diff --git a/sdk/src/main/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/nanotdf/ResourceLocator.java b/sdk/src/main/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/nanotdf/ResourceLocator.java
index cf50e1fc..ac189859 100644
--- a/sdk/src/main/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/nanotdf/ResourceLocator.java
+++ b/sdk/src/main/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/nanotdf/ResourceLocator.java
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ public ResourceLocator(ByteBuffer buffer) {
         // Get the first byte and mask it with 0xF to keep only the first four bits
         final byte protocolWithIdentifier = buffer.get();
         int protocolNibble = protocolWithIdentifier & 0x0F;
-        int identifierNibble = (protocolWithIdentifier & 0xF0) >> 4;
+        int identifierNibble = ((protocolWithIdentifier & 0xFF) & 0xF0) >> 4;
         this.protocol = NanoTDFType.Protocol.values()[protocolNibble];
         // body
         this.bodyLength = buffer.get();
@@ -183,13 +183,21 @@ public int writeIntoBuffer(ByteBuffer buffer) {
         int totalBytesWritten = 0;
 
         // Write the protocol type.
-        if (identifierType == NanoTDFType.IdentifierType.NONE) {
-            buffer.put((byte) protocol.ordinal());
-            totalBytesWritten += 1; // size of byte
-        } else {
-            buffer.put((byte) (identifierType.ordinal() << 4 | protocol.ordinal()));
-            totalBytesWritten += 1;
+        switch (identifierType) {
+            case NONE:
+                buffer.put((byte) protocol.ordinal());
+                break;
+            case TWO_BYTES:
+                buffer.put((byte) ((0b0001 << 4) | protocol.ordinal()));
+                break;
+            case EIGHT_BYTES:
+                buffer.put((byte) ((0b0010 << 4) | protocol.ordinal()));
+                break;
+            case THIRTY_TWO_BYTES:
+                buffer.put((byte) ((0b0011 << 4) | protocol.ordinal()));
+                break;
         }
+        totalBytesWritten += 1; // size of byte
 
         // Write the url body length
         buffer.put((byte)bodyLength);
@@ -220,6 +228,7 @@ public String getIdentifierString() {
                     actualLength = i + 1;
                 }
             }
-            return new String(this.identifier, 0, actualLength);
+            String identifierPadded =  new String(this.identifier, 0, actualLength);
+            return identifierPadded.trim();
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/sdk/src/test/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/nanotdf/ResourceLocatorTest.java b/sdk/src/test/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/nanotdf/ResourceLocatorTest.java
index ec6a17c8..562a3475 100644
--- a/sdk/src/test/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/nanotdf/ResourceLocatorTest.java
+++ b/sdk/src/test/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/nanotdf/ResourceLocatorTest.java
@@ -60,20 +60,22 @@ void writingResourceLocatorIntoBufferWithInsufficientSize() {
 
     @ParameterizedTest
     @MethodSource("provideUrlsAndIdentifiers")
-    void creatingResourceLocatorWithDifferentIdentifiers(String url, String identifier, int expectedLength) {
+    void creatingResourceLocatorWithDifferentIdentifiers(String url, String identifier, int expectedLength, byte[] goldenIdentifier) {
         locator = new ResourceLocator(url, identifier);
         assertEquals(url, locator.getResourceUrl());
         assertEquals(identifier, locator.getIdentifierString());
+        assertArrayEquals(goldenIdentifier, locator.getIdentifier());
         assertEquals(expectedLength, locator.getIdentifier().length);
     }
 
     private static Stream<Arguments> provideUrlsAndIdentifiers() {
         return Stream.of(
-                Arguments.of("http://test.com", "F", 2),
-                Arguments.of("http://test.com", "e0", 2),
-                Arguments.of("http://test.com", "e0e0e0e0", 8),
-                Arguments.of("http://test.com", "e0e0e0e0e0e0e0e0", 32),
-                Arguments.of("https://test.com", "e0e0e0e0e0e0e0e0e0e0e0e0e0e0e0e0",32 )
+                Arguments.of("http://test.com", "F", 2, new byte[]{70, 0}),
+                Arguments.of("http://test.com", "e0", 2, new byte[]{101,48}),
+                Arguments.of("http://test.com", "12345", 8, new byte[]{49,50,51,52,53,0,0,0}),
+                Arguments.of("http://test.com", "e0e0e0e0", 8, new byte[]{101, 48, 101, 48, 101, 48, 101, 48}),
+                Arguments.of("http://test.com", "e0e0e0e0e0e0e0e0", 32, new byte[]{101,48,101,48,101,48,101,48,101,48,101,48,101,48,101,48,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0}),
+                Arguments.of("https://test.com", "e0e0e0e0e0e0e0e0e0e0e0e0e0e0e0e0",32, new byte[]{101, 48, 101, 48, 101, 48, 101, 48, 101, 48, 101, 48, 101, 48, 101, 48, 101, 48, 101, 48, 101, 48, 101, 48, 101, 48, 101, 48, 101, 48, 101, 48})
         );
     }