diff --git a/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/jose/JWEAlgorithmEntity.java b/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/jose/JWEAlgorithmEntity.java
index 049fd36ba..bc63132a1 100644
--- a/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/jose/JWEAlgorithmEntity.java
+++ b/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/jose/JWEAlgorithmEntity.java
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import javax.persistence.Embeddable;
 import javax.persistence.Entity;
 import javax.persistence.Transient;
 
+import com.google.common.base.Strings;
 import com.nimbusds.jose.JWEAlgorithm;
 
 /**
@@ -30,8 +31,14 @@ public class JWEAlgorithmEntity {
 	    this.algorithm = algorithm;
     }
 
-	public JWEAlgorithmEntity(String algorithmName) {
-		setAlgorithmName(algorithmName);
+	public static JWEAlgorithmEntity getForAlgorithmName (String algorithmName) {
+		JWEAlgorithmEntity ent = new JWEAlgorithmEntity();
+		ent.setAlgorithmName(algorithmName);
+		if (ent.getAlgorithm() == null) {
+			return null;
+		} else {
+			return ent;
+		}
 	}
 	
 	/**
@@ -53,7 +60,7 @@ public class JWEAlgorithmEntity {
 	 * @param algorithmName
 	 */
 	public void setAlgorithmName(String algorithmName) {
-		if (algorithmName != null) {
+		if (!Strings.isNullOrEmpty(algorithmName)) {
 			algorithm = JWEAlgorithm.parse(algorithmName);
 		} else {
 			algorithm = null;
diff --git a/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/jose/JWEEncryptionMethodEntity.java b/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/jose/JWEEncryptionMethodEntity.java
index 605d8a7cb..297f1b42a 100644
--- a/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/jose/JWEEncryptionMethodEntity.java
+++ b/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/jose/JWEEncryptionMethodEntity.java
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import javax.persistence.Basic;
 import javax.persistence.Embeddable;
 import javax.persistence.Transient;
 
+import com.google.common.base.Strings;
 import com.nimbusds.jose.EncryptionMethod;
 import com.nimbusds.jose.JWEAlgorithm;
 
@@ -27,8 +28,14 @@ public class JWEEncryptionMethodEntity {
 	    this.algorithm = algorithm;
     }
 
-	public JWEEncryptionMethodEntity(String algorithmName) {
-		setAlgorithmName(algorithmName);
+	public static JWEEncryptionMethodEntity getForAlgorithmName (String algorithmName) {
+		JWEEncryptionMethodEntity ent = new JWEEncryptionMethodEntity();
+		ent.setAlgorithmName(algorithmName);
+		if (ent.getAlgorithm() == null) {
+			return null;
+		} else {
+			return ent;
+		}
 	}
 	
 	/**
@@ -46,11 +53,11 @@ public class JWEEncryptionMethodEntity {
 	
 	/**
 	 * Set the name of this algorithm. 
-	 * Calls JWEAlgorithm.parse()
+	 * Calls EncryptionMethod.parse()
 	 * @param algorithmName
 	 */
 	public void setAlgorithmName(String algorithmName) {
-		if (algorithmName != null) {
+		if (!Strings.isNullOrEmpty(algorithmName)) {
 			algorithm = EncryptionMethod.parse(algorithmName);
 		} else {
 			algorithm = null;
diff --git a/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/jose/JWSAlgorithmEntity.java b/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/jose/JWSAlgorithmEntity.java
index 22691ce06..02c6ca252 100644
--- a/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/jose/JWSAlgorithmEntity.java
+++ b/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/jose/JWSAlgorithmEntity.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import javax.persistence.Entity;
 import javax.persistence.Id;
 import javax.persistence.Transient;
 
+import com.google.common.base.Strings;
 import com.nimbusds.jose.JWSAlgorithm;
 
 /**
@@ -31,8 +32,14 @@ public class JWSAlgorithmEntity {
 	    this.algorithm = algorithm;
     }
 	
