diff --git a/crates/ironrdp-server/src/helper.rs b/crates/ironrdp-server/src/helper.rs
index 68a7a9a58..644fa797d 100644
--- a/crates/ironrdp-server/src/helper.rs
+++ b/crates/ironrdp-server/src/helper.rs
@@ -21,16 +21,21 @@ impl TlsIdentityCtx {
     ///
     /// The file format can be either PEM (if the file extension ends with .pem) or DER.
     pub fn init_from_paths(cert_path: &Path, key_path: &Path) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
-        let certs: Vec<_> = if cert_path.extension().map_or(false, |ext| ext == "pem") {
+        let certs = if cert_path.extension().map_or(false, |ext| ext == "pem") {
             CertificateDer::pem_file_iter(cert_path)
+                .with_context(|| format!("reading server cert `{cert_path:?}`"))?
+                .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()
+                .with_context(|| format!("collecting server cert `{cert_path:?}`"))?
         } else {
-            certs(&mut BufReader::new(File::open(cert_path)?))
-        }
-        .collect::<Result<_, _>>()
-        .context(format!("reading server cert `{cert_path:?}`"))?;
+            certs(&mut BufReader::new(
+                File::open(cert_path).with_context(|| format!("opening server cert `{cert_path:?}`"))?,
+            ))
+            .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()
+            .with_context(|| format!("collecting server cert `{cert_path:?}`"))?
+        };
 
         let priv_key = if key_path.extension().map_or(false, |ext| ext == "pem") {
-            PrivateKeyDer::from_pem_file(key_path).context("reading server key `{key_path:?}`")?
+            PrivateKeyDer::from_pem_file(key_path).with_context(|| format!("reading server key `{key_path:?}`"))?
         } else {
             pkcs8_private_keys(&mut BufReader::new(File::open(key_path)?))
                 .next()
@@ -42,7 +47,7 @@ impl TlsIdentityCtx {
             use x509_cert::der::Decode as _;
 
             let cert = certs.first().ok_or_else(|| std::io::Error::other("invalid cert"))?;
-            let cert = x509_cert::Certificate::from_der(&cert).map_err(std::io::Error::other)?;
+            let cert = x509_cert::Certificate::from_der(cert).map_err(std::io::Error::other)?;
             cert.tbs_certificate
                 .subject_public_key_info
                 .subject_public_key
diff --git a/xtask/src/check.rs b/xtask/src/check.rs
index 27700825f..0efce96d6 100644
--- a/xtask/src/check.rs
+++ b/xtask/src/check.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,11 @@ pub fn lints(sh: &Shell) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     let _s = Section::new("LINTS");
 
     // TODO: when 1.74 is released use `--keep-going`: https://doc.rust-lang.org/nightly/cargo/reference/unstable.html#keep-going
-    cmd!(sh, "{CARGO} clippy --workspace --all-targets --locked -- -D warnings").run()?;
+    cmd!(
+        sh,
+        "{CARGO} clippy --workspace --all-targets --features helper --locked -- -D warnings"
+    )
+    .run()?;
 
     println!("All good!");