diff --git a/include/jwt/error_codes.hpp b/include/jwt/error_codes.hpp
index 742eeff..063a97a 100644
--- a/include/jwt/error_codes.hpp
+++ b/include/jwt/error_codes.hpp
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ enum class DecodeErrc
   TypHeaderMiss,
   TypMismatch,
   DuplClaims,
+  KeyNotPresent,
+  KeyNotRequiredForNoneAlg,
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/include/jwt/impl/error_codes.ipp b/include/jwt/impl/error_codes.ipp
index 2862917..40b1e58 100644
--- a/include/jwt/impl/error_codes.ipp
+++ b/include/jwt/impl/error_codes.ipp
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@ struct DecodeErrorCategory: std::error_category
       return "json parse failed";
     case DecodeErrc::DuplClaims:
       return "duplicate claims";
+    case DecodeErrc::KeyNotPresent:
+      return "key not present";
+    case DecodeErrc::KeyNotRequiredForNoneAlg:
+      return "key not required for NONE algorithm";
     };
 
     assert (0 && "Code not reached");
diff --git a/include/jwt/impl/jwt.ipp b/include/jwt/impl/jwt.ipp
index 37d4218..a9289aa 100644
--- a/include/jwt/impl/jwt.ipp
+++ b/include/jwt/impl/jwt.ipp
@@ -464,13 +464,19 @@ jwt_object::three_parts(const string_view enc_str)
   return result;
 }
 
+template <typename DecodeParams, typename... Rest>
+void jwt_object::set_decode_params(DecodeParams& dparams, params::detail::secret_param s, Rest&&... args)
+{
+  dparams.secret.assign(s.get().data(), s.get().length());
+  dparams.has_secret = true;
+  jwt_object::set_decode_params(dparams, std::forward<Rest>(args)...);
+}
 
 template <typename DecodeParams, typename... Rest>
 void jwt_object::set_decode_params(DecodeParams& dparams, params::detail::leeway_param l, Rest&&... args)
 {
   dparams.leeway = l.get();
   jwt_object::set_decode_params(dparams, std::forward<Rest>(args)...);
-  return;
 }
 
 template <typename DecodeParams, typename... Rest>
@@ -478,7 +484,6 @@ void jwt_object::set_decode_params(DecodeParams& dparams, params::detail::verify
 {
   dparams.verify = v.get();
   jwt_object::set_decode_params(dparams, std::forward<Rest>(args)...);
-  return;
 }
 
 template <typename DecodeParams, typename... Rest>
@@ -487,7 +492,6 @@ void jwt_object::set_decode_params(DecodeParams& dparams, params::detail::issuer
   dparams.issuer = std::move(i).get();
   dparams.has_issuer = true;
   jwt_object::set_decode_params(dparams, std::forward<Rest>(args)...);
-  return;
 }
 
 template <typename DecodeParams, typename... Rest>
@@ -508,7 +512,6 @@ void jwt_object::set_decode_params(DecodeParams& dparams)
 
 template <typename SequenceT, typename... Args>
 jwt_object decode(const string_view enc_str,
-                  const string_view key,
                   const params::detail::algorithms_param<SequenceT>& algos,
                   std::error_code& ec,
                   Args&&... args)
@@ -523,14 +526,21 @@ jwt_object decode(const string_view enc_str,
 
   struct decode_params
   {
+    /// key to decode the JWS
+    bool has_secret = false;
+    std::string secret;
+
     /// Verify parameter. Defaulted to true.
     bool verify = true;
+
     /// Leeway parameter. Defaulted to zero seconds.
     uint32_t leeway = 0;
+
     ///The issuer
     //TODO: optional type
     bool has_issuer = false;
     std::string issuer;
+
     ///The audience
     //TODO: optional type
     bool has_aud = false;
@@ -571,6 +581,15 @@ jwt_object decode(const string_view enc_str,
       ec = DecodeErrc::SignatureFormatError;
       return obj;
     }
+
+    if (!dparams.has_secret) {
+      ec = DecodeErrc::KeyNotPresent;
+      return obj;
+    }
+  } else {
+    if (dparams.has_secret) {
+      ec = DecodeErrc::KeyNotRequiredForNoneAlg;
+    }
   }
 
   //throws decode error
@@ -589,7 +608,7 @@ jwt_object decode(const string_view enc_str,
 
   //Verify the signature only if some algorithm was used
   if (obj.header().algo() != algorithm::NONE) {
-    jwt_signature jsign{key};
+    jwt_signature jsign{dparams.secret};
  
