diff --git a/dpe/src/commands/certify_key.rs b/dpe/src/commands/certify_key.rs
index 90a40300..9bb09055 100644
--- a/dpe/src/commands/certify_key.rs
+++ b/dpe/src/commands/certify_key.rs
@@ -458,8 +458,7 @@ mod tests {
                             extension.parsed_extension()
                         {
                             let key_identifier = aki.key_identifier.clone().unwrap();
-                            // skip first two bytes - first byte is 0x04 der encoding byte and second byte is size byte
-                            assert_eq!(&key_identifier.0[2..], &expected_aki,);
+                            assert_eq!(&key_identifier.0, &expected_aki,);
                         } else {
                             panic!("Extension has wrong type");
                         }
diff --git a/dpe/src/x509.rs b/dpe/src/x509.rs
index 8348060b..e968a83e 100644
--- a/dpe/src/x509.rs
+++ b/dpe/src/x509.rs
@@ -508,7 +508,7 @@ impl CertWriter<'_> {
         let aki_size = Self::get_key_identifier_size(
             &measurements.authority_key_identifier,
             true,
-            /*explicit=*/ true,
+            /*explicit=*/ false,
         )?;
 
         // Extension data is sequence -> octet string. To compute size, wrap
@@ -1613,7 +1613,7 @@ impl CertWriter<'_> {
         let key_identifier_size = Self::get_key_identifier_size(
             &measurements.authority_key_identifier,
             /*tagged=*/ true,
-            /*explicit=*/ true,
+            /*explicit=*/ false,
         )?;
         bytes_written += self.encode_byte(Self::OCTET_STRING_TAG)?;
         bytes_written += self.encode_size_field(Self::get_structure_size(
@@ -1946,19 +1946,12 @@ impl CertWriter<'_> {
     fn encode_key_identifier(&mut self, key_identifier: &[u8]) -> Result<usize, DpeErrorCode> {
         // KeyIdentifier is IMPLICIT field number 0
         let mut bytes_written = self.encode_byte(Self::CONTEXT_SPECIFIC | 0x0)?;
-        bytes_written += self.encode_size_field(Self::get_key_identifier_size(
-            key_identifier,
-            /*tagged=*/ true,
-            /*explicit=*/ false,
-        )?)?;
-
-        // KeyIdentifier := OCTET STRING
-        bytes_written += self.encode_tag_field(Self::OCTET_STRING_TAG)?;
         bytes_written += self.encode_size_field(Self::get_key_identifier_size(
             key_identifier,
             /*tagged=*/ false,
             /*explicit=*/ false,
         )?)?;
+
         bytes_written += self.encode_bytes(key_identifier)?;
 
         Ok(bytes_written)
@@ -2779,10 +2772,9 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
                 assert!(!extension.critical);
                 if let ParsedExtension::AuthorityKeyIdentifier(aki) = extension.parsed_extension() {
                     let key_identifier = aki.key_identifier.clone().unwrap();
-                    // skip first two bytes - first byte is 0x04 der encoding byte and second byte is size byte
                     // cert is self signed so authority_key_id == subject_key_id
                     assert_eq!(
-                        &key_identifier.0[2..],
+                        key_identifier.0,
                         &expected_key_identifier[..MAX_KEY_IDENTIFIER_SIZE]
                     );
                     assert!(aki.authority_cert_issuer.is_none());
diff --git a/verification/testing/certifyKey.go b/verification/testing/certifyKey.go
index fc7e6270..c264edd7 100644
--- a/verification/testing/certifyKey.go
+++ b/verification/testing/certifyKey.go
@@ -425,8 +425,7 @@ func checkCertifyKeyAuthorityKeyIdentifierExtension(t *testing.T, extensions []p
 		if aki.KeyIdentifier == nil {
 			t.Fatal("[ERROR]: The certificate is a CA but the AuthorityKeyIdentifier extension is not present.")
 		}
-		// skip first two bytes - first byte is 0x04 der encoding byte and second byte is size byte
-		if !reflect.DeepEqual(aki.KeyIdentifier[2:], IssuerSki) {
+		if !reflect.DeepEqual(aki.KeyIdentifier, IssuerSki) {
 			t.Errorf("[ERROR]: The value of the authority key identifier %v is not equal to the issuer's subject key identifier %v", aki, IssuerSki)
 		}
 	} else if !ca && aki.KeyIdentifier != nil {