diff --git a/cmd/config-current.go b/cmd/config-current.go
index 723e24487..3b6f29cfa 100644
--- a/cmd/config-current.go
+++ b/cmd/config-current.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/minio/minio/pkg/auth"
 	"github.com/minio/minio/pkg/event"
 	"github.com/minio/minio/pkg/event/target"
-	"github.com/minio/minio/pkg/iam/policy"
+	iampolicy "github.com/minio/minio/pkg/iam/policy"
 	"github.com/minio/minio/pkg/iam/validator"
 	xnet "github.com/minio/minio/pkg/net"
 )
@@ -284,13 +284,24 @@ func (s *serverConfig) loadFromEnvs() {
 		if u, err := xnet.ParseURL(jwksURL); err == nil {
 			s.OpenID.JWKS.URL = u
 			logger.FatalIf(s.OpenID.JWKS.PopulatePublicKey(), "Unable to populate public key from JWKS URL")
+		} else {
+			logger.FatalIf(err, "Unable to parse MINIO_IAM_JWKS_URL %s", jwksURL)
 		}
 	}
 
 	if opaURL, ok := os.LookupEnv("MINIO_IAM_OPA_URL"); ok {
 		if u, err := xnet.ParseURL(opaURL); err == nil {
-			s.Policy.OPA.URL = u
-			s.Policy.OPA.AuthToken = os.Getenv("MINIO_IAM_OPA_AUTHTOKEN")
+			opaArgs := iampolicy.OpaArgs{
+				URL:         u,
+				AuthToken:   os.Getenv("MINIO_IAM_OPA_AUTHTOKEN"),
+				Transport:   NewCustomHTTPTransport(),
+				CloseRespFn: xhttp.DrainBody,
+			}
+			s.Policy.OPA.URL = opaArgs.URL
+			s.Policy.OPA.AuthToken = opaArgs.AuthToken
+			logger.FatalIf(opaArgs.Validate(), "Unable to reach MINIO_IAM_OPA_URL %s", opaURL)
+		} else {
+			logger.FatalIf(err, "Unable to parse MINIO_IAM_OPA_URL %s", opaURL)
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/cmd/iam.go b/cmd/iam.go
index 38eaa3cf4..1929db35e 100644
--- a/cmd/iam.go
+++ b/cmd/iam.go
@@ -1236,7 +1236,11 @@ func (sys *IAMSys) IsAllowedSTS(args iampolicy.Args) bool {
 func (sys *IAMSys) IsAllowed(args iampolicy.Args) bool {
 	// If opa is configured, use OPA always.
 	if globalPolicyOPA != nil {
-		return globalPolicyOPA.IsAllowed(args)
+		ok, err := globalPolicyOPA.IsAllowed(args)
+		if err != nil {
+			logger.LogIf(context.Background(), err)
+		}
+		return ok
 	}
 
 	// With claims set, we should do STS related checks and validation.
diff --git a/pkg/iam/policy/opa.go b/pkg/iam/policy/opa.go
index 49c4d41cb..8fe4dd879 100644
--- a/pkg/iam/policy/opa.go
+++ b/pkg/iam/policy/opa.go
@@ -37,6 +37,23 @@ type OpaArgs struct {
 
 // Validate - validate opa configuration params.
 func (a *OpaArgs) Validate() error {
+	req, err := http.NewRequest("POST", a.URL.String(), bytes.NewReader([]byte("")))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+	if a.AuthToken != "" {
+		req.Header.Set("Authorization", a.AuthToken)
+	}
+
+	client := &http.Client{Transport: a.Transport}
+	resp, err := client.Do(req)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer a.CloseRespFn(resp.Body)
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -92,9 +109,9 @@ func NewOpa(args OpaArgs) *Opa {
 }
 
 // IsAllowed - checks given policy args is allowed to continue the REST API.
-func (o *Opa) IsAllowed(args Args) bool {
+func (o *Opa) IsAllowed(args Args) (bool, error) {
 	if o == nil {
-		return false
+		return false, nil
 	}
 
 	// OPA input
@@ -103,12 +120,12 @@ func (o *Opa) IsAllowed(args Args) bool {
 
 	inputBytes, err := json.Marshal(body)
 	if err != nil {
-		return false
+		return false, err
 	}
 
 	req, err := http.NewRequest("POST", o.args.URL.String(), bytes.NewReader(inputBytes))
 	if err != nil {
-		return false
+		return false, err
 	}
 
 	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
@@ -118,14 +135,14 @@ func (o *Opa) IsAllowed(args Args) bool {
 
 	resp, err := o.client.Do(req)
 	if err != nil {
-		return false
+		return false, err
 	}
 	defer o.args.CloseRespFn(resp.Body)
 
 	// Read the body to be saved later.
 	opaRespBytes, err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
 	if err != nil {
-		return false
+		return false, err
 	}
 
 	// Handle large OPA responses when OPA URL is of
@@ -149,9 +166,9 @@ func (o *Opa) IsAllowed(args Args) bool {
 		respBody.Seek(0, 0)
 		var resultAllow opaResultAllow
 		if err = json.NewDecoder(respBody).Decode(&resultAllow); err != nil {
-			return false
+			return false, err
 		}
-		return resultAllow.Result.Allow
+		return resultAllow.Result.Allow, nil
 	}
-	return result.Result
+	return result.Result, nil
 }