diff --git a/modules/federation/src/main/java/org/picketlink/identity/federation/web/handlers/saml2/SAML2AuthenticationHandler.java b/modules/federation/src/main/java/org/picketlink/identity/federation/web/handlers/saml2/SAML2AuthenticationHandler.java

index e0d3fb8..fcbe4df 100644

--- a/modules/federation/src/main/java/org/picketlink/identity/federation/web/handlers/saml2/SAML2AuthenticationHandler.java

+++ b/modules/federation/src/main/java/org/picketlink/identity/federation/web/handlers/saml2/SAML2AuthenticationHandler.java

@@ -520,6 +520,12 @@ public class SAML2AuthenticationHandler extends BaseSAML2Handler {

                         DocumentUtil.getChildElement(responseDocument.getDocumentElement(),

                                 new QName(JBossSAMLConstants.ASSERTION.get()));

+                if (assertionElement == null) {

+                    assertionElement =

+                        DocumentUtil.getChildElement(responseDocument.getDocumentElement(),

+                                new QName(JBossSAMLConstants.ENCRYPTED_ASSERTION.get()));

+                }

+

                 if (assertionElement != null) {

                     try {

                         Document assertionDocument = DocumentUtil.createDocument();