diff --git a/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/jwt/model/JwtHeader.java b/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/jwt/model/JwtHeader.java
index 26f56f7db..80969a199 100644
--- a/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/jwt/model/JwtHeader.java
+++ b/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/jwt/model/JwtHeader.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  ******************************************************************************/
 package org.mitre.jwt.model;
 
+import java.text.ParseException;
 import java.util.Map.Entry;
 
 import com.google.gson.JsonElement;
@@ -59,7 +60,12 @@ public class JwtHeader extends ClaimSet {
 			if (element.getValue().isJsonNull()) {
 				pass.add(element.getKey(), element.getValue());
 			} else if (element.getKey().equals(TYPE)) {
-	        	this.setType(element.getValue().getAsString());
+	        	try {
+					this.setType(element.getValue().getAsString());
+				} catch (ParseException e) {
+					// TODO Auto-generated catch block
+					e.printStackTrace();
+				}
 	        } else if (element.getKey().equals(ALGORITHM)) {
 	        	this.setAlgorithm(element.getValue().getAsString());
 	        } else if (element.getKey().equals(ENCRYPTION_METHOD)) {	        	
@@ -85,9 +91,13 @@ public class JwtHeader extends ClaimSet {
 
 	/**
      * @param type the type to set
+	 * @throws ParseException 
      */
-    public void setType(String type) {
-    	setClaim(TYPE, type);
+    public void setType(String type) throws ParseException {
+    	if(type == null) {
+    		throw new NullPointerException("JWT header type value must not be null");
+    	}
+    	setClaim(TYPE, Type.parse(type));
     }
 
 
diff --git a/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/jwt/model/Type.java b/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/jwt/model/Type.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c5efdb0e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openid-connect-common/src/main/java/org/mitre/jwt/model/Type.java
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+package org.mitre.jwt.model;
+
+public enum Type {
+	
+    /**
+    * Type ({@code typ}) parameter indicating a JWT.
+    *
+    * <p>Corresponds to the follwoing {@code typ} values:
+    *
+    * <ul>
+    *     <li>"JWT"
+    *     <li>"urn:ietf:params:oauth:token-type:jwt"
+    * </ul>
+    */
+    JWT,
+    
+    
+    /**
+    * Type ({@code typ}) parameter indicating a nested JWS.
+    *
+    * <p>Corresponds to the following {@code typ} value:
+    *
+    * <ul>
+    *     <li>"JWS"
+    * </ul>
+    */
+    JWS,
+    
+
+    /**
+    * Type ({@code typ}) parameter indicating a nested JWE.
+    *
+    * <p>Corresponds to the follwoing {@code typ} value:
+    *
+    * <ul>
+    *     <li>"JWE"
+    * </ul>
+    */
+    JWE;
+    
+    
+    /**
+    * Parses the specified type string (case sensitive).
+    *
+    * <p>Note that both "JWT" and 
+     * "urn:ietf:params:oauth:token-type:jwt" resolve to 
+     * {@link #JWT}.
+    *
+    * @param s The string to parse.
+    *
+    * @throws java.text.ParseException If the string couldn't be 
+     *                                  parsed to a supported JWT
+    *                                  header type.
+    */
+    public static Type parse(final String s)
+                   throws java.text.ParseException {
+    
+                   if (s == null)
+                                  throw new NullPointerException("The parsed JWT header \"typ\" value must not be null");
+                   
+                   if (s.equals("JWT") || s.equals("urn:ietf:params:oauth:token-type:jwt"))
+                                  return JWT;
+                   
+                   if (s.equals("JWS"))
+                                  return JWS;
+                   
+                   if (s.equals("JWE"))
+                                  return JWE;
+                   
+                   throw new java.text.ParseException("Unsupported JWT header \"typ\" value: " + s, 0);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/openid-connect-server/src/test/java/org/mitre/jwt/JwtTest.java b/openid-connect-server/src/test/java/org/mitre/jwt/JwtTest.java
index b20195904..6630f1c45 100644
--- a/openid-connect-server/src/test/java/org/mitre/jwt/JwtTest.java
+++ b/openid-connect-server/src/test/java/org/mitre/jwt/JwtTest.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import java.security.PublicKey;
 import java.security.cert.X509Certificate;
 import java.security.spec.RSAPrivateKeySpec;
 import java.security.spec.RSAPublicKeySpec;
+import java.text.ParseException;
 import java.util.Date;
 
 import org.bouncycastle.jce.X509Principal;
@@ -57,7 +58,12 @@ public class JwtTest {
 	@Test
 	public void testGenerateHmacSignature() {
 		Jwt jwt = new Jwt();
-		jwt.getHeader().setType("JWT");
+		try {
+			jwt.getHeader().setType("JWT");
+		} catch (ParseException e1) {
+			// TODO Auto-generated catch block
+			e1.printStackTrace();
+		}
 		jwt.getHeader().setAlgorithm("HS256");
 		jwt.getClaims().setExpiration(new Date(1300819380L * 1000L));
 		jwt.getClaims().setIssuer("joe");