diff --git a/libretroshare/src/pgp/rscertificate.cc b/libretroshare/src/pgp/rscertificate.cc
index 9f78a78de..b29952c91 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/pgp/rscertificate.cc
+++ b/libretroshare/src/pgp/rscertificate.cc
@@ -431,12 +431,25 @@ unsigned short RsCertificate::loc_port_us() const
 	return (int)ipv4_internal_ip_and_port[4]*256 + (int)ipv4_internal_ip_and_port[5] ;
 }
 
-bool RsCertificate::cleanCertificate(const std::string& input,std::string& output,Format& format,int& error_code)
+bool RsCertificate::cleanCertificate(const std::string& input,std::string& output,Format& format,int& error_code,bool check_content)
 {
 	if(cleanCertificate(input,output,error_code))
 	{
 		format = RS_CERTIFICATE_RADIX ;
-		return true ;
+
+        if(!check_content)
+            return true ;
+
+        try
+        {
+			RsCertificate c(input) ;
+            return true ;
+        }
+        catch(uint32_t err_code)
+        {
+            error_code = err_code ;
+            return false;
+        }
 	}
 
 	return false ;
diff --git a/libretroshare/src/pgp/rscertificate.h b/libretroshare/src/pgp/rscertificate.h
index 1c25cf6b4..7f206d904 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/pgp/rscertificate.h
+++ b/libretroshare/src/pgp/rscertificate.h
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class RsCertificate
 		const unsigned char *pgp_key() const { return binary_pgp_key ; }
 		size_t pgp_key_size() const { return binary_pgp_key_size ; }
 
-		static bool cleanCertificate(const std::string& input,std::string& output,RsCertificate::Format& format,int& error_code) ;
+		static bool cleanCertificate(const std::string& input, std::string& output, RsCertificate::Format& format, int& error_code, bool check_content) ;
 
 	private:
 		static bool cleanCertificate(const std::string& input,std::string& output,int&) ;					// new radix format
diff --git a/libretroshare/src/rsserver/p3peers.cc b/libretroshare/src/rsserver/p3peers.cc
index d4b5fe332..c46f4398b 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/rsserver/p3peers.cc
+++ b/libretroshare/src/rsserver/p3peers.cc
@@ -1214,7 +1214,7 @@ bool p3Peers::cleanCertificate(const std::string &certstr, std::string &cleanCer
 {
 	RsCertificate::Format format ;
 
-	return RsCertificate::cleanCertificate(certstr,cleanCert,format,error_code) ;
+	return RsCertificate::cleanCertificate(certstr,cleanCert,format,error_code,true) ;
 }
 
 bool 	p3Peers::saveCertificateToFile(const RsPeerId &id, const std::string &/*fname*/)
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/connect/ConnectFriendWizard.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/connect/ConnectFriendWizard.cpp
index e69b46278..03f54329c 100755
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/connect/ConnectFriendWizard.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/connect/ConnectFriendWizard.cpp
@@ -962,13 +962,14 @@ void ConnectFriendWizard::friendCertChanged()
 void ConnectFriendWizard::cleanFriendCert()
 {
 	bool certValid = false;
-	QString errorMsg;
+	QString errorMsg ;
 	std::string cert = ui->friendCertEdit->toPlainText().toUtf8().constData();
 
 	if (cert.empty()) {
 		ui->friendCertCleanLabel->setPixmap(QPixmap(":/images/delete.png"));
 		ui->friendCertCleanLabel->setToolTip("");
 		ui->friendCertCleanLabel->setStyleSheet("");
+		errorMsg = tr("");
 
 	} else {
 		std::string cleanCert;
@@ -984,23 +985,27 @@ void ConnectFriendWizard::cleanFriendCert()
 				ui->friendCertCleanLabel->setStyleSheet("");
 				connect(ui->friendCertEdit, SIGNAL(textChanged()), this, SLOT(friendCertChanged()));
 			}
+			errorMsg = tr("Certificate appears to be valid");
+			ui->friendCertCleanLabel->setPixmap(QPixmap(":/images/accepted16.png"));
 		} else {
 			if (error_code > 0) {
 				switch (error_code) {
-				case RS_PEER_CERT_CLEANING_CODE_NO_BEGIN_TAG:
-					errorMsg = tr("No or misspelled BEGIN tag found") ;
-					break ;
-				case RS_PEER_CERT_CLEANING_CODE_NO_END_TAG:
-					errorMsg = tr("No or misspelled END tag found") ;
-					break ;
-				case RS_PEER_CERT_CLEANING_CODE_NO_CHECKSUM:
-					errorMsg = tr("No checksum found (the last 5 chars should be separated by a '=' char), or no newline after tag line (e.g. line beginning with Version:)") ;
-					break ;
+				case CERTIFICATE_PARSING_ERROR_CHECKSUM_ERROR            :
+				case CERTIFICATE_PARSING_ERROR_WRONG_VERSION             :
+				case CERTIFICATE_PARSING_ERROR_SIZE_ERROR                :
+				case CERTIFICATE_PARSING_ERROR_INVALID_LOCATION_ID       :
+				case CERTIFICATE_PARSING_ERROR_INVALID_EXTERNAL_IP       :
+				case CERTIFICATE_PARSING_ERROR_INVALID_LOCAL_IP          :
+				case CERTIFICATE_PARSING_ERROR_INVALID_CHECKSUM_SECTION  :
+				case CERTIFICATE_PARSING_ERROR_UNKNOWN_SECTION_PTAG      :
+				case CERTIFICATE_PARSING_ERROR_MISSING_CHECKSUM          :
+
 				default:
-					errorMsg = tr("Fake certificate: take any real certificate, and replace some of the letters randomly") ;
+					errorMsg = tr("Not a valid Retroshare certificate!") ;
 					ui->friendCertCleanLabel->setStyleSheet("QLabel#friendCertCleanLabel {border: 2px solid red; border-radius: 6px;}");
 				}
 			}
+			ui->friendCertCleanLabel->setPixmap(QPixmap(":/images/delete.png"));
 		}
 	}