     // Length of the encoded header and payload only.
     // Addition of '1' to account for the '.' character.
@@ -617,13 +636,11 @@ jwt_object decode(const string_view enc_str,
 
 template <typename SequenceT, typename... Args>
 jwt_object decode(const string_view enc_str,
-                  const string_view key,
                   const params::detail::algorithms_param<SequenceT>& algos,
                   Args&&... args)
 {
   std::error_code ec{};
   auto jwt_obj = decode(enc_str,
-                        key,
                         algos,
                         ec,
                         std::forward<Args>(args)...);
@@ -681,6 +698,11 @@ void jwt_throw_exception(const std::error_code& ec)
       {
         throw SignatureFormatError(ec.message());
       }
+      case DecodeErrc::KeyNotRequiredForNoneAlg:
+      {
+        // Not an error. Just to be ignored.
+        break;
+      }
       default:
       {
         throw DecodeError(ec.message());
diff --git a/include/jwt/jwt.hpp b/include/jwt/jwt.hpp
index b122458..56cee40 100644
--- a/include/jwt/jwt.hpp
+++ b/include/jwt/jwt.hpp
@@ -730,6 +730,9 @@ private: // private APIs
 
 public: //TODO: Not good
   /// Decode parameters
+  template <typename DecodeParams, typename... Rest>
+  static void set_decode_params(DecodeParams& dparams, params::detail::secret_param s, Rest&&... args);
+
   template <typename DecodeParams, typename... Rest>
   static void set_decode_params(DecodeParams& dparams, params::detail::leeway_param l, Rest&&... args);
 
@@ -766,7 +769,6 @@ jwt_object jwt_decode(const string_view encoded_str, const string_view key, bool
  */
 template <typename SequenceT, typename... Args>
 jwt_object decode(const string_view enc_str, 
-                  const string_view key, 
                   const params::detail::algorithms_param<SequenceT>& algos, 
                   std::error_code& ec,
                   Args&&... args);
@@ -775,7 +777,6 @@ jwt_object decode(const string_view enc_str,
  */
 template <typename SequenceT, typename... Args>
 jwt_object decode(const string_view enc_str,
-                  const string_view key,
                   const params::detail::algorithms_param<SequenceT>& algos,
                   Args&&... args);
 
diff --git a/tests/test_jwt_decode b/tests/test_jwt_decode
index 515770a..67917eb 100755
Binary files a/tests/test_jwt_decode and b/tests/test_jwt_decode differ
diff --git a/tests/test_jwt_decode.cc b/tests/test_jwt_decode.cc
index 05c8065..b6d1be7 100644
--- a/tests/test_jwt_decode.cc
+++ b/tests/test_jwt_decode.cc
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ TEST (DecodeTest, InvalidFinalDotForNoneAlg)
     "eyJhbGciOiJOT05FIiwidHlwIjoiSldUIn0.eyJhdWQiOiJyaWZ0LmlvIiwiZXhwIjoxNTEzODYzMzcxLCJzdWIiOiJub3RoaW5nIG11Y2gifQ";
 
   std::error_code ec;
-  auto obj = jwt::decode(inv_enc_str, "", algorithms({"none", "hs256"}), ec);
+  auto obj = jwt::decode(inv_enc_str, algorithms({"none", "hs256"}), ec);
 
   ASSERT_TRUE (ec);
   EXPECT_EQ (ec.value(), static_cast<int>(jwt::DecodeErrc::SignatureFormatError));
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ TEST (DecodeTest, DecodeNoneAlgSign)
     "eyJhbGciOiJOT05FIiwidHlwIjoiSldUIn0.eyJhdWQiOiJyaWZ0LmlvIiwiZXhwIjoxNTEzODYzMzcxLCJzdWIiOiJub3RoaW5nIG11Y2gifQ.";
 
   std::error_code ec;
-  auto obj = jwt::decode(enc_str, "", algorithms({"none"}), ec, verify(false));
+  auto obj = jwt::decode(enc_str, algorithms({"none"}), ec, verify(false));
   EXPECT_TRUE (ec);
   EXPECT_EQ (ec.value(), static_cast<int>(jwt::AlgorithmErrc::NoneAlgorithmUsed));
 
