diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/560-openssl_csr-crl_distribution_points.yml b/changelogs/fragments/560-openssl_csr-crl_distribution_points.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cf875040
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/560-openssl_csr-crl_distribution_points.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - "openssl_csr, openssl_csr_pipe - prevent invalid values for ``crl_distribution_points`` that do not have one of ``full_name``, ``relative_name``, and ``crl_issuer`` (https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.crypto/pull/560)."
diff --git a/plugins/module_utils/crypto/module_backends/csr.py b/plugins/module_utils/crypto/module_backends/csr.py
index 9d8fa6f1..a143dae2 100644
--- a/plugins/module_utils/crypto/module_backends/csr.py
+++ b/plugins/module_utils/crypto/module_backends/csr.py
@@ -452,8 +452,12 @@ def parse_crl_distribution_points(module, crl_distribution_points):
                 reasons=None,
             )
             if parse_crl_distribution_point['full_name'] is not None:
+                if not parse_crl_distribution_point['full_name']:
+                    raise OpenSSLObjectError('full_name must not be empty')
                 params['full_name'] = [cryptography_get_name(name, 'full name') for name in parse_crl_distribution_point['full_name']]
             if parse_crl_distribution_point['relative_name'] is not None:
+                if not parse_crl_distribution_point['relative_name']:
+                    raise OpenSSLObjectError('relative_name must not be empty')
                 try:
                     params['relative_name'] = cryptography_parse_relative_distinguished_name(parse_crl_distribution_point['relative_name'])
                 except Exception:
@@ -462,6 +466,8 @@ def parse_crl_distribution_points(module, crl_distribution_points):
                         raise OpenSSLObjectError('Cannot specify relative_name for cryptography < 1.6')
                     raise
             if parse_crl_distribution_point['crl_issuer'] is not None:
+                if not parse_crl_distribution_point['crl_issuer']:
+                    raise OpenSSLObjectError('crl_issuer must not be empty')
                 params['crl_issuer'] = [cryptography_get_name(name, 'CRL issuer') for name in parse_crl_distribution_point['crl_issuer']]
             if parse_crl_distribution_point['reasons'] is not None:
                 reasons = []
@@ -469,7 +475,7 @@ def parse_crl_distribution_points(module, crl_distribution_points):
                     reasons.append(REVOCATION_REASON_MAP[reason])
                 params['reasons'] = frozenset(reasons)
             result.append(cryptography.x509.DistributionPoint(**params))
-        except OpenSSLObjectError as e:
+        except (OpenSSLObjectError, ValueError) as e:
             raise OpenSSLObjectError('Error while parsing CRL distribution point #{index}: {error}'.format(index=index, error=e))
     return result
 
@@ -851,7 +857,8 @@ def get_csr_argument_spec():
                         'aa_compromise',
                     ]),
                 ),
-                mutually_exclusive=[('full_name', 'relative_name')]
+                mutually_exclusive=[('full_name', 'relative_name')],
+                required_one_of=[('full_name', 'relative_name', 'crl_issuer')],
             ),
             select_crypto_backend=dict(type='str', default='auto', choices=['auto', 'cryptography', 'pyopenssl']),
         ),
diff --git a/plugins/modules/openssl_csr.py b/plugins/modules/openssl_csr.py
index 7334e320..5c82876e 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/openssl_csr.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/openssl_csr.py
@@ -329,9 +329,10 @@ def main():
     if not os.path.isdir(base_dir):
         module.fail_json(name=base_dir, msg='The directory %s does not exist or the file is not a directory' % base_dir)
 
-    backend = module.params['select_crypto_backend']
-    backend, module_backend = select_backend(module, backend)
     try:
+        backend = module.params['select_crypto_backend']
+        backend, module_backend = select_backend(module, backend)
+
         csr = CertificateSigningRequestModule(module, module_backend)
         if module.params['state'] == 'present':
             csr.generate(module)
diff --git a/plugins/modules/openssl_csr_pipe.py b/plugins/modules/openssl_csr_pipe.py
index d9392aa6..55cfb672 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/openssl_csr_pipe.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/openssl_csr_pipe.py
@@ -160,9 +160,10 @@ def main():
         supports_check_mode=True,
     )
 
-    backend = module.params['select_crypto_backend']
-    backend, module_backend = select_backend(module, backend)
     try:
+        backend = module.params['select_crypto_backend']
+        backend, module_backend = select_backend(module, backend)
+
         csr = CertificateSigningRequestModule(module, module_backend)
         csr.generate(module)
         result = csr.dump()
diff --git a/tests/integration/targets/openssl_csr/tasks/impl.yml b/tests/integration/targets/openssl_csr/tasks/impl.yml
index fc01a5b1..e318fc90 100644
--- a/tests/integration/targets/openssl_csr/tasks/impl.yml
+++ b/tests/integration/targets/openssl_csr/tasks/impl.yml
@@ -924,7 +924,6 @@
               - CN=ca.example.com
             reasons:
               - certificate_hold
-          - {}
         select_crypto_backend: '{{ select_crypto_backend }}'
       register: crl_distribution_endpoints_1
 
@@ -947,7 +946,6 @@
               - CN=ca.example.com
             reasons:
               - certificate_hold
-          - {}
         select_crypto_backend: '{{ select_crypto_backend }}'
       register: crl_distribution_endpoints_2
 
@@ -958,9 +956,7 @@
         subject:
           commonName: www.ansible.com
         crl_distribution_points:
-          - full_name:
-              - "URI:https://ca.example.com/revocations.crl"
-            crl_issuer:
+          - crl_issuer:
               - "URI:https://ca.example.com/"
             reasons:
               - key_compromise