diff --git a/src/domain/verifier/useCases/validateVerifiableCredential.ts b/src/domain/verifier/useCases/validateVerifiableCredential.ts
index 0a4bd28db..f53cb574f 100644
--- a/src/domain/verifier/useCases/validateVerifiableCredential.ts
+++ b/src/domain/verifier/useCases/validateVerifiableCredential.ts
@@ -54,8 +54,9 @@ function validateContext (context: JsonLDContext, type: string[]): void {
 
 function validateIssuer (certificateIssuer: string | Issuer): void {
   let hasError = false;
-
-  if (typeof certificateIssuer === 'string' && !isValidUrl(certificateIssuer)) {
+  if (certificateIssuer == null) {
+    hasError = true;
+  } else if (typeof certificateIssuer === 'string' && !isValidUrl(certificateIssuer)) {
     hasError = true;
   } else if (typeof certificateIssuer === 'object' && !isValidUrl(certificateIssuer.id)) {
     hasError = true;
diff --git a/test/application/certificate/certificate-v3.test.ts b/test/application/certificate/certificate-v3.test.ts
index ec86178e8..8f14b6ef6 100644
--- a/test/application/certificate/certificate-v3.test.ts
+++ b/test/application/certificate/certificate-v3.test.ts
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ describe('Certificate entity test suite', function () {
           const certificate = new Certificate(failingFixture);
           await expect(certificate.init())
             .rejects
-            .toThrow('Unable to get issuer profile - no issuer address given');
+            .toThrow('Document presented is not a valid Verifiable Credential: `issuer` must be a URL string or an object with an `id` URL string');
         });
       });
 
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ describe('Certificate entity test suite', function () {
           const certificate = new Certificate(failingFixture);
           await expect(certificate.init())
             .rejects
-            .toThrow('Unable to get issuer profile - no issuer address given');
+            .toThrow('Document presented is not a valid Verifiable Credential: `issuer` must be a URL string or an object with an `id` URL string');
         });
       });
 
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ describe('Certificate entity test suite', function () {
           const certificate = new Certificate(failingFixture);
           await expect(certificate.init())
             .rejects
-            .toThrow('Unable to get issuer profile - no issuer address given');
+            .toThrow('Document presented is not a valid Verifiable Credential: `issuer` must be a URL string or an object with an `id` URL string');
         });
       });
 
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ describe('Certificate entity test suite', function () {
           const certificate = new Certificate(failingFixture);
           await expect(certificate.init())
             .rejects
-            .toThrow('Unable to get issuer profile - no issuer address given');
+            .toThrow('Document presented is not a valid Verifiable Credential: `issuer` must be a URL string or an object with an `id` URL string');
         });
       });