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ TEST (DecodeTest, DecodeWrongAlgo)
     "eyJhbGciOiJOT05FIiwidHlwIjoiSldUIn0.eyJhdWQiOiJyaWZ0LmlvIiwiZXhwIjoxNTEzODYzMzcxLCJzdWIiOiJub3RoaW5nIG11Y2gifQ.";
 
   std::error_code ec;
-  auto obj = jwt::decode(enc_str, "", algorithms({"hs256"}), ec, verify(true));
+  auto obj = jwt::decode(enc_str, algorithms({"hs256"}), ec, secret(""), verify(true));
   EXPECT_TRUE (ec);
   EXPECT_EQ (ec.value(), static_cast<int>(jwt::VerificationErrc::InvalidAlgorithm));
 }
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ TEST (DecodeTest, DecodeInvalidHeader)
     "ehbGciOiJOT05FIiwidHlwIjoiSldUIn0.eyJhdWQiOiJyaWZ0LmlvIiwiZXhwIjoxNTEzODYzMzcxLCJzdWIiOiJub3RoaW5nIG11Y2gifQ.";
 
   std::error_code ec;
-  auto obj = jwt::decode(enc_str, "", algorithms({"hs256"}), ec, verify(true));
+  auto obj = jwt::decode(enc_str, algorithms({"hs256"}), ec, secret(""), verify(true));
   ASSERT_TRUE (ec);
   EXPECT_EQ (ec.value(), static_cast<int>(jwt::DecodeErrc::JsonParseError));
 
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ TEST (DecodeTest, DecodeInvalidPayload)
     "eyJhbGciOiJOT05FIiwidHlwIjoiSldUIn0.eyfhuWcikiJyaWZ0LmlvIiwiZXhwIsexNTEzODYzMzcxLCJzdWIiOiJub3RoaW5nIG11Y2gifQ.";
 
   std::error_code ec;
-  auto obj = jwt::decode(enc_str, "", algorithms({"none"}), ec, verify(true));
+  auto obj = jwt::decode(enc_str, algorithms({"none"}), ec, verify(true));
   ASSERT_TRUE (ec);
 
   EXPECT_EQ (ec.value(), static_cast<int>(jwt::DecodeErrc::JsonParseError));
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ TEST (DecodeTest, DecodeHS256)
    "jk7bRQKTLvs1RcuvMc2B_rt6WBYPoVPirYi_QRBPiuk";
 
   std::error_code ec;
-  auto obj = jwt::decode(enc_str, "secret", algorithms({"none", "hs256"}), ec, verify(false));
+  auto obj = jwt::decode(enc_str, algorithms({"none", "hs256"}), ec, verify(false), secret("secret"));
   ASSERT_FALSE (ec);
 
   EXPECT_TRUE (obj.has_claim("iss"));
@@ -108,10 +108,10 @@ TEST (DecodeTest, DecodeHS384)
     "eyJhdWQiOiJyaWZ0LmlvIiwiZXhwIjoxNTEzODYzMzcxLCJzdWIiOiJub3RoaW5nIG11Y2gifQ."
     "cGN4FZCe9Y2c1dA-jP71IXGnYbJRc4OaUTa5m7N7ybF5h6wBwxWQ-pdcxYchjDBL";
 
-  const jwt::string_view secret = "0123456789abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz";
+  const jwt::string_view key = "0123456789abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz";
 
   std::error_code ec;
-  auto obj = jwt::decode(enc_str, secret, algorithms({"none", "hs384"}), ec, verify(false));
+  auto obj = jwt::decode(enc_str, algorithms({"none", "hs384"}), ec, verify(false), secret(key));
   ASSERT_FALSE (ec);
 
   EXPECT_TRUE (obj.has_claim("sub"));
@@ -127,10 +127,10 @@ TEST (DecodeTest, DecodeHS512)
   "eyJhdWQiOiJyaWZ0LmlvIiwiZXhwIjoxNTEzODYzMzcxLCJzdWIiOiJub3RoaW5nIG11Y2gifQ."
   "vQ-1JSFN1kPjUI3URP6AFK5z8V7xLhyhw-76QWhQg9Xcy-IgrJ-bCTYLBjgaprrcEWwpSnBQnP3QnIxYK0HEaQ";
 
-  const jwt::string_view secret = "00112233445566778899";
+  const jwt::string_view key = "00112233445566778899";
 
   std::error_code ec;
-  auto obj = jwt::decode(enc_str, secret, algorithms({"none", "hs384", "hs512"}), ec, verify(false));
+  auto obj = jwt::decode(enc_str, algorithms({"none", "hs384", "hs512"}), ec, verify(false), secret(key));
 
   ASSERT_FALSE (ec);
 
@@ -138,7 +138,6 @@ TEST (DecodeTest, DecodeHS512)
   EXPECT_TRUE (obj.payload().has_claim_with_value("sub", "nothing much"));
 }
 
-
 int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
   ::testing::InitGoogleTest(&argc, argv);
   return RUN_ALL_TESTS();