diff --git a/cert.go b/cert.go
index 4ce36ccf..383c2094 100644
--- a/cert.go
+++ b/cert.go
@@ -300,10 +300,17 @@ func (m *mkcert) loadCA() {
 	keyPEMBlock, err := ioutil.ReadFile(filepath.Join(m.CAROOT, rootKeyName))
 	fatalIfErr(err, "failed to read the CA key")
 	keyDERBlock, _ := pem.Decode(keyPEMBlock)
-	if keyDERBlock == nil || keyDERBlock.Type != "PRIVATE KEY" {
+	if keyDERBlock == nil || keyDERBlock.Type != "PRIVATE KEY" && keyDERBlock.Type != "RSA PRIVATE KEY" && keyDERBlock.Type != "EC PRIVATE KEY" {
 		log.Fatalln("ERROR: failed to read the CA key: unexpected content")
 	}
-	m.caKey, err = x509.ParsePKCS8PrivateKey(keyDERBlock.Bytes)
+	switch keyDERBlock.Type {
+	case "RSA PRIVATE KEY":
+		m.caKey, err = x509.ParsePKCS1PrivateKey(keyDERBlock.Bytes)
+	case "EC PRIVATE KEY":
+		m.caKey, err = x509.ParseECPrivateKey(keyDERBlock.Bytes)
+	default:
+		m.caKey, err = x509.ParsePKCS8PrivateKey(keyDERBlock.Bytes)
+	}
 	fatalIfErr(err, "failed to parse the CA key")
 }