diff --git a/builtin/logical/pki/backend_test.go b/builtin/logical/pki/backend_test.go
index 5f6cbb4a80805..f04d9fad99cf6 100644
--- a/builtin/logical/pki/backend_test.go
+++ b/builtin/logical/pki/backend_test.go
@@ -9,12 +9,15 @@ import (
 	"crypto/elliptic"
 	"crypto/rand"
 	"crypto/rsa"
+	"crypto/sha256"
+	"crypto/sha512"
 	"crypto/x509"
 	"crypto/x509/pkix"
 	"encoding/base64"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"encoding/pem"
 	"fmt"
+	"hash"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"math"
 	"math/big"
@@ -30,6 +33,8 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
 	"github.com/armon/go-metrics"
 	"github.com/fatih/structs"
 	"github.com/go-test/deep"
@@ -3755,6 +3760,22 @@ func TestBackend_RevokePlusTidy_Intermediate(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestBackend_Root_FullCAChain(t *testing.T) {
+	testCases := []struct {
+		testName string
+		keyType  string
+	}{
+		{testName: "RSA", keyType: "rsa"},
+		{testName: "ED25519", keyType: "ed25519"},
+		{testName: "EC", keyType: "ec"},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		t.Run(tc.testName, func(t *testing.T) {
+			runFullCAChainTest(t, tc.keyType)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func runFullCAChainTest(t *testing.T, keyType string) {
 	coreConfig := &vault.CoreConfig{
 		LogicalBackends: map[string]logical.Factory{
 			"pki": Factory,
@@ -3783,6 +3804,7 @@ func TestBackend_Root_FullCAChain(t *testing.T) {
 
 	resp, err := client.Logical().WriteWithContext(context.Background(), "pki-root/root/generate/exported", map[string]interface{}{
 		"common_name": "root myvault.com",
+		"key_type":    keyType,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -3821,6 +3843,7 @@ func TestBackend_Root_FullCAChain(t *testing.T) {
 
 	resp, err = client.Logical().WriteWithContext(context.Background(), "pki-intermediate/intermediate/generate/exported", map[string]interface{}{
 		"common_name": "intermediate myvault.com",
+		"key_type":    keyType,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -3844,6 +3867,10 @@ func TestBackend_Root_FullCAChain(t *testing.T) {
 	intermediateSignedData := resp.Data
 	intermediateCert := intermediateSignedData["certificate"].(string)
 
+	rootCaCert := parseCert(t, rootCert)
+	intermediaryCaCert := parseCert(t, intermediateCert)
+	requireSignedBy(t, intermediaryCaCert, rootCaCert.PublicKey)
+
 	resp, err = client.Logical().WriteWithContext(context.Background(), "pki-intermediate/intermediate/set-signed", map[string]interface{}{
 		"certificate": intermediateCert + "\n" + rootCert + "\n",
 	})
@@ -3905,6 +3932,26 @@ func TestBackend_Root_FullCAChain(t *testing.T) {
 	if !strings.Contains(fullChain, rootCert) {
 		t.Fatal("expected full chain to contain root certificate")
 	}
+
+	// Now issue a short-lived certificate from our pki-external.
+	resp, err = client.Logical().Write("pki-external/roles/example", map[string]interface{}{
+		"allowed_domains":  "example.com",
+		"allow_subdomains": "true",
+		"max_ttl":          "1h",
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err, "error setting up pki role: %v", err)
+
+	resp, err = client.Logical().Write("pki-external/issue/example", map[string]interface{}{
+		"common_name": "test.example.com",
+		"ttl":         "5m",
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err, "error issuing certificate: %v", err)
+	require.NotNil(t, resp, "got nil response from issuing request")
+	issueCrtAsPem := resp.Data["certificate"].(string)
+	issuedCrt := parseCert(t, issueCrtAsPem)
+
+	// Verify that the certificates are signed by the intermediary CA key...
+	requireSignedBy(t, issuedCrt, intermediaryCaCert.PublicKey)
 }
 
