diff --git a/pkg/doc/sdjwt/common/common.go b/pkg/doc/sdjwt/common/common.go
index 394aa67dd5..1a6bb3540d 100644
--- a/pkg/doc/sdjwt/common/common.go
+++ b/pkg/doc/sdjwt/common/common.go
@@ -256,11 +256,18 @@ func GetCryptoHash(sdAlg string) (crypto.Hash, error) {
 
 	var cryptoHash crypto.Hash
 
+	// From spec: the hash algorithms MD2, MD4, MD5, RIPEMD-160, and SHA-1 revealed fundamental weaknesses
+	// and they MUST NOT be used.
+
 	switch strings.ToUpper(sdAlg) {
 	case crypto.SHA256.String():
 		cryptoHash = crypto.SHA256
+	case crypto.SHA384.String():
+		cryptoHash = crypto.SHA384
+	case crypto.SHA512.String():
+		cryptoHash = crypto.SHA512
 	default:
-		err = fmt.Errorf("%s '%s 'not supported", SDAlgorithmKey, sdAlg)
+		err = fmt.Errorf("%s '%s' not supported", SDAlgorithmKey, sdAlg)
 	}
 
 	return cryptoHash, err
diff --git a/pkg/doc/sdjwt/common/common_test.go b/pkg/doc/sdjwt/common/common_test.go
index 2dcac8cb0d..75730d7066 100644
--- a/pkg/doc/sdjwt/common/common_test.go
+++ b/pkg/doc/sdjwt/common/common_test.go
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ func TestVerifyDisclosuresInSDJWT(t *testing.T) {
 
 		err = VerifyDisclosuresInSDJWT(nil, signedJWT)
 		r.Error(err)
-		r.Contains(err.Error(), "_sd_alg 'SHA-XXX 'not supported")
+		r.Contains(err.Error(), "_sd_alg 'SHA-XXX' not supported")
 	})
 
 	t.Run("error - algorithm is not a string", func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -446,6 +446,31 @@ func TestGetDisclosedClaims(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestGetCryptoHash(t *testing.T) {
+	r := require.New(t)
+
+	t.Run("success", func(t *testing.T) {
+		hash, err := GetCryptoHash("sha-256")
+		r.NoError(err)
+		r.Equal(crypto.SHA256, hash)
+
+		hash, err = GetCryptoHash("sha-384")
+		r.NoError(err)
+		r.Equal(crypto.SHA384, hash)
+
+		hash, err = GetCryptoHash("sha-512")
+		r.NoError(err)
+		r.Equal(crypto.SHA512, hash)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("error - not supported", func(t *testing.T) {
+		hash, err := GetCryptoHash("invalid")
+		r.Error(err)
+		r.Equal(crypto.Hash(0), hash)
+		r.Contains(err.Error(), "_sd_alg 'invalid' not supported")
+	})
+}
+
 func TestGetSDAlg(t *testing.T) {
 	r := require.New(t)
 
diff --git a/pkg/doc/sdjwt/issuer/issuer.go b/pkg/doc/sdjwt/issuer/issuer.go
index 1c0146f576..b27b8161cf 100644
--- a/pkg/doc/sdjwt/issuer/issuer.go
+++ b/pkg/doc/sdjwt/issuer/issuer.go
@@ -191,6 +191,12 @@ func New(issuer string, claims interface{}, headers jose.Headers,
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("convert payload to map: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	// check for the presence of the _sd claim in claims map
+	found := keyExistsInMap(common.SDKey, claimsMap)
+	if found {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("key '%s' cannot be present in the claims", common.SDKey)
+	}
+
 	disclosures, digests, err := createDisclosuresAndDigests("", claimsMap, nOpts)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -439,6 +445,23 @@ func generateSalt() (string, error) {
 	return base64.RawURLEncoding.EncodeToString(salt), nil
 }
 
+func keyExistsInMap(key string, claims map[string]interface{}) bool {
+	for k, v := range claims {
+		if k == key {
+			return true
+		}
+
+		if obj, ok := v.(map[string]interface{}); ok {
+			exists := keyExistsInMap(key, obj)
+			if exists {
+				return true
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false
+}
+
 // payload represents SD-JWT payload.
 type payload struct {
 	Issuer  string `json:"iss,omitempty"`
diff --git a/pkg/doc/sdjwt/issuer/issuer_test.go b/pkg/doc/sdjwt/issuer/issuer_test.go
index 638f506ef6..a00e54b93e 100644
--- a/pkg/doc/sdjwt/issuer/issuer_test.go
+++ b/pkg/doc/sdjwt/issuer/issuer_test.go
@@ -403,6 +403,41 @@ func TestNew(t *testing.T) {
 		fmt.Println(prettyJSON)
 	})
 
+	t.Run("error - claims contain _sd key (top level object)", func(t *testing.T) {
+		r := require.New(t)
+
+		_, privKey, err := ed25519.GenerateKey(rand.Reader)
+		r.NoError(err)
+
+		complexClaims := map[string]interface{}{
+			"_sd": "whatever",
+		}
+
+		token, err := New(issuer, complexClaims, nil, afjwt.NewEd25519Signer(privKey))
+		r.Error(err)
+		r.Nil(token)
+		r.Contains(err.Error(), "key '_sd' cannot be present in the claims")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("error - claims contain _sd key (inner object)", func(t *testing.T) {
+		r := require.New(t)
+
+		_, privKey, err := ed25519.GenerateKey(rand.Reader)
+		r.NoError(err)
+
+		complexClaims := map[string]interface{}{
+			"degree": map[string]interface{}{
+				"_sd":  "whatever",
+				"type": "BachelorDegree",
+			},
+		}
+
+		token, err := New(issuer, complexClaims, nil, afjwt.NewEd25519Signer(privKey))
+		r.Error(err)
+		r.Nil(token)
+		r.Contains(err.Error(), "key '_sd' cannot be present in the claims")
+	})
+
 	t.Run("error - invalid holder public key", func(t *testing.T) {
 		r := require.New(t)