diff --git a/pkg/apis/certmanager/v1alpha1/helpers.go b/pkg/apis/certmanager/v1alpha1/helpers.go
index 79c82395b..c269ce861 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/certmanager/v1alpha1/helpers.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/certmanager/v1alpha1/helpers.go
@@ -52,6 +52,18 @@ func (c *CertificateACMEStatus) SaveAuthorization(a ACMEDomainAuthorization) {
 	c.Authorizations = append(c.Authorizations, a)
 }
 
+func IssuerHasCondition(iss *Issuer, condition IssuerCondition) bool {
+	if len(iss.Status.Conditions) == 0 {
+		return false
+	}
+	for _, cond := range iss.Status.Conditions {
+		if condition.Type == cond.Type && condition.Status == cond.Status {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 func UpdateIssuerStatusCondition(iss *Issuer, conditionType IssuerConditionType, status ConditionStatus, reason, message string) *Issuer {
 	toUpdate := iss.DeepCopy()
 	newCondition := IssuerCondition{
diff --git a/pkg/controller/certificates/sync.go b/pkg/controller/certificates/sync.go
index 38d2bfd54..2e6851710 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/certificates/sync.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/certificates/sync.go
@@ -30,7 +30,12 @@ func (c *Controller) Sync(crt *v1alpha1.Certificate) (err error) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("could not get issuer '%s' for certificate '%s': %s", crt.Spec.Issuer, crt.Name, err.Error())
 	}
 
-	if !issuerObj.Status.Ready {
+	issuerReady := !v1alpha1.IssuerHasCondition(issuerObj, v1alpha1.IssuerCondition{
+		Type:   v1alpha1.IssuerConditionReady,
+		Status: v1alpha1.ConditionTrue,
+	})
+
+	if !issuerReady {
 		return fmt.Errorf("issuer '%s/%s' for certificate '%s' not ready", issuerObj.Namespace, issuerObj.Name, crt.Name)
 	}
 
diff --git a/test/util/util.go b/test/util/util.go
index 82b8570b9..80fe00bc0 100644
--- a/test/util/util.go
+++ b/test/util/util.go
@@ -23,17 +23,7 @@ func WaitForIssuerCondition(client clientset.IssuerInterface, name string, condi
 				return false, fmt.Errorf("error getting Issuer %v: %v", name, err)
 			}
 
-			if len(issuer.Status.Conditions) == 0 {
-				return false, nil
-			}
-
-			for _, cond := range issuer.Status.Conditions {
-				if condition.Type == cond.Type && condition.Status == cond.Status {
-					return true, nil
-				}
-			}
-
-			return false, nil
+			return v1alpha1.IssuerHasCondition(issuer, condition), nil
 		},
 	)
 }