diff --git a/cli/internal/cmd/verify.go b/cli/internal/cmd/verify.go
index dcee14102..541e89846 100644
--- a/cli/internal/cmd/verify.go
+++ b/cli/internal/cmd/verify.go
@@ -315,14 +315,15 @@ func (f *attestationDocFormatterImpl) format(ctx context.Context, docString stri
 
 // parseCerts parses the PEM certificates and writes their details to the output builder.
 func (f *attestationDocFormatterImpl) parseCerts(b *strings.Builder, certTypeName string, cert []byte) error {
-	formattedCert := strings.ReplaceAll(string(cert[:len(cert)-1]), "\n", "\n\t\t") + "\n"
+	newlinesTrimmed := strings.TrimSpace(string(cert))
+	formattedCert := strings.ReplaceAll(newlinesTrimmed, "\n", "\n\t\t") + "\n"
 	b.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("\tRaw %s:\n\t\t%s", certTypeName, formattedCert))
 
 	f.log.Debugf("Decoding PEM certificate: %s", certTypeName)
 	i := 1
 	var rest []byte
 	var block *pem.Block
-	for block, rest = pem.Decode(cert); block != nil; block, rest = pem.Decode(rest) {
+	for block, rest = pem.Decode([]byte(newlinesTrimmed)); block != nil; block, rest = pem.Decode(rest) {
 		f.log.Debugf("Parsing PEM block: %d", i)
 		if block.Type != "CERTIFICATE" {
 			return fmt.Errorf("parse %s: expected PEM block type 'CERTIFICATE', got '%s'", certTypeName, block.Type)
@@ -367,6 +368,9 @@ func (f *attestationDocFormatterImpl) parseCerts(b *strings.Builder, certTypeNam
 		i++
 	}
 
