No. Setting ssl_verify to False disables certificate checks for conda downloads, and the conda documentation says this is not recommended. If a proxy that inspects traffic is the cause, point conda at your system certificate store with truststore, or at your organization's certificate file.
Why it breaks
Some companies run a web security appliance that inspects encrypted traffic. It presents its own certificate, which conda does not trust by default, and installs fail with certificate errors. The conda documentation names this case as the reason to adjust ssl_verify.
The tempting fix is to switch verification off. That fixes the error and removes the protection that tells conda it is talking to the real package server. Anyone positioned between you and the channel could then serve different files without conda noticing.
The better options
The documentation lists the choices:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| ssl_verify true, the default | Verifies certificates normally |
| ssl_verify truststore | Uses the system certificate store, added in conda 23.9.0 |
| ssl_verify with a path to a certificate | Verifies against that certificate file, for example a corporate one |
| ssl_verify false | Disables verification, not recommended |
ssl_verify: truststore
If your IT team's inspection certificate is already in the system store, truststore is usually the simplest fix. If it is not, ask IT for the certificate file and reference its path.
Steps to fix an install error properly
- Read the error to confirm it is a certificate problem, not a network outage.
- Ask IT whether traffic is inspected and for the root certificate.
- Set ssl_verify to truststore, or to the certificate path.
- Check the effective value with the show sources command from the post on condarc order, at /resources/blog/who-controls-your-conda-channels-condarc-search-order.
- Retry the install and confirm it works with verification on.
- Remove any earlier false setting from user and project files.
Why a false setting lingers
A quick fix in a personal condarc survives for months. It also tends to get copied into a Dockerfile or a CI step, where it silently weakens every future build. Search your repositories and images for ssl_verify and for the matching environment variable set to false, and remove them.
The same logic applies to pip and other tools. Trust the proxy certificate properly in each, instead of disabling checks. See /resources/blog/trust-a-private-ca-in-node-python-java-and-curl for how to do it across several tools.
Where Safeguard fits
Safeguard's policies and gates can catch risky changes to configuration committed in a repository, and its compliance and evidence automation can record the approved setup. Try the free scan at gold.safeguard.sh/scan.
Quick check
What is the safer alternative to ssl_verify false?
Use truststore, or set ssl_verify to the path of your organization's certificate file.
Which conda version added truststore support?
Conda 23.9.0, according to the settings documentation.
Sources
- conda configuration settings, conda documentation, fetched 19 October 2026.
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
