diff --git a/rs256.go b/rs256.go
index 05f24c4..33b26cc 100644
--- a/rs256.go
+++ b/rs256.go
@@ -22,67 +22,104 @@ func (m *SigningMethodRS256) Alg() string {
 	return "RS256"
 }
 
-func (m *SigningMethodRS256) Verify(signingString, signature string, key []byte) (err error) {
-	// Key
-	var sig []byte
-	if sig, err = DecodeSegment(signature); err == nil {
-		var block *pem.Block
-		if block, _ = pem.Decode(key); block != nil {
-			var parsedKey interface{}
-			if parsedKey, err = x509.ParsePKIXPublicKey(block.Bytes); err != nil {
-				parsedKey, err = x509.ParseCertificate(block.Bytes)
-			}
-			if err == nil {
-				if rsaKey, ok := parsedKey.(*rsa.PublicKey); ok {
-					hasher := sha256.New()
-					hasher.Write([]byte(signingString))
+func (m *SigningMethodRS256) Verify(signingString, signature string, key []byte) error {
+	var err error
 
-					err = rsa.VerifyPKCS1v15(rsaKey, crypto.SHA256, hasher.Sum(nil), sig)
-				} else if cert, ok := parsedKey.(*x509.Certificate); ok {
-					err = cert.CheckSignature(x509.SHA256WithRSA, []byte(signingString), sig)
-				} else {
-					err = errors.New("Key is not a valid RSA public key")
-				}
-			}
-		} else {
-			err = errors.New("Could not parse key data")
-		}
+	// Decode the signature
+	var sig []byte
+	if sig, err = DecodeSegment(signature); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
-	return
+
+	// Parse public key
+	var rsaKey *rsa.PublicKey
+	if rsaKey, err = m.parsePublicKey(key); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// Create hasher
+	hasher := sha256.New()
+	hasher.Write([]byte(signingString))
+
+	// Verify the signature
+	return rsa.VerifyPKCS1v15(rsaKey, crypto.SHA256, hasher.Sum(nil), sig)
 }
 
 // Implements the Sign method from SigningMethod
 // For this signing method, must be PEM encoded PKCS1 or PKCS8 RSA private key
-func (m *SigningMethodRS256) Sign(signingString string, key []byte) (sig string, err error) {
+func (m *SigningMethodRS256) Sign(signingString string, key []byte) (string, error) {
+	var err error
+
 	// Key
 	var rsaKey *rsa.PrivateKey
-	if rsaKey, err = m.parsePrivateKey(key); err == nil {
-		hasher := sha256.New()
-		hasher.Write([]byte(signingString))
-
-		var sigBytes []byte
-		if sigBytes, err = rsa.SignPKCS1v15(rand.Reader, rsaKey, crypto.SHA256, hasher.Sum(nil)); err == nil {
-			sig = EncodeSegment(sigBytes)
-		}
+	if rsaKey, err = m.parsePrivateKey(key); err != nil {
+		return "", err
 	}
-	return
-}
 
-func (m *SigningMethodRS256) parsePrivateKey(key []byte) (pkey *rsa.PrivateKey, err error) {
-	var block *pem.Block
-	if block, _ = pem.Decode(key); block != nil {
-		var parsedKey interface{}
-		if parsedKey, err = x509.ParsePKCS1PrivateKey(block.Bytes); err != nil {
-			if parsedKey, err = x509.ParsePKCS8PrivateKey(block.Bytes); err != nil {
-				return nil, err
-			}
-		}
-		var ok bool
-		if pkey, ok = parsedKey.(*rsa.PrivateKey); !ok {
-			err = errors.New("Key is not a valid RSA private key")
-		}
+	// Create the hasher
+	hasher := sha256.New()
+	hasher.Write([]byte(signingString))
+
+	// Sign the string and return the encoded bytes
+	if sigBytes, err := rsa.SignPKCS1v15(rand.Reader, rsaKey, crypto.SHA256, hasher.Sum(nil)); err == nil {
+		return EncodeSegment(sigBytes), nil
 	} else {
-		err = errors.New("Invalid Key: Key must be PEM encoded PKCS1 or PKCS8 private key")
+		return "", err
 	}
-	return
+
+}
+
+// Parse PEM encoded PKCS1 or PKCS8 public key
+func (m *SigningMethodRS256) parsePublicKey(key []byte) (*rsa.PublicKey, error) {
+	var err error
+
+	// Parse PEM block
+	var block *pem.Block
+	if block, _ = pem.Decode(key); block == nil {
+		return nil, errors.New("Invalid Key: Key must be PEM encoded PKCS1 or PKCS8 private key")
+	}
+
+	// Parse the key
+	var parsedKey interface{}
+	if parsedKey, err = x509.ParsePKIXPublicKey(block.Bytes); err != nil {
+		if cert, err := x509.ParseCertificate(block.Bytes); err == nil {
+			return nil, err
+		} else {
+			parsedKey = cert.PublicKey
+		}
+	}
+
+	var pkey *rsa.PublicKey
+	var ok bool
+	if pkey, ok = parsedKey.(*rsa.PublicKey); !ok {
+		return nil, errors.New("Key is not a valid RSA public key")
+	}
+
+	return pkey, nil
+}
+
+// Parse PEM encoded PKCS1 or PKCS8 private key
+func (m *SigningMethodRS256) parsePrivateKey(key []byte) (*rsa.PrivateKey, error) {
+	var err error
+
+	// Parse PEM block
+	var block *pem.Block
+	if block, _ = pem.Decode(key); block == nil {
+		return nil, errors.New("Invalid Key: Key must be PEM encoded PKCS1 or PKCS8 private key")
+	}
+
+	var parsedKey interface{}
+	if parsedKey, err = x509.ParsePKCS1PrivateKey(block.Bytes); err != nil {
+		if parsedKey, err = x509.ParsePKCS8PrivateKey(block.Bytes); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	var pkey *rsa.PrivateKey
+	var ok bool
+	if pkey, ok = parsedKey.(*rsa.PrivateKey); !ok {
+		return nil, errors.New("Key is not a valid RSA private key")
+	}
+
+	return pkey, nil
 }
diff --git a/rs256_test.go b/rs256_test.go
index e0404e3..a0fbd5a 100644
--- a/rs256_test.go
+++ b/rs256_test.go
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ func TestRS256Sign(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestKeyParsing(t *testing.T) {
+func TestRSAKeyParsing(t *testing.T) {
 	key, _ := ioutil.ReadFile("test/sample_key")
 	pubKey, _ := ioutil.ReadFile("test/sample_key.pub")
 	badKey := []byte("All your base are belong to key")