diff --git a/pgpainless-core/src/main/java/org/pgpainless/encryption_signing/SigningOptions.java b/pgpainless-core/src/main/java/org/pgpainless/encryption_signing/SigningOptions.java
index 430b1820..3f4b52f3 100644
--- a/pgpainless-core/src/main/java/org/pgpainless/encryption_signing/SigningOptions.java
+++ b/pgpainless-core/src/main/java/org/pgpainless/encryption_signing/SigningOptions.java
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ import org.pgpainless.PGPainless;
 import org.pgpainless.algorithm.DocumentSignatureType;
 import org.pgpainless.algorithm.HashAlgorithm;
 import org.pgpainless.exception.KeyCannotSignException;
-import org.pgpainless.exception.KeyValidationException;
+import org.pgpainless.exception.KeyValidationError;
 import org.pgpainless.implementation.ImplementationFactory;
 import org.pgpainless.key.OpenPgpV4Fingerprint;
 import org.pgpainless.key.SubkeyIdentifier;
@@ -104,13 +104,13 @@ public final class SigningOptions {
      * @param signingKeys collection of signing keys
      * @param signatureType type of signature (binary, canonical text)
      * @return this
-     * @throws KeyValidationException if something is wrong with any of the keys
+     * @throws KeyValidationError if something is wrong with any of the keys
      * @throws PGPException if any of the keys cannot be unlocked or a signing method cannot be created
      */
     public SigningOptions addInlineSignatures(SecretKeyRingProtector secrectKeyDecryptor,
                                               PGPSecretKeyRingCollection signingKeys,
                                               DocumentSignatureType signatureType)
-            throws KeyValidationException, PGPException {
+            throws KeyValidationError, PGPException {
         for (PGPSecretKeyRing signingKey : signingKeys) {
             addInlineSignature(secrectKeyDecryptor, signingKey, signatureType);
         }
@@ -125,14 +125,14 @@ public final class SigningOptions {
      * @param secretKeyDecryptor decryptor to unlock the signing secret key
      * @param secretKey signing key
      * @param signatureType type of signature (binary, canonical text)
-     * @throws KeyValidationException if something is wrong with the key
+     * @throws KeyValidationError if something is wrong with the key
      * @throws PGPException if the key cannot be unlocked or the signing method cannot be created
      * @return this
      */
     public SigningOptions addInlineSignature(SecretKeyRingProtector secretKeyDecryptor,
                                              PGPSecretKeyRing secretKey,
                                              DocumentSignatureType signatureType)
-            throws KeyValidationException, PGPException {
+            throws KeyValidationError, PGPException {
         return addInlineSignature(secretKeyDecryptor, secretKey, null, signatureType);
     }
 
@@ -148,19 +148,17 @@ public final class SigningOptions {
      * @param userId user-id of the signer
      * @param signatureType signature type (binary, canonical text)
      * @return this
-     * @throws KeyValidationException if the key is invalid
+     * @throws KeyValidationError if the key is invalid
      * @throws PGPException if the key cannot be unlocked or the signing method cannot be created
      */
     public SigningOptions addInlineSignature(SecretKeyRingProtector secretKeyDecryptor,
                                              PGPSecretKeyRing secretKey,
                                              String userId,
                                              DocumentSignatureType signatureType)
-            throws KeyValidationException, PGPException {
+            throws KeyValidationError, PGPException {
         KeyRingInfo keyRingInfo = new KeyRingInfo(secretKey, new Date());
-        if (userId != null) {
-            if (!keyRingInfo.isUserIdValid(userId)) {
-                throw new KeyValidationException(userId, keyRingInfo.getLatestUserIdCertification(userId), keyRingInfo.getUserIdRevocation(userId));
-            }
+        if (userId != null && !keyRingInfo.isUserIdValid(userId)) {
+            throw new KeyValidationError(userId, keyRingInfo.getLatestUserIdCertification(userId), keyRingInfo.getUserIdRevocation(userId));
         }
 
         List<PGPPublicKey> signingPubKeys = keyRingInfo.getSigningSubkeys();
@@ -238,10 +236,8 @@ public final class SigningOptions {
                                                DocumentSignatureType signatureType)
             throws PGPException {
         KeyRingInfo keyRingInfo = new KeyRingInfo(secretKey, new Date());
-        if (userId != null) {
-            if (!keyRingInfo.isUserIdValid(userId)) {
-                throw new KeyValidationException(userId, keyRingInfo.getLatestUserIdCertification(userId), keyRingInfo.getUserIdRevocation(userId));
-            }
+        if (userId != null && !keyRingInfo.isUserIdValid(userId)) {
+            throw new KeyValidationError(userId, keyRingInfo.getLatestUserIdCertification(userId), keyRingInfo.getUserIdRevocation(userId));
         }
 