 type MultiBool int
@@ -4199,3 +4246,90 @@ var (
 	edCAKey   string
 	edCACert  string
 )
+
+func mountPKIEndpoint(t *testing.T, client *api.Client, path string) {
+	var err error
+	err = client.Sys().Mount(path, &api.MountInput{
+		Type: "pki",
+		Config: api.MountConfigInput{
+			DefaultLeaseTTL: "16h",
+			MaxLeaseTTL:     "32h",
+		},
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err, "failed mounting pki endpoint")
+}
+
+func requireSignedBy(t *testing.T, cert x509.Certificate, key crypto.PublicKey) {
+	switch key.(type) {
+	case *rsa.PublicKey:
+		requireRSASignedBy(t, cert, key.(*rsa.PublicKey))
+	case *ecdsa.PublicKey:
+		requireECDSASignedBy(t, cert, key.(*ecdsa.PublicKey))
+	case ed25519.PublicKey:
+		requireED25519SignedBy(t, cert, key.(ed25519.PublicKey))
+	default:
+		require.Fail(t, "unknown public key type %#v", key)
+	}
+}
+
+func requireRSASignedBy(t *testing.T, cert x509.Certificate, key *rsa.PublicKey) {
+	require.Contains(t, []x509.SignatureAlgorithm{x509.SHA256WithRSA, x509.SHA512WithRSA},
+		cert.SignatureAlgorithm, "only sha256 signatures supported")
+
+	var hasher hash.Hash
+	var hashAlgo crypto.Hash
+
+	switch cert.SignatureAlgorithm {
+	case x509.SHA256WithRSA:
+		hasher = sha256.New()
+		hashAlgo = crypto.SHA256
+	case x509.SHA512WithRSA:
+		hasher = sha512.New()
+		hashAlgo = crypto.SHA512
+	}
+
+	hasher.Write(cert.RawTBSCertificate)
+	hashData := hasher.Sum(nil)
+
+	err := rsa.VerifyPKCS1v15(key, hashAlgo, hashData, cert.Signature)
+	require.NoError(t, err, "the certificate was not signed by the expected public rsa key.")
+}
+
+func requireECDSASignedBy(t *testing.T, cert x509.Certificate, key *ecdsa.PublicKey) {
+	require.Contains(t, []x509.SignatureAlgorithm{x509.ECDSAWithSHA256, x509.ECDSAWithSHA512},
+		cert.SignatureAlgorithm, "only ecdsa signatures supported")
+
+	var hasher hash.Hash
+	switch cert.SignatureAlgorithm {
+	case x509.ECDSAWithSHA256:
+		hasher = sha256.New()
+	case x509.ECDSAWithSHA512:
+		hasher = sha512.New()
+	}
+
+	hasher.Write(cert.RawTBSCertificate)
+	hashData := hasher.Sum(nil)
+
+	verify := ecdsa.VerifyASN1(key, hashData, cert.Signature)
+	require.True(t, verify, "the certificate was not signed by the expected public ecdsa key.")
+}
+
+func requireED25519SignedBy(t *testing.T, cert x509.Certificate, key ed25519.PublicKey) {
+	require.Equal(t, x509.PureEd25519, cert.SignatureAlgorithm)
+	ed25519.Verify(key, cert.RawTBSCertificate, cert.Signature)
+}
+
+func parseCert(t *testing.T, pemCert string) x509.Certificate {
+	block, _ := pem.Decode([]byte(pemCert))
+	require.NotNil(t, block, "failed to decode PEM block")
+
+	cert, err := x509.ParseCertificate(block.Bytes)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	return *cert
+}
+
+func requireMatchingPublicKeys(t *testing.T, cert x509.Certificate, key crypto.PublicKey) {
+	certPubKey := cert.PublicKey
+	require.True(t, reflect.DeepEqual(certPubKey, key),
+		"public keys mismatched: got: %v, expected: %v", certPubKey, key)
+}