diff --git a/wolfcrypt/src/dsa.c b/wolfcrypt/src/dsa.c
index 7907f8fa0..39a43c348 100644
--- a/wolfcrypt/src/dsa.c
+++ b/wolfcrypt/src/dsa.c
@@ -356,6 +356,7 @@ int wc_DsaSign(const byte* digest, byte* out, DsaKey* key, WC_RNG* rng)
     mp_int k, kInv, r, s, H;
     int    ret, sz;
     byte   buffer[DSA_HALF_SIZE];
+    byte*  tmp = out;  /* initial output pointer */
 
     sz = min((int)sizeof(buffer), mp_unsigned_bin_size(&key->q));
 
@@ -405,19 +406,18 @@ int wc_DsaSign(const byte* digest, byte* out, DsaKey* key, WC_RNG* rng)
         int rSz = mp_unsigned_bin_size(&r);
         int sSz = mp_unsigned_bin_size(&s);
 
-        if (rSz == DSA_HALF_SIZE - 1) {
-            out[0] = 0;
-            out++;
+        while (rSz++ < DSA_HALF_SIZE) {
+            *out++ = 0x00;  /* pad front with zeros */
         }
 
         if (mp_to_unsigned_bin(&r, out) != MP_OKAY)
             ret = MP_TO_E;
         else {
-            if (sSz == DSA_HALF_SIZE - 1) {
-                out[rSz] = 0;
-                out++;
-            }    
-            ret = mp_to_unsigned_bin(&s, out + rSz);
+            out = tmp + DSA_HALF_SIZE;  /* advance to s in output */
+            while (sSz++ < DSA_HALF_SIZE) {
+                *out++ = 0x00;  /* pad front with zeros */
+            }
+            ret = mp_to_unsigned_bin(&s, out);
         }
     }