diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index c8b57d8..1c04474 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -111,7 +111,9 @@ module.exports.verify = function(jwtString, secretOrPublicKey, options, callback
     options.algorithms = ~secretOrPublicKey.toString().indexOf('BEGIN CERTIFICATE') ||
                          ~secretOrPublicKey.toString().indexOf('BEGIN PUBLIC KEY') ?
                           [ 'RS256','RS384','RS512','ES256','ES384','ES512' ] :
-                          [ 'HS256','HS384','HS512' ];
+                         ~secretOrPublicKey.toString().indexOf('BEGIN RSA PUBLIC KEY') ?
+							[ 'RS256','RS384','RS512' ] :
+							[ 'HS256','HS384','HS512' ];
 
   }
 
diff --git a/test/rsa-public-key.pem b/test/rsa-public-key.pem
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eb9a29b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/rsa-public-key.pem
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+-----BEGIN RSA PUBLIC KEY-----
+MIIBCgKCAQEAvzoCEC2rpSpJQaWZbUmlsDNwp83Jr4fi6KmBWIwnj1MZ6CUQ7rBa
+suLI8AcfX5/10scSfQNCsTLV2tMKQaHuvyrVfwY0dINk+nkqB74QcT2oCCH9XduJ
+jDuwWA4xLqAKuF96FsIes52opEM50W7/W7DZCKXkC8fFPFj6QF5ZzApDw2Qsu3yM
+Rmr7/W9uWeaTwfPx24YdY7Ah+fdLy3KN40vXv9c4xiSafVvnx9BwYL7H1Q8NiK9L
+GEN6+JSWfgckQCs6UUBOXSZdreNN9zbQCwyzee7bOJqXUDAuLcFARzPw1EsZAyjV
+tGCKIQ0/btqK+jFunT2NBC8RItanDZpptQIDAQAB
+-----END RSA PUBLIC KEY-----
diff --git a/test/rsa-public-key.tests.js b/test/rsa-public-key.tests.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e2044fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/rsa-public-key.tests.js
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+var jwt = require('../');
+
+describe('public key start with BEGIN RSA PUBLIC KEY', function () {
+
+  it('should work', function (done) {
+    var fs = require('fs');
+    var cert_pub = fs.readFileSync(__dirname + '/rsa-public-key.pem');
+    var cert_priv = fs.readFileSync(__dirname + '/rsa-private.pem');
+
+    var token = jwt.sign({ foo: 'bar' }, cert_priv, { algorithm: 'RS256'});
+
+    jwt.verify(token, cert_pub, done);
+  });
+
+});