diff --git a/pkg/api/grpc_server.go b/pkg/api/grpc_server.go
index 9a91d82f2..d6e1cd0d1 100644
--- a/pkg/api/grpc_server.go
+++ b/pkg/api/grpc_server.go
@@ -70,7 +70,15 @@ func (g *grpcCAServer) CreateSigningCertificate(ctx context.Context, request *fu
 		}
 	}
 
-	principal, err := authorize(ctx, token)
+	// Authenticate OIDC ID token by checking signature
+	idtoken, err := authorize(ctx, token)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, handleFulcioGRPCError(ctx, codes.Unauthenticated, err, invalidCredentials)
+	}
+	// Parse authenticated ID token into principal
+	// TODO:(nsmith5) replace this and authorize call above with
+	// just identity.IssuerPool.Authenticate()
+	principal, err := challenges.PrincipalFromIDToken(ctx, idtoken)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, handleFulcioGRPCError(ctx, codes.Unauthenticated, err, invalidCredentials)
 	}
@@ -103,10 +111,16 @@ func (g *grpcCAServer) CreateSigningCertificate(ctx context.Context, request *fu
 		return nil, handleFulcioGRPCError(ctx, codes.InvalidArgument, err, insecurePublicKey)
 	}
 
-	// verify challenge
-	subject, err := challenges.ExtractSubject(ctx, principal, publicKey, csr, proofOfPossession)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, handleFulcioGRPCError(ctx, codes.InvalidArgument, err, invalidSignature)
+	// verify the challenge
+	if csr != nil {
+		err = csr.CheckSignature()
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, handleFulcioGRPCError(ctx, codes.InvalidArgument, err, invalidSignature)
+		}
+	} else {
+		if err := challenges.CheckSignature(publicKey, proofOfPossession, principal.Name(ctx)); err != nil {
+			return nil, handleFulcioGRPCError(ctx, codes.InvalidArgument, err, invalidSignature)
+		}
 	}
 
 	var csc *certauth.CodeSigningCertificate
@@ -115,7 +129,7 @@ func (g *grpcCAServer) CreateSigningCertificate(ctx context.Context, request *fu
 	// For CAs that do not support embedded SCTs or if the CT log is not configured
 	if sctCa, ok := g.ca.(certauth.EmbeddedSCTCA); !ok || g.ct == nil {
 		// currently configured CA doesn't support pre-certificate flow required to embed SCT in final certificate
-		csc, err = g.ca.CreateCertificate(ctx, subject, publicKey)
+		csc, err = g.ca.CreateCertificate(ctx, principal, publicKey)
 		if err != nil {
 			// if the error was due to invalid input in the request, return HTTP 400
 			if _, ok := err.(certauth.ValidationError); ok {
@@ -165,7 +179,7 @@ func (g *grpcCAServer) CreateSigningCertificate(ctx context.Context, request *fu
 			result.GetSignedCertificateDetachedSct().SignedCertificateTimestamp = sctBytes
 		}
 	} else {
-		precert, err := sctCa.CreatePrecertificate(ctx, subject, publicKey)
+		precert, err := sctCa.CreatePrecertificate(ctx, principal, publicKey)
 		if err != nil {
 			// if the error was due to invalid input in the request, return HTTP 400
 			if _, ok := err.(certauth.ValidationError); ok {
diff --git a/pkg/challenges/challenges.go b/pkg/challenges/challenges.go
index 03ed7db0e..b81a56fd5 100644
--- a/pkg/challenges/challenges.go
+++ b/pkg/challenges/challenges.go
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@ func validateAllowedDomain(subjectHostname, issuerHostname string) error {
 	return fmt.Errorf("hostname top-level and second-level domains do not match: %s, %s", subjectHostname, issuerHostname)
 }
 
-func ExtractSubject(ctx context.Context, tok *oidc.IDToken, publicKey crypto.PublicKey, csr *x509.CertificateRequest, challenge []byte) (identity.Principal, error) {
+func PrincipalFromIDToken(ctx context.Context, tok *oidc.IDToken) (identity.Principal, error) {
 	iss, ok := config.FromContext(ctx).GetIssuer(tok.Issuer)
 	if !ok {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("configuration can not be loaded for issuer %v", tok.Issuer)
@@ -520,18 +520,6 @@ func ExtractSubject(ctx context.Context, tok *oidc.IDToken, publicKey crypto.Pub
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	// verify the proof of possession of the private key
-	if csr != nil {
-		err = csr.CheckSignature()
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-	} else {
-		if err := CheckSignature(publicKey, challenge, principal.Name(ctx)); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-	}
-
 	return principal, nil
 }