright/test'
 
 import {
+  addTlsCert,
   chooseFile,
   clickRowAction,
   closeToast,
@@ -31,6 +32,9 @@ test('Create silo', async ({ page }) => {
 
   await page.click('role=link[name="New silo"]')
 
+  const modal = page.getByRole('dialog', { name: 'Create silo' })
+  await expect(modal).toBeVisible()
+
   // fill out form
   await page.getByRole('textbox', { name: 'Name', exact: true }).fill('other-silo')
   await page.getByRole('textbox', { name: 'Description' }).fill('definitely a silo')
@@ -68,6 +72,11 @@ test('Create silo', async ({ page }) => {
   await page.getByRole('textbox', { name: 'Memory quota' }).fill('58')
   await page.getByRole('textbox', { name: 'Storage quota' }).fill('735')
 
+  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Create silo' }).click()
+
+  // expect error because no TLS cert
+  await expect(modal.getByText('At least one certificate is required')).toBeVisible()
+
   ////////////////////////////
   // TLS CERT
   ////////////////////////////
@@ -348,6 +357,8 @@ test('form scrolls to name field on already exists error', async ({ page }) => {
     .evaluate((el: HTMLElement, to) => el.scrollTo(0, to), 800)
   await expect(nameField).not.toBeInViewport()
 
+  await addTlsCert(page)
+
   await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Create silo' }).click()
 
   await expect(nameField).toBeInViewport()
diff --git a/test/e2e/utilization.e2e.ts b/test/e2e/utilization.e2e.ts
index f37b1a17e..382c8eaea 100644
--- a/test/e2e/utilization.e2e.ts
+++ b/test/e2e/utilization.e2e.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
  * Copyright Oxide Computer Company
  */
 import {
+  addTlsCert,
   clickRowAction,
   clipboardText,
   closeToast,
@@ -70,6 +71,10 @@ test.describe('System utilization', () => {
     await page.goto('/system/silos-new')
     await page.getByRole('textbox', { name: 'Name', exact: true }).fill('all-zeros')
     // don't need to set silo values, they're zero by default
+
+    // but do need to add a tls cert
+    await addTlsCert(page)
+
     await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Create silo' }).click()
 
     await closeToast(page)
diff --git a/test/e2e/utils.ts b/test/e2e/utils.ts
index 5d477cb80..137b9dba7 100644
--- a/test/e2e/utils.ts
+++ b/test/e2e/utils.ts
@@ -243,3 +243,14 @@ export async function scrollTo(page: Page, to: number) {
   const container = page.getByTestId('scroll-container')
   await container.evaluate((el: HTMLElement, to) => el.scrollTo(0, to), to)
 }
+
+export async function addTlsCert(page: Page) {
+  page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Add TLS certificate' }).click()
+  await page
+    .getByRole('dialog', { name: 'Add TLS certificate' })
+    .getByRole('textbox', { name: 'Name' })
+    .fill('test-cert')
+  await chooseFile(page, page.getByLabel('Cert', { exact: true }), 'small')
+  await chooseFile(page, page.getByLabel('Key'), 'small')
+  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Add Certificate' }).click()
+}