diff --git a/authorize/evaluator/functions.go b/authorize/evaluator/functions.go
index 0a4e37311..10ab2f863 100644
--- a/authorize/evaluator/functions.go
+++ b/authorize/evaluator/functions.go
@@ -175,38 +175,29 @@ func validateClientCertificateChain(
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// Consult CRLs for all CAs in the chain (that is, all certificates except
-	// for the first one). To match Envoy's behavior, if a CRL is provided for
-	// any CA in the chain, CRLs must be provided for all CAs in the chain (see
+	// Consult CRLs only for the first CA in the chain, to match Envoy's
+	// behavior when the only_verify_leaf_cert_crl option is set (see
 	// https://www.envoyproxy.io/docs/envoy/latest/api-v3/extensions/transport_sockets/tls/v3/common.proto).
-	var anyIssuerHasCRL bool
-	var lastIssuerWithoutCRL *x509.Certificate
-	for i := 0; i < len(chain)-1; i++ {
-		cert, issuer := chain[i], chain[i+1]
-		crl := crls[string(issuer.RawSubject)]
-		if crl == nil {
-			lastIssuerWithoutCRL = issuer
-			continue
-		}
-
-		anyIssuerHasCRL = true
-
-		// Is the CRL signature itself valid?
-		if err := crl.CheckSignatureFrom(issuer); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("CRL signature verification failed for issuer %q: %w",
-				issuer.Subject, err)
-		}
-
-		// Is the certificate listed as revoked in the CRL?
-		for i := range crl.RevokedCertificates {
-			if cert.SerialNumber.Cmp(crl.RevokedCertificates[i].SerialNumber) == 0 {
-				return fmt.Errorf("certificate %q was revoked", cert.Subject)
-			}
-		}
+	if len(chain) < 2 {
+		return nil
+	}
+	cert, issuer := chain[0], chain[1]
+	crl := crls[string(issuer.RawSubject)]
+	if crl == nil {
+		return nil
 	}
 
-	if anyIssuerHasCRL && lastIssuerWithoutCRL != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("no CRL provided for issuer %q", lastIssuerWithoutCRL.Subject)
+	// Is the CRL signature itself valid?
+	if err := crl.CheckSignatureFrom(issuer); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("CRL signature verification failed for issuer %q: %w",
+			issuer.Subject, err)
+	}
+
+	// Is the certificate listed as revoked in the CRL?
+	for i := range crl.RevokedCertificates {
+		if cert.SerialNumber.Cmp(crl.RevokedCertificates[i].SerialNumber) == 0 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("certificate %q was revoked", cert.Subject)
+		}
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/authorize/evaluator/functions_test.go b/authorize/evaluator/functions_test.go
index ffb0cb781..05517c91b 100644
--- a/authorize/evaluator/functions_test.go
+++ b/authorize/evaluator/functions_test.go
@@ -238,16 +238,6 @@ func Test_isValidClientCertificate(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.NoError(t, err, "should not return an error")
 		assert.True(t, valid, "should return true")
 	})
-	t.Run("missing CRL", func(t *testing.T) {
-		// If a CRL is provided for any CA, it must be provided for all CAs.
-		valid, err := isValidClientCertificate(testCA, testCRL, ClientCertificateInfo{
-			Presented:     true,
-			Leaf:          testValidIntermediateCert,
-			Intermediates: testIntermediateCA,
-		}, noConstraints)
-		assert.NoError(t, err, "should not return an error")
-		assert.False(t, valid, "should return false")
-	})
 	t.Run("chain too deep", func(t *testing.T) {
 		valid, err := isValidClientCertificate(testCA, "", ClientCertificateInfo{
 			Presented:     true,
diff --git a/config/envoyconfig/listeners.go b/config/envoyconfig/listeners.go
index 0e8f5e9f6..2e807340d 100644
--- a/config/envoyconfig/listeners.go
+++ b/config/envoyconfig/listeners.go
@@ -553,6 +553,7 @@ func (b *Builder) buildDownstreamValidationContext(
 		TrustedCa: b.filemgr.BytesDataSource("client-ca.pem", clientCA),
 		MatchTypedSubjectAltNames: make([]*envoy_extensions_transport_sockets_tls_v3.SubjectAltNameMatcher,
 			0, len(cfg.Options.DownstreamMTLS.MatchSubjectAltNames)),
+		OnlyVerifyLeafCertCrl: true,
 	}
 	for i := range cfg.Options.DownstreamMTLS.MatchSubjectAltNames {
 		vc.MatchTypedSubjectAltNames = append(vc.MatchTypedSubjectAltNames,
diff --git a/config/envoyconfig/listeners_test.go b/config/envoyconfig/listeners_test.go
index 17de2815d..f12b736d1 100644
--- a/config/envoyconfig/listeners_test.go
+++ b/config/envoyconfig/listeners_test.go
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ func Test_buildDownstreamTLSContext(t *testing.T) {
 				"alpnProtocols": ["h2", "http/1.1"],
 				"validationContext": {
 					"maxVerifyDepth": 1,
+					"onlyVerifyLeafCertCrl": true,
 					"trustChainVerification": "ACCEPT_UNTRUSTED",
 					"trustedCa": {
 						"filename": "`+clientCAFileName+`"
@@ -151,6 +152,7 @@ func Test_buildDownstreamTLSContext(t *testing.T) {
 				"alpnProtocols": ["h2", "http/1.1"],
 				"validationContext": {
 					"maxVerifyDepth": 1,
+					"onlyVerifyLeafCertCrl": true,
 					"trustedCa": {
 						"filename": "`+clientCAFileName+`"
 					}
@@ -186,6 +188,7 @@ func Test_buildDownstreamTLSContext(t *testing.T) {
 				"alpnProtocols": ["h2", "http/1.1"],
 				"validationContext": {
 					"maxVerifyDepth": 1,
+					"onlyVerifyLeafCertCrl": true,
 					"trustChainVerification": "ACCEPT_UNTRUSTED",
 					"trustedCa": {
 						"filename": "`+clientCAFileName+`"
@@ -209,6 +212,7 @@ func Test_buildDownstreamTLSContext(t *testing.T) {
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		testutil.AssertProtoJSONEqual(t, `{
 			"maxVerifyDepth": 10,
+			"onlyVerifyLeafCertCrl": true,
 			"trustChainVerification": "ACCEPT_UNTRUSTED",
 			"trustedCa": {
 				"filename": "`+clientCAFileName+`"
@@ -220,6 +224,7 @@ func Test_buildDownstreamTLSContext(t *testing.T) {
 			b.buildDownstreamTLSContextMulti(context.Background(), config, nil)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		testutil.AssertProtoJSONEqual(t, `{
+			"onlyVerifyLeafCertCrl": true,
 			"trustChainVerification": "ACCEPT_UNTRUSTED",
 			"trustedCa": {
 				"filename": "`+clientCAFileName+`"
@@ -281,6 +286,7 @@ func Test_buildDownstreamTLSContext(t *testing.T) {
 					"sanType": "URI"
 				}
 			],
+			"onlyVerifyLeafCertCrl": true,
 			"trustChainVerification": "ACCEPT_UNTRUSTED",
 			"trustedCa": {
 				"filename": "`+clientCAFileName+`"