diff --git a/verifier/lib/idassertion.js b/verifier/lib/idassertion.js
index 642d702e79016a62f511cbfbd52dd29b1f09a455..7a8a56021b901022f0c9774e99bcd6ad827fcb51 100644
--- a/verifier/lib/idassertion.js
+++ b/verifier/lib/idassertion.js
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ const url = require("url");
 const rsa = require("./rsa.js");
 const logger = require("../../libs/logging.js").logger;
 
+// configuration information to check the issuer
+const config = require("../../libs/configuration.js");
+
 var Webfinger = (function() {
 
   // contains domain to template string
@@ -309,6 +312,14 @@ IDAssertion.prototype  =
       return;
     }
 
+    // check that the issuer is just US for now, no other issuer
+    // FIXME: this will need to change for certs
+    var expected_issuer = config.get('hostname') + ':' + config.get('port');
+    if (payload.issuer != expected_issuer) {
+      onError("Issuer can only be ourselves for now, it should be: " + expected_issuer);
+      return;
+    }
+    
     // (if there was a certificate, we could verify it here)
     // but for now we will assume email-based lookup