diff --git a/examples/system/ota/README.md b/examples/system/ota/README.md
index a1d63d539..17efcd4ef 100644
--- a/examples/system/ota/README.md
+++ b/examples/system/ota/README.md
@@ -55,10 +55,10 @@ openssl req -x509 -newkey rsa:2048 -keyout ca_key.pem -out ca_cert.pem -days 365
 
 ```
 
-Copy the certificate to OTA example directory:
+Copy the certificate to `server_certs` directory inside OTA example directory:
 
 ```
-cp ca_cert.pem $IDF_PATH/examples/system/ota/server_certs/ca_cert.pem
+cp ca_cert.pem /path/to/ota/example/server_certs/
 ```
 
 
diff --git a/examples/system/ota/native_ota_example/main/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/system/ota/native_ota_example/main/CMakeLists.txt
index 0c4aeba94..a700e0b3b 100644
--- a/examples/system/ota/native_ota_example/main/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/examples/system/ota/native_ota_example/main/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ set(COMPONENT_SRCS "native_ota_example.c")
 set(COMPONENT_ADD_INCLUDEDIRS ".")
 
 # Embed the server root certificate into the final binary
-#
-# (If this was a component, we would set COMPONENT_EMBED_TXTFILES here.)
-set(COMPONENT_EMBED_TXTFILES ${IDF_PATH}/examples/system/ota/server_certs/ca_cert.pem)
+set(COMPONENT_EMBED_TXTFILES ${PROJECT_PATH}/server_certs/ca_cert.pem)
 
 register_component()
diff --git a/examples/system/ota/native_ota_example/main/component.mk b/examples/system/ota/native_ota_example/main/component.mk
index 93a42f552..3a1333340 100644
--- a/examples/system/ota/native_ota_example/main/component.mk
+++ b/examples/system/ota/native_ota_example/main/component.mk
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@
 #
 # (Uses default behaviour of compiling all source files in directory, adding 'include' to include path.)
 
-COMPONENT_EMBED_TXTFILES :=  ${IDF_PATH}/examples/system/ota/server_certs/ca_cert.pem
+COMPONENT_EMBED_TXTFILES :=  ${PROJECT_PATH}/server_certs/ca_cert.pem
diff --git a/examples/system/ota/server_certs/ca_cert.pem b/examples/system/ota/native_ota_example/server_certs/ca_cert.pem
similarity index 100%
rename from examples/system/ota/server_certs/ca_cert.pem
rename to examples/system/ota/native_ota_example/server_certs/ca_cert.pem
diff --git a/examples/system/ota/simple_ota_example/main/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/system/ota/simple_ota_example/main/CMakeLists.txt
index e54d8b2ce..8adb69a8f 100644
--- a/examples/system/ota/simple_ota_example/main/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/examples/system/ota/simple_ota_example/main/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@ set(COMPONENT_ADD_INCLUDEDIRS ".")
 
 
 # Embed the server root certificate into the final binary
-#
-# (If this was a component, we would set COMPONENT_EMBED_TXTFILES here.)
-set(COMPONENT_EMBED_TXTFILES ${IDF_PATH}/examples/system/ota/server_certs/ca_cert.pem)
+set(COMPONENT_EMBED_TXTFILES ${PROJECT_PATH}/server_certs/ca_cert.pem)
 
 register_component()
diff --git a/examples/system/ota/simple_ota_example/main/component.mk b/examples/system/ota/simple_ota_example/main/component.mk
index 93a42f552..3a1333340 100644
--- a/examples/system/ota/simple_ota_example/main/component.mk
+++ b/examples/system/ota/simple_ota_example/main/component.mk
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@
 #
 # (Uses default behaviour of compiling all source files in directory, adding 'include' to include path.)
 
-COMPONENT_EMBED_TXTFILES :=  ${IDF_PATH}/examples/system/ota/server_certs/ca_cert.pem
+COMPONENT_EMBED_TXTFILES :=  ${PROJECT_PATH}/server_certs/ca_cert.pem
diff --git a/examples/system/ota/simple_ota_example/server_certs/ca_cert.pem b/examples/system/ota/simple_ota_example/server_certs/ca_cert.pem
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb