diff --git a/src/near_core/enc/asl1_core_codec.c b/src/near_core/enc/asl1_core_codec.c
index 82fd7e5..8aac83a 100644
--- a/src/near_core/enc/asl1_core_codec.c
+++ b/src/near_core/enc/asl1_core_codec.c
@@ -179,6 +179,7 @@ bool amduat_enc_asl1_core_encode_reference_v1(
     amduat_reference_t reference,
     amduat_octets_t *out_bytes) {
   const amduat_hash_asl1_desc_t *hash_desc;
+  size_t digest_len;
   size_t total_len;
   uint8_t *buffer;
 
@@ -192,18 +193,17 @@ bool amduat_enc_asl1_core_encode_reference_v1(
     return false;
   }
 
+  digest_len = reference.digest.len;
   hash_desc = amduat_hash_asl1_desc_lookup(reference.hash_id);
-  if (hash_desc == NULL || hash_desc->digest_len == 0) {
+  if (hash_desc != NULL && hash_desc->digest_len != 0 &&
+      digest_len != hash_desc->digest_len) {
     return false;
   }
-  if (reference.digest.len != hash_desc->digest_len) {
-    return false;
-  }
-  if (hash_desc->digest_len > SIZE_MAX - AMDUAT_ENC_ASL1_CORE_REF_HASH_LEN) {
+  if (digest_len > SIZE_MAX - AMDUAT_ENC_ASL1_CORE_REF_HASH_LEN) {
     return false;
   }
 
-  total_len = AMDUAT_ENC_ASL1_CORE_REF_HASH_LEN + hash_desc->digest_len;
+  total_len = AMDUAT_ENC_ASL1_CORE_REF_HASH_LEN + digest_len;
   buffer = (uint8_t *)malloc(total_len);
   if (buffer == NULL) {
     return false;
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ bool amduat_enc_asl1_core_encode_reference_v1(
   amduat_enc_asl1_core_store_u16_be(buffer, reference.hash_id);
   memcpy(buffer + AMDUAT_ENC_ASL1_CORE_REF_HASH_LEN,
          reference.digest.data,
-         hash_desc->digest_len);
+         digest_len);
 
   out_bytes->data = buffer;
   out_bytes->len = total_len;
@@ -238,12 +238,10 @@ bool amduat_enc_asl1_core_decode_reference_v1(
   }
 
   hash_id = (amduat_hash_id_t)amduat_enc_asl1_core_load_u16_be(bytes.data);
+  digest_len = bytes.len - AMDUAT_ENC_ASL1_CORE_REF_HASH_LEN;
   hash_desc = amduat_hash_asl1_desc_lookup(hash_id);
-  if (hash_desc == NULL || hash_desc->digest_len == 0) {
-    return false;
-  }
-  digest_len = hash_desc->digest_len;
-  if (bytes.len - AMDUAT_ENC_ASL1_CORE_REF_HASH_LEN != digest_len) {
+  if (hash_desc != NULL && hash_desc->digest_len != 0 &&
+      digest_len != hash_desc->digest_len) {
     return false;
   }