diff --git a/Sources/SwiftJWT/BlueRSA.swift b/Sources/SwiftJWT/BlueRSA.swift
index 449478c..675aaa5 100644
--- a/Sources/SwiftJWT/BlueRSA.swift
+++ b/Sources/SwiftJWT/BlueRSA.swift
@@ -49,10 +49,22 @@ class BlueRSA: SignerAlgorithm, VerifierAlgorithm {
             Log.error("macOS 10.12.0 (Sierra) or higher or iOS 10.0 or higher is required by CryptorRSA")
             throw JWTError.osVersionToLow
         }
-        guard let keyString = String(data: key, encoding: .utf8) else {
-            throw JWTError.invalidPrivateKey
+        // Convert PEM format to DER
+        let keyDer: Data
+        if let keyString = String(data: key, encoding: .utf8) {
+            let strippedKey = String(keyString.filter { !" \n\t\r".contains($0) })
+            var pemComponents = strippedKey.components(separatedBy: "-----")
+            guard pemComponents.count >= 5 else {
+                throw JWTError.missingPEMHeaders
+            }
+            guard let der = Data(base64Encoded: pemComponents[2]) else {
+                throw JWTError.invalidPrivateKey
+            }
+            keyDer = der
+        } else {
+            keyDer = key
         }
-        let privateKey = try CryptorRSA.createPrivateKey(withPEM: keyString)
+        let privateKey = try CryptorRSA.createPrivateKey(with: keyDer)
         let myPlaintext = CryptorRSA.createPlaintext(with: data)
         guard let signedData = try myPlaintext.signed(with: privateKey, algorithm: algorithm, usePSS: usePSS) else {
             throw JWTError.invalidPrivateKey
@@ -85,10 +97,22 @@ class BlueRSA: SignerAlgorithm, VerifierAlgorithm {
             case .privateKey:
                 return false
             case .publicKey:
-                guard let keyString = String(data: key, encoding: .utf8) else {
-                    return false
+                // Convert PEM format to DER
+                let keyDer: Data
+                if let keyString = String(data: key, encoding: .utf8) {
+                    let strippedKey = String(keyString.filter { !" \n\t\r".contains($0) })
+                    var pemComponents = strippedKey.components(separatedBy: "-----")
+                    guard pemComponents.count >= 5 else {
+                        return false
+                    }
+                    guard let der = Data(base64Encoded: pemComponents[2]) else {
+                        return false
+                    }
+                    keyDer = der
+                } else {
+                    keyDer = key
                 }
-                publicKey = try CryptorRSA.createPublicKey(withPEM: keyString)
+                publicKey = try CryptorRSA.createPublicKey(with: keyDer)
             case .certificate:
                 publicKey = try CryptorRSA.createPublicKey(extractingFrom: key)
             }
diff --git a/Sources/SwiftJWT/JWTError.swift b/Sources/SwiftJWT/JWTError.swift
index d26be22..02765aa 100644
--- a/Sources/SwiftJWT/JWTError.swift
+++ b/Sources/SwiftJWT/JWTError.swift
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ public struct JWTError: Error, Equatable {
     private let internalError: InternalError
     
     private enum InternalError {
-        case invalidJWTString, failedVerification, osVersionToLow, invalidPrivateKey, invalidData, invalidKeyID
+        case invalidJWTString, failedVerification, osVersionToLow, invalidPrivateKey, invalidData, invalidKeyID, missingPEMHeaders
     }
     
     /// Error when an invalid JWT String is provided
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ public struct JWTError: Error, Equatable {
     /// Error when the KeyID field `kid` in the JWT header fails to generate a JWTSigner or JWTVerifier
     public static let invalidKeyID = JWTError(localizedDescription: "The JWT KeyID `kid` header failed to generate a JWTSigner/JWTVerifier", internalError: .invalidKeyID)
     
+    /// Error when a PEM string is provided without the expected PEM headers/footers. (e.g. -----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----)
+    public static let missingPEMHeaders = JWTError(localizedDescription: "The provided key did not have the expected PEM headers/footers", internalError: .missingPEMHeaders)
+    
     /// Function to check if JWTErrors are equal. Required for equatable protocol.
     public static func == (lhs: JWTError, rhs: JWTError) -> Bool {
         return lhs.internalError == rhs.internalError
diff --git a/Tests/SwiftJWTTests/TestJWT.swift b/Tests/SwiftJWTTests/TestJWT.swift
index 1b33695..ea7b8cd 100644
--- a/Tests/SwiftJWTTests/TestJWT.swift
+++ b/Tests/SwiftJWTTests/TestJWT.swift
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ import Foundation
 
 let rsaPrivateKey = read(fileName: "rsa_private_key")
 let rsaPublicKey = read(fileName: "rsa_public_key")
+let rsaDERPrivateKey = read(fileName: "privateRSA.der")
+let rsaDERPublicKey = read(fileName: "publicRSA.der")
 let ecdsaPrivateKey = read(fileName: "ecdsa_private_key")
 let ecdsaPublicKey = read(fileName: "ecdsa_public_key")
 let ec384PrivateKey = read(fileName: "ec384_private_key")
@@ -158,6 +160,14 @@ class TestJWT: XCTestCase {
         }
     }
     
+    func testSignAndVerifyRSADERKey() {
+        do {
+            try signAndVerify(signer: .rs256(privateKey: rsaDERPrivateKey), verifier: .rs256(publicKey: rsaDERPublicKey))
+        } catch {
+            XCTFail("testSignAndVerify failed: \(error)")
+        }
+    }
+    
     func testSignAndVerifyRSAPSS() {
         if #available(OSX 10.13, *) {
             do {
diff --git a/Tests/SwiftJWTTests/privateRSA.der b/Tests/SwiftJWTTests/privateRSA.der
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..15f577c
Binary files /dev/null and b/Tests/SwiftJWTTests/privateRSA.der differ
diff --git a/Tests/SwiftJWTTests/publicRSA.der b/Tests/SwiftJWTTests/publicRSA.der
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bd5782d
Binary files /dev/null and b/Tests/SwiftJWTTests/publicRSA.der differ