diff --git a/core/src/main/kotlin/io/github/nefilim/kjwt/JWT.kt b/core/src/main/kotlin/io/github/nefilim/kjwt/JWT.kt
index 9d0c1a1..56b46ba 100644
--- a/core/src/main/kotlin/io/github/nefilim/kjwt/JWT.kt
+++ b/core/src/main/kotlin/io/github/nefilim/kjwt/JWT.kt
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ fun String?.toJWTKeyID(): JWTKeyID? = this?.let { JWTKeyID(it)}
 @Serializable
 data class JOSEHeader<T: JWSAlgorithm>(
     @SerialName("alg") @Serializable(JWSAlgorithmSerializer::class) val algorithm: T,
-    @SerialName("typ") @Serializable(JOSETypeSerializer::class) val type: JOSEType,
+    @SerialName("typ") @Serializable(JOSETypeSerializer::class) val type: JOSEType? = null,
     @SerialName("kid") val keyID: JWTKeyID? = null,
 ) {
     fun toJSON(): String {
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ class JWT<T: JWSAlgorithm> private constructor(
             prettyPrint = true
         }
 
+        internal fun es256WithoutTypeHeader(claims: JWTClaimSetBuilder.() -> Unit): JWT<JWSES256Algorithm> = buildJWT(JOSEHeader(JWSES256Algorithm), claims)
         fun es256(keyID: JWTKeyID? = null, claims: JWTClaimSetBuilder.() -> Unit): JWT<JWSES256Algorithm> = buildJWT(JOSEHeader(JWSES256Algorithm, JOSEType.JWT, keyID), claims)
         fun es256k(keyID: JWTKeyID? = null, claims: JWTClaimSetBuilder.() -> Unit): JWT<JWSES256KAlgorithm> = buildJWT(JOSEHeader(JWSES256KAlgorithm, JOSEType.JWT, keyID), claims)
         fun es384(keyID: JWTKeyID? = null, claims: JWTClaimSetBuilder.() -> Unit): JWT<JWSES384Algorithm> = buildJWT(JOSEHeader(JWSES384Algorithm, JOSEType.JWT, keyID), claims)
@@ -131,7 +132,9 @@ class JWT<T: JWSAlgorithm> private constructor(
 
                 val h = Either.catch {
                     format.decodeFromString(JOSEHeader.serializer(PolymorphicSerializer(JWSAlgorithm::class)), jwtDecodeString(parts[0]))
-                }.mapLeft { KJWTVerificationError.AlgorithmMismatch }.bind()
+                }.mapLeft {
+                    println(it)
+                    KJWTVerificationError.AlgorithmMismatch }.bind()
                 val claims = Either.catch { format.parseToJsonElement(jwtDecodeString(parts[1])) }.mapLeft { KJWTVerificationError.InvalidJWT }.bind()
                 val claimsMap = Either.catch { (claims as JsonObject) }.mapLeft { KJWTVerificationError.EmptyClaims }.bind()
 
diff --git a/core/src/test/kotlin/io/github/nefilim/kjwt/JWTSpec.kt b/core/src/test/kotlin/io/github/nefilim/kjwt/JWTSpec.kt
index 2e5e061..176f68a 100644
--- a/core/src/test/kotlin/io/github/nefilim/kjwt/JWTSpec.kt
+++ b/core/src/test/kotlin/io/github/nefilim/kjwt/JWTSpec.kt
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import io.github.nefilim.kjwt.ClaimsVerification.requiredOptionClaim
 import io.github.nefilim.kjwt.ClaimsVerification.subject
 import io.github.nefilim.kjwt.ClaimsVerification.validateClaims
 import io.github.nefilim.kjwt.JWT.Companion.es256
+import io.github.nefilim.kjwt.JWT.Companion.es256WithoutTypeHeader
 import io.github.nefilim.kjwt.JWT.Companion.es256k
 import io.github.nefilim.kjwt.JWT.Companion.es384
 import io.github.nefilim.kjwt.JWT.Companion.es512
@@ -136,6 +137,33 @@ class JWTSpec: WordSpec() {
                 }
             }
 
+            "decode JWT with missing type header" {
+                val rawJWT = es256WithoutTypeHeader {
+                    subject("1234567890")
+                    issuedAt(LocalDateTime.ofInstant(Instant.ofEpochSecond(1516239022), ZoneId.of("UTC")))
+                }
+                // create a token with a spec violating lowercase type of "jwt"
+                val jwtString = listOf(
+                    """
+                        {
+                            "alg": "${rawJWT.header.algorithm.headerID}"
+                        }
+                    """.trimIndent(),
+                    """
+                        {
+                            "sub": "${rawJWT.subject().getOrElse { "" }}",
+                            "iat": ${rawJWT.issuedAt().map { it.toEpochSecond(ZoneOffset.UTC) }.getOrElse { 0 }}
+                        }
+                    """.trimIndent()
+                ).joinToString(".") {
+                    jwtEncodeBytes(it.toByteArray(Charsets.UTF_8))
+                }
+                JWT.decode(jwtString).shouldBeRight().also {
+                    it.parts.size shouldBe 2
+                    it.jwt shouldBe rawJWT
+                }
+            }
+
             "support arbitrary JSON claim values" {
                 val thelist = listOf("tagA", "tagB", "tagC")
                 val rawJWT = es256 {