diff --git a/pywidevine/cdm.py b/pywidevine/cdm.py
index 0655e8d..065e95c 100644
--- a/pywidevine/cdm.py
+++ b/pywidevine/cdm.py
@@ -186,10 +186,8 @@ class Cdm:
 
         if certificate is None:
             if session.service_certificate:
-                signed_drm_certificate = SignedDrmCertificate()
-                signed_drm_certificate.ParseFromString(session.service_certificate)
                 drm_certificate = DrmCertificate()
-                drm_certificate.ParseFromString(signed_drm_certificate.drm_certificate)
+                drm_certificate.ParseFromString(session.service_certificate.drm_certificate)
                 provider_id = drm_certificate.provider_id
             else:
                 provider_id = None
@@ -216,10 +214,6 @@ class Cdm:
                 signed_drm_certificate.ParseFromString(certificate)
                 if signed_drm_certificate.SerializeToString() != certificate:
                     raise DecodeError("partial parse")
-                # Craft a SignedMessage as it's stored as a SignedMessage
-                signed_message.Clear()
-                signed_message.msg = signed_drm_certificate.SerializeToString()
-                # we don't need to sign this message, this is normal
         except DecodeError as e:
             # could be a direct unsigned DrmCertificate, but reject those anyway
             raise DecodeError(f"Could not parse certificate as a SignedDrmCertificate, {e}")
@@ -241,10 +235,12 @@ class Cdm:
         except DecodeError as e:
             raise DecodeError(f"Could not parse signed certificate's message as a DrmCertificate, {e}")
 
-        session.service_certificate = signed_message
+        # must be stored as a SignedDrmCertificate as the signature needs to be kept for RemoteCdm
+        # if we store as DrmCertificate (no signature) then RemoteCdm cannot verify the Certificate
+        session.service_certificate = signed_drm_certificate
         return drm_certificate.provider_id
 
-    def get_service_certificate(self, session_id: bytes) -> Optional[SignedMessage]:
+    def get_service_certificate(self, session_id: bytes) -> Optional[SignedDrmCertificate]:
         """
         Get the currently set Service Privacy Certificate of the Session.
 
@@ -553,7 +549,7 @@ class Cdm:
     @staticmethod
     def encrypt_client_id(
         client_id: ClientIdentification,
-        service_certificate: Union[SignedMessage, SignedDrmCertificate, DrmCertificate],
+        service_certificate: Union[SignedDrmCertificate, DrmCertificate],
         key: bytes = None,
         iv: bytes = None
     ) -> EncryptedClientIdentification:
@@ -561,10 +557,6 @@ class Cdm:
         privacy_key = key or get_random_bytes(16)
         privacy_iv = iv or get_random_bytes(16)
 
-        if isinstance(service_certificate, SignedMessage):
-            signed_drm_certificate = SignedDrmCertificate()
-            signed_drm_certificate.ParseFromString(service_certificate.msg)
-            service_certificate = signed_drm_certificate
         if isinstance(service_certificate, SignedDrmCertificate):
             drm_certificate = DrmCertificate()
             drm_certificate.ParseFromString(service_certificate.drm_certificate)
diff --git a/pywidevine/remotecdm.py b/pywidevine/remotecdm.py
index 99e5101..96cf56b 100644
--- a/pywidevine/remotecdm.py
+++ b/pywidevine/remotecdm.py
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ class RemoteCdm(Cdm):
 
         return r["provider_id"]
 
-    def get_service_certificate(self, session_id: bytes) -> Optional[SignedMessage]:
+    def get_service_certificate(self, session_id: bytes) -> Optional[SignedDrmCertificate]:
         r = self.__session.post(
             url=f"{self.host}/{self.device_name}/get_service_certificate",
             json={
@@ -159,21 +159,12 @@ class RemoteCdm(Cdm):
             return None
 
         service_certificate = base64.b64decode(service_certificate)
-        signed_message = SignedMessage()
         signed_drm_certificate = SignedDrmCertificate()
 
         try:
-            signed_message.ParseFromString(service_certificate)
-            if signed_message.SerializeToString() == service_certificate:
-                signed_drm_certificate.ParseFromString(signed_message.msg)
-            else:
-                signed_drm_certificate.ParseFromString(service_certificate)
-                if signed_drm_certificate.SerializeToString() != service_certificate:
-                    raise DecodeError("partial parse")
-                # Craft a SignedMessage as it's stored as a SignedMessage
-                signed_message.Clear()
-                signed_message.msg = signed_drm_certificate.SerializeToString()
-                # we don't need to sign this message, this is normal
+            signed_drm_certificate.ParseFromString(service_certificate)
+            if signed_drm_certificate.SerializeToString() != service_certificate:
+                raise DecodeError("partial parse")
         except DecodeError as e:
             # could be a direct unsigned DrmCertificate, but reject those anyway
             raise DecodeError(f"Could not parse certificate as a SignedDrmCertificate, {e}")
@@ -187,8 +178,8 @@ class RemoteCdm(Cdm):
                 )
         except (ValueError, TypeError):
             raise SignatureMismatch("Signature Mismatch on SignedDrmCertificate, rejecting certificate")
-        else:
-            return signed_message
+
+        return signed_drm_certificate
 
     def get_license_challenge(
         self,
diff --git a/pywidevine/session.py b/pywidevine/session.py
index 2bfcdaf..1a2744e 100644
--- a/pywidevine/session.py
+++ b/pywidevine/session.py
@@ -3,13 +3,13 @@ from typing import Optional
 from Crypto.Random import get_random_bytes
 
 from pywidevine.key import Key
-from pywidevine.license_protocol_pb2 import SignedMessage
+from pywidevine.license_protocol_pb2 import SignedDrmCertificate
 
 
 class Session:
     def __init__(self, number: int):
         self.number = number
         self.id = get_random_bytes(16)
-        self.service_certificate: Optional[SignedMessage] = None
+        self.service_certificate: Optional[SignedDrmCertificate] = None
         self.context: dict[bytes, tuple[bytes, bytes]] = {}
         self.keys: list[Key] = []