         List<PGPPublicKey> signingPubKeys = keyRingInfo.getSigningSubkeys();
diff --git a/pgpainless-core/src/main/java/org/pgpainless/exception/KeyValidationException.java b/pgpainless-core/src/main/java/org/pgpainless/exception/KeyValidationError.java
similarity index 82%
rename from pgpainless-core/src/main/java/org/pgpainless/exception/KeyValidationException.java
rename to pgpainless-core/src/main/java/org/pgpainless/exception/KeyValidationError.java
index a025c6bf..c0fdb9e5 100644
--- a/pgpainless-core/src/main/java/org/pgpainless/exception/KeyValidationException.java
+++ b/pgpainless-core/src/main/java/org/pgpainless/exception/KeyValidationError.java
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ package org.pgpainless.exception;
 
 import org.bouncycastle.openpgp.PGPSignature;
 
-public class KeyValidationException extends AssertionError {
+public class KeyValidationError extends AssertionError {
 
-    public KeyValidationException(String userId, PGPSignature userIdSig, PGPSignature userIdRevocation) {
+    public KeyValidationError(String userId, PGPSignature userIdSig, PGPSignature userIdRevocation) {
         super("User-ID '" + userId + "' is not valid: Sig: " + userIdSig + " Rev: " + userIdRevocation);
     }
 }
diff --git a/pgpainless-core/src/main/java/org/pgpainless/key/info/KeyRingInfo.java b/pgpainless-core/src/main/java/org/pgpainless/key/info/KeyRingInfo.java
index 6a5dbb81..98d92ee6 100644
--- a/pgpainless-core/src/main/java/org/pgpainless/key/info/KeyRingInfo.java
+++ b/pgpainless-core/src/main/java/org/pgpainless/key/info/KeyRingInfo.java
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ import org.pgpainless.algorithm.HashAlgorithm;
 import org.pgpainless.algorithm.KeyFlag;
 import org.pgpainless.algorithm.PublicKeyAlgorithm;
 import org.pgpainless.algorithm.SymmetricKeyAlgorithm;
-import org.pgpainless.exception.KeyValidationException;
+import org.pgpainless.exception.KeyValidationError;
 import org.pgpainless.key.OpenPgpV4Fingerprint;
 import org.pgpainless.key.SubkeyIdentifier;
 import org.pgpainless.policy.Policy;
diff --git a/pgpainless-core/src/test/java/org/pgpainless/encryption_signing/EncryptionOptionsTest.java b/pgpainless-core/src/test/java/org/pgpainless/encryption_signing/EncryptionOptionsTest.java
index 59a0f9cc..78617349 100644
--- a/pgpainless-core/src/test/java/org/pgpainless/encryption_signing/EncryptionOptionsTest.java
+++ b/pgpainless-core/src/test/java/org/pgpainless/encryption_signing/EncryptionOptionsTest.java
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.pgpainless.PGPainless;
 import org.pgpainless.algorithm.KeyFlag;
 import org.pgpainless.algorithm.SymmetricKeyAlgorithm;
-import org.pgpainless.exception.KeyValidationException;
+import org.pgpainless.exception.KeyValidationError;
 import org.pgpainless.key.SubkeyIdentifier;
 import org.pgpainless.key.generation.KeySpec;
 import org.pgpainless.key.generation.type.KeyType;
@@ -194,6 +194,6 @@ public class EncryptionOptionsTest {
     @Test
     public void testAddRecipient_withInvalidUserId() {
         EncryptionOptions options = new EncryptionOptions();
-        assertThrows(KeyValidationException.class, () -> options.addRecipient(publicKeys, "invalid@user.id"));
+        assertThrows(KeyValidationError.class, () -> options.addRecipient(publicKeys, "invalid@user.id"));
     }
 }
diff --git a/pgpainless-core/src/test/java/org/pgpainless/encryption_signing/SigningTest.java b/pgpainless-core/src/test/java/org/pgpainless/encryption_signing/SigningTest.java
index a40567aa..1c2a9b8e 100644
--- a/pgpainless-core/src/test/java/org/pgpainless/encryption_signing/SigningTest.java
+++ b/pgpainless-core/src/test/java/org/pgpainless/encryption_signing/SigningTest.java
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ import org.pgpainless.algorithm.DocumentSignatureType;
 import org.pgpainless.decryption_verification.ConsumerOptions;
 import org.pgpainless.decryption_verification.DecryptionStream;
 import org.pgpainless.decryption_verification.OpenPgpMetadata;
-import org.pgpainless.exception.KeyValidationException;
+import org.pgpainless.exception.KeyValidationError;
 import org.pgpainless.implementation.ImplementationFactory;
 import org.pgpainless.key.TestKeys;
 import org.pgpainless.key.info.KeyRingInfo;
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ public class SigningTest {
 
         SigningOptions opts = new SigningOptions();
         // "bob" is not a valid user-id
-        assertThrows(KeyValidationException.class,
+        assertThrows(KeyValidationError.class,
                 () -> opts.addInlineSignature(protector, secretKeys, "bob", DocumentSignatureType.CANONICAL_TEXT_DOCUMENT));
     }
 
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ public class SigningTest {
 
         SigningOptions opts = new SigningOptions();
         // "alice" has been revoked
-        assertThrows(KeyValidationException.class,
+        assertThrows(KeyValidationError.class,
                 () -> opts.addInlineSignature(protector, fSecretKeys, "alice", DocumentSignatureType.CANONICAL_TEXT_DOCUMENT));
     }
 }