-	public JWSAlgorithmEntity(String algorithmName) {
-		setAlgorithmName(algorithmName);
+	public static JWSAlgorithmEntity getForAlgorithmName (String algorithmName) {
+		JWSAlgorithmEntity ent = new JWSAlgorithmEntity();
+		ent.setAlgorithmName(algorithmName);
+		if (ent.getAlgorithm() == null) {
+			return null;
+		} else {
+			return ent;
+		}
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -54,7 +61,7 @@ public class JWSAlgorithmEntity {
 	 * @param algorithmName
 	 */
 	public void setAlgorithmName(String algorithmName) {
-		if (algorithmName != null) {
+		if (!Strings.isNullOrEmpty(algorithmName)) {
 			algorithm = JWSAlgorithm.parse(algorithmName);
 		} else {
 			algorithm = null;
diff --git a/openid-connect-server/src/main/java/org/mitre/openid/connect/web/ClientAPI.java b/openid-connect-server/src/main/java/org/mitre/openid/connect/web/ClientAPI.java
index 0d8eb9cad..88e7a128b 100644
--- a/openid-connect-server/src/main/java/org/mitre/openid/connect/web/ClientAPI.java
+++ b/openid-connect-server/src/main/java/org/mitre/openid/connect/web/ClientAPI.java
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ public class ClientAPI {
 				@Override
                 public JWSAlgorithmEntity deserialize(JsonElement json, Type typeOfT, JsonDeserializationContext context) throws JsonParseException {
 					if (json.isJsonPrimitive()) {
-						return new JWSAlgorithmEntity(json.getAsString());
+						return JWSAlgorithmEntity.getForAlgorithmName(json.getAsString());
 					} else {
 						return null;
 					}
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ public class ClientAPI {
 				@Override
                 public JWEAlgorithmEntity deserialize(JsonElement json, Type typeOfT, JsonDeserializationContext context) throws JsonParseException {
 					if (json.isJsonPrimitive()) {
-						return new JWEAlgorithmEntity(json.getAsString());
+						return JWEAlgorithmEntity.getForAlgorithmName(json.getAsString());
 					} else {
 						return null;
 					}
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ public class ClientAPI {
 				@Override
                 public JWEEncryptionMethodEntity deserialize(JsonElement json, Type typeOfT, JsonDeserializationContext context) throws JsonParseException {
 					if (json.isJsonPrimitive()) {
-						return new JWEEncryptionMethodEntity(json.getAsString());
+						return JWEEncryptionMethodEntity.getForAlgorithmName(json.getAsString());
 					} else {
 						return null;
 					}
diff --git a/openid-connect-server/src/main/java/org/mitre/openid/connect/web/ClientDynamicRegistrationEndpoint.java b/openid-connect-server/src/main/java/org/mitre/openid/connect/web/ClientDynamicRegistrationEndpoint.java
index 2bd6c34a3..d0fda7968 100644
--- a/openid-connect-server/src/main/java/org/mitre/openid/connect/web/ClientDynamicRegistrationEndpoint.java
+++ b/openid-connect-server/src/main/java/org/mitre/openid/connect/web/ClientDynamicRegistrationEndpoint.java
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ public class ClientDynamicRegistrationEndpoint {
     private JWSAlgorithmEntity getAsJwsAlgorithm(JsonObject o, String member) {
     	String s = getAsString(o, member);
     	if (s != null) {
-    		return new JWSAlgorithmEntity(s);
+    		return JWSAlgorithmEntity.getForAlgorithmName(s);
     	} else {
     		return null;
     	}
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ public class ClientDynamicRegistrationEndpoint {
     private JWEAlgorithmEntity getAsJweAlgorithm(JsonObject o, String member) {
     	String s = getAsString(o, member);
     	if (s != null) {
-    		return new JWEAlgorithmEntity(s);
+    		return JWEAlgorithmEntity.getForAlgorithmName(s);
     	} else {
     		return null;
     	}
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ public class ClientDynamicRegistrationEndpoint {
     private JWEEncryptionMethodEntity getAsJweEncryptionMethod(JsonObject o, String member) {
     	String s = getAsString(o, member);
     	if (s != null) {
-    		return new JWEEncryptionMethodEntity(s);
+    		return JWEEncryptionMethodEntity.getForAlgorithmName(s);
     	} else {
     		return null;
     	}