diff --git a/gnu/services/web.scm b/gnu/services/web.scm
index 9f789707efc3467d6a1ab71d5b93d15b9619d9f4..f85b4121591ae9d10a8612e010792bbecc8f4ded 100644
--- a/gnu/services/web.scm
+++ b/gnu/services/web.scm
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ (define (default-nginx-server-config server)
        "")
    (if (nginx-server-configuration-ssl-certificate-key server)
        (let ((key (nginx-server-configuration-ssl-certificate-key server)))
-         (lstat certificate)
+         (lstat key)
          (string-append "      ssl_certificate_key " key ";\n"))
        "")
    "      root " (nginx-server-configuration-root server) ";\n"