diff --git a/cawg_identity/src/builder/identity_assertion_builder.rs b/cawg_identity/src/builder/identity_assertion_builder.rs
index 46ed17514..c06980449 100644
--- a/cawg_identity/src/builder/identity_assertion_builder.rs
+++ b/cawg_identity/src/builder/identity_assertion_builder.rs
@@ -182,7 +182,6 @@ fn finalize_identity_assertion(
         }
 
         ia.pad1 = vec![0u8; assertion_size - assertion_cbor.len() - 15];
-        ia.pad1[0] = 1; // INVALID
 
         assertion_cbor.clear();
         ciborium::into_writer(&ia, &mut assertion_cbor)
@@ -194,6 +193,8 @@ fn finalize_identity_assertion(
             assertion_size - assertion_cbor.len() - 6
         ]));
 
+        ia.pad2.as_mut().unwrap()[0] = 1; // INVALID
+
         assertion_cbor.clear();
         ciborium::into_writer(&ia, &mut assertion_cbor)
             .map_err(|e| c2pa::Error::BadParam(e.to_string()))?;