diff --git a/packages/jwt-service/src/agent/JwtService.ts b/packages/jwt-service/src/agent/JwtService.ts
index c61c7083..68a41909 100644
--- a/packages/jwt-service/src/agent/JwtService.ts
+++ b/packages/jwt-service/src/agent/JwtService.ts
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ export class JwtService implements IAgentPlugin {
     try {
       debug(`JWE Encrypt: ${JSON.stringify(args, null, 2)}`)
 
-      const alg = jweAlg(args.alg) ?? jweAlg(protectedHeader.alg) ?? 'ECDH-ES'
+      let alg = jweAlg(args.alg) ?? jweAlg(protectedHeader.alg) ?? 'ECDH-ES'
       const enc = jweEnc(args.enc) ?? jweEnc(protectedHeader.enc) ?? 'A256GCM'
       const encJwks =
         recipientKey.jwks.length === 1
@@ -91,8 +91,8 @@ export class JwtService implements IAgentPlugin {
       const apu = apuVal ? u8a.fromString(apuVal, 'base64url') : undefined
       const apvVal = protectedHeader.apv ?? args.apv
       const apv = apvVal ? u8a.fromString(apvVal, 'base64url') : undefined
-
-      const pubKey = await importJWK(jwkInfo.jwk)
+      
+      const pubKey = await importJWK(jwkInfo.jwk, !jwkInfo.jwk.alg ? alg : undefined)
       const encrypter = new CompactJwtEncrypter({
         enc,
         alg,
diff --git a/packages/jwt-service/src/functions/JWE.ts b/packages/jwt-service/src/functions/JWE.ts
index 57ccf089..c880f9e9 100644
--- a/packages/jwt-service/src/functions/JWE.ts
+++ b/packages/jwt-service/src/functions/JWE.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ export interface EncryptionResult {
   cek?: Uint8Array
 }
 
+import {createHmac} from 'crypto';
+
 export const generateContentEncryptionKey = async ({
   alg,
   randomSource = defaultRandomSource,
@@ -192,13 +194,16 @@ export class CompactJwtEncrypter implements JweEncrypter {
     const protectedHeader = {
       ...jweProtectedHeader,
       alg: jweProtectedHeader.alg ?? this._alg,
-      enc: jweProtectedHeader.enc ?? this._enc,
+      enc: jweProtectedHeader.enc ?? this._enc
     }
+
     if (!protectedHeader.alg || !protectedHeader.enc) {
       return Promise.reject(Error(`no 'alg' or 'enc' value set for the protected JWE header!`))
     }
+
     this.enc = protectedHeader.enc
     this.alg = protectedHeader.alg
+
     if (payload.exp) {
       this.expirationTime = payload.exp
     }
@@ -208,17 +213,20 @@ export class CompactJwtEncrypter implements JweEncrypter {
     if (payload.aud) {
       this.audience = payload.aud
     }
+
     const encrypt = new jose.EncryptJWT(payload).setProtectedHeader({
       ...protectedHeader,
       alg: this.alg,
-      enc: this.enc,
+      enc: this.enc
     })
+
     if (this._alg!.startsWith('ECDH')) {
       if (!this._keyManagementParams) {
         return Promise.reject(Error(`ECDH requires key management params`))
       }
       encrypt.setKeyManagementParameters(this._keyManagementParams!)
     }
+
     if (this.expirationTime !== undefined) {
       encrypt.setExpirationTime(this.expirationTime)
     }
@@ -226,11 +234,30 @@ export class CompactJwtEncrypter implements JweEncrypter {
     if (this.issuer) {
       encrypt.setIssuer(this.issuer)
     }
+
     if (this.audience) {
       encrypt.setAudience(this.audience)
     }
-    return await encrypt.encrypt(this.recipientKey)
+
+    const jwt = await encrypt.encrypt(this.recipientKey)
+
+    // Extract components from the compact JWT
+    // @ts-ignore
+    const [protectedPart, encryptedKey, ivB64, ciphertextB64, tagB64] = jwt.split('.')
+
+    // Convert base64url components back to Uint8Arrays for HMAC verification
+    const iv = base64ToBytes(ivB64)
+    const ciphertext = base64ToBytes(ciphertextB64)
+
+    // If this is a content encryption key, we can use it as the HMAC key
+    if (this.recipientKey instanceof Uint8Array) {
+      // Log the HMAC calculation
+      verifyHmac(iv, ciphertext, this.recipientKey)
+    }
+
+    return jwt
   }
+  
 
   public static async decryptCompactJWT(jwt: string, key: KeyLike | Uint8Array, options?: JWTDecryptOptions) {
     return await jose.jwtDecrypt(jwt, key, options)
@@ -357,3 +384,19 @@ export async function decryptJwe(jwe: JweJsonGeneral, decrypter: JweDecrypter):
 export function toWebCryptoCiphertext(ciphertext: string, tag: string): Uint8Array {
   return u8a.concat([base64ToBytes(ciphertext), base64ToBytes(tag)])
 }
+
+function verifyHmac(iv: Uint8Array, ciphertext: Uint8Array, macKey: Uint8Array) {
+  const hmac = createHmac('sha256', macKey)
+  hmac.update(new Uint8Array([...iv, ...ciphertext]))
+  const computedHash = hmac.digest()
+
+  console.log('Computed HMAC:', u8a.toString(computedHash, 'hex'))
+
+  // Here, replace `expectedAuthTag` with the actual authentication tag from the JWE
+  const expectedAuthTag = new Uint8Array() // Placeholder, replace with actual value
+  if (u8a.equals(computedHash, expectedAuthTag)) {
+    console.log('HMAC verification succeeded!')
+  } else {
+    console.error('HMAC verification failed!')
+  }
+}