+	if i == 1 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("parse %s: no PEM blocks found", certTypeName)
+	}
 	if len(rest) != 0 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("parse %s: remaining PEM block is not a valid certificate: %s", certTypeName, rest)
 	}
diff --git a/cli/internal/cmd/verify_test.go b/cli/internal/cmd/verify_test.go
index 0632d64b1..04be43c2f 100644
--- a/cli/internal/cmd/verify_test.go
+++ b/cli/internal/cmd/verify_test.go
@@ -237,11 +237,6 @@ func TestFormat(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestParseCerts(t *testing.T) {
-	formatter := func() *attestationDocFormatterImpl {
-		return &attestationDocFormatterImpl{
-			log: logger.NewTest(t),
-		}
-	}
 	validCert := `-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
 MIIFTDCCAvugAwIBAgIBADBGBgkqhkiG9w0BAQowOaAPMA0GCWCGSAFlAwQCAgUA
 oRwwGgYJKoZIhvcNAQEIMA0GCWCGSAFlAwQCAgUAogMCATCjAwIBATB7MRQwEgYD
@@ -277,20 +272,24 @@ F/SjRih31+SAtWb42jueAA==
 	validCertExpected := "\tRaw Some Cert:\n\t\t-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----\n\t\tMIIFTDCCAvugAwIBAgIBADBGBgkqhkiG9w0BAQowOaAPMA0GCWCGSAFlAwQCAgUA\n\t\toRwwGgYJKoZIhvcNAQEIMA0GCWCGSAFlAwQCAgUAogMCATCjAwIBATB7MRQwEgYD\n\t\tVQQLDAtFbmdpbmVlcmluZzELMAkGA1UEBhMCVVMxFDASBgNVBAcMC1NhbnRhIENs\n\t\tYXJhMQswCQYDVQQIDAJDQTEfMB0GA1UECgwWQWR2YW5jZWQgTWljcm8gRGV2aWNl\n\t\tczESMBAGA1UEAwwJU0VWLU1pbGFuMB4XDTIyMTEyMzIyMzM0N1oXDTI5MTEyMzIy\n\t\tMzM0N1owejEUMBIGA1UECwwLRW5naW5lZXJpbmcxCzAJBgNVBAYTAlVTMRQwEgYD\n\t\tVQQHDAtTYW50YSBDbGFyYTELMAkGA1UECAwCQ0ExHzAdBgNVBAoMFkFkdmFuY2Vk\n\t\tIE1pY3JvIERldmljZXMxETAPBgNVBAMMCFNFVi1WQ0VLMHYwEAYHKoZIzj0CAQYF\n\t\tK4EEACIDYgAEVGm4GomfpkiziqEYP61nfKaz5OjDLr8Y0POrv4iAnFVHAmBT81Ms\n\t\tgfSLKL5r3V3mNzl1Zh7jwSBft14uhGdwpARoK0YNQc4OvptqVIiv2RprV53DMzge\n\t\trtwiumIargiCo4IBFjCCARIwEAYJKwYBBAGceAEBBAMCAQAwFwYJKwYBBAGceAEC\n\t\tBAoWCE1pbGFuLUIwMBEGCisGAQQBnHgBAwEEAwIBAzARBgorBgEEAZx4AQMCBAMC\n\t\tAQAwEQYKKwYBBAGceAEDBAQDAgEAMBEGCisGAQQBnHgBAwUEAwIBADARBgorBgEE\n\t\tAZx4AQMGBAMCAQAwEQYKKwYBBAGceAEDBwQDAgEAMBEGCisGAQQBnHgBAwMEAwIB\n\t\tCDARBgorBgEEAZx4AQMIBAMCAXMwTQYJKwYBBAGceAEEBEB80kCZ1oAyCjWC6w3m\n\t\txOz+i4t6dFjk/Bqhm7+Jscf8D62CXtlwcKc4aM9CdO4LuKlwpdTU80VNQc6ZEuMF\n\t\tVzbRMEYGCSqGSIb3DQEBCjA5oA8wDQYJYIZIAWUDBAICBQChHDAaBgkqhkiG9w0B\n\t\tAQgwDQYJYIZIAWUDBAICBQCiAwIBMKMDAgEBA4ICAQCN1qBYOywoZWGnQvk6u0Oh\n\t\t5zkEKykXU6sK8hA6L65rQcqWUjEHDa9AZUpx3UuCmpPc24dx6DTHc58M7TxcyKry\n\t\t8s4CvruBKFbQ6B8MHnH6k07MzsmiBnsiIhAscZ0ipGm6h8e/VM/6ULrAcVSxZ+Mh\n\t\tD/IogZAuCQARsGQ4QYXBT8Qc5mLnTkx30m1rZVlp1VcN4ngOo/1tz1jj1mfpG2zv\n\t\twNcQa9LwAzRLnnmLpxXA2OMbl7AaTWQenpL9rzBON2sg4OBl6lVhaSU0uBbFyCmR\n\t\tRvBqKC0iDD6TvyIikkMq05v5YwIKFYw++ICndz+fKcLEULZbziAsZ52qjM8iPVHC\n\t\tpN0yhVOr2g22F9zxlGH3WxTl9ymUytuv3vJL/aJiQM+n/Ri90Sc05EK4oIJ3+BS8\n\t\tyu5cVy9o2cQcOcQ8rhQh+Kv1sR9xrs25EXZF8KEETfhoJnN6KY1RwG7HsOfAQ3dV\n\t\tLWInQRaC/8JPyVS2zbd0+NRBJOnq4/quv/P3C4SBP98/ZuGrqN59uifyqC3Kodkl\n\t\tWkG/2UdhiLlCmOtsU+BYDZrSiYK1R9FNnlQCOGrkuVxpDwa2TbbvEEzQP7RXxotA\n\t\tKlxejvrY4VuK8agNqvffVofbdIIperK65K4+0mYIb+A6fU8QQHlCbti4ERSZ6UYD\n\t\tF/SjRih31+SAtWb42jueAA==\n\t\t-----END CERTIFICATE-----\n\tSome Cert (1):\n\t\tSerial Number: 0\n\t\tSubject: CN=SEV-VCEK,OU=Engineering,O=Advanced Micro Devices,L=Santa Clara,ST=CA,C=US\n\t\tIssuer: CN=SEV-Milan,OU=Engineering,O=Advanced Micro Devices,L=Santa Clara,ST=CA,C=US\n\t\tNot Before: 2022-11-23 22:33:47 +0000 UTC\n\t\tNot After: 2029-11-23 22:33:47 +0000 UTC\n\t\tSignature Algorithm: SHA384-RSAPSS\n\t\tPublic Key Algorithm: ECDSA\n"
 
 	testCases := map[string]struct {
-		formatter *attestationDocFormatterImpl
-		cert      []byte
-		expected  string
-		wantErr   bool
+		cert     []byte
+		expected string
+		wantErr  bool
 	}{
 		"one cert": {
-			formatter: formatter(),
-			cert:      []byte(validCert),
-			expected:  validCertExpected,
+			cert:     []byte(validCert),
+			expected: validCertExpected,
+		},
+		"one cert with extra newlines": {
+			cert:     []byte("\n\n" + validCert + "\n\n"),
+			expected: validCertExpected,
 		},
 		"invalid cert": {
-			formatter: formatter(),
-			cert:      []byte("invalid"),
-			wantErr:   true,
+			cert:    []byte("invalid"),
+			wantErr: true,
+		},
+		"no cert": {
+			wantErr: true,
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -299,7 +298,10 @@ F/SjRih31+SAtWb42jueAA==
 			assert := assert.New(t)
 
 			b := &strings.Builder{}
-			err := tc.formatter.parseCerts(b, "Some Cert", tc.cert)
+			formatter := &attestationDocFormatterImpl{
+				log: logger.NewTest(t),
+			}
+			err := formatter.parseCerts(b, "Some Cert", tc.cert)
 			if tc.wantErr {
 				assert.Error(err)
 			} else {