diff --git a/auth/api/iam/s2s_vptoken.go b/auth/api/iam/s2s_vptoken.go
index 145f541b54..96b5a09c79 100644
--- a/auth/api/iam/s2s_vptoken.go
+++ b/auth/api/iam/s2s_vptoken.go
@@ -239,17 +239,11 @@ func (r *Wrapper) validateS2SPresentationNonce(presentation vc.VerifiablePresent
 	switch presentation.Format() {
 	case vc.JWTPresentationProofFormat:
 		nonceRaw, hasNonce := presentation.JWT().Get("nonce")
+		nonce, hasNonce = nonceRaw.(string)
 		if !hasNonce {
 			return oauth.OAuth2Error{
 				Code:        oauth.InvalidRequest,
-				Description: "presentation is missing nonce",
-			}
-		}
-		nonce, _ = nonceRaw.(string)
-		if nonce == "" {
-			return oauth.OAuth2Error{
-				Code:        oauth.InvalidRequest,
-				Description: "presentation has an invalid nonce",
+				Description: "presentation has invalid/missing nonce",
 			}
 		}
 	case vc.JSONLDPresentationProofFormat:
@@ -269,15 +263,15 @@ func (r *Wrapper) validateS2SPresentationNonce(presentation vc.VerifiablePresent
 	if nonceError != nil && errors.Is(nonceError, storage.ErrNotFound) {
 		// this is OK, nonce has not been used before
 		nonceError = nil
-	} else if nonceError != nil {
-		// other error occurred. Keep error to report after storing nonce
-	} else {
+	} else if nonceError == nil {
 		// no store error: value was retrieved from store, meaning the nonce has been used before
 		nonceError = oauth.OAuth2Error{
 			Code:        oauth.InvalidRequest,
 			Description: "presentation nonce has already been used",
 		}
 	}
+	// Other error occurred. Keep error to report after storing nonce.
+
 	// Regardless the result of the nonce checking, the nonce of the VP must not be used again.
 	// So always store the nonce.
 	if err := nonceStore.Put(nonce, true); err != nil {
diff --git a/auth/api/iam/s2s_vptoken_test.go b/auth/api/iam/s2s_vptoken_test.go
index 49bf83149a..de36e661ac 100644
--- a/auth/api/iam/s2s_vptoken_test.go
+++ b/auth/api/iam/s2s_vptoken_test.go
@@ -213,17 +213,6 @@ func TestWrapper_handleS2SAccessTokenRequest(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Equal(t, int(accessTokenValidity.Seconds()), *tokenResponse.ExpiresIn)
 		assert.NotEmpty(t, tokenResponse.AccessToken)
 	})
-	t.Run("replay attack (nonce is reused)", func(t *testing.T) {
-		ctx := newTestClient(t)
-		ctx.verifier.EXPECT().VerifyVP(presentation, true, true, gomock.Any()).Return(presentation.VerifiableCredential, nil)
-
-		_, err := ctx.client.handleS2SAccessTokenRequest(issuerDID, requestedScope, submissionJSON, presentation.Raw())
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		resp, err := ctx.client.handleS2SAccessTokenRequest(issuerDID, requestedScope, submissionJSON, presentation.Raw())
-		assert.EqualError(t, err, "invalid_request - presentation nonce has already been used")
-		assert.Nil(t, resp)
-	})
 	t.Run("VP is not valid JSON", func(t *testing.T) {
 		ctx := newTestClient(t)
 		resp, err := ctx.client.handleS2SAccessTokenRequest(issuerDID, requestedScope, submissionJSON, "[true, false]")
@@ -231,6 +220,43 @@ func TestWrapper_handleS2SAccessTokenRequest(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.EqualError(t, err, "invalid_request - assertion parameter is invalid: unable to parse PEX envelope as verifiable presentation: invalid JWT")
 		assert.Nil(t, resp)
 	})
+	t.Run("nonce", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Run("replay attack (nonce is reused)", func(t *testing.T) {
+			ctx := newTestClient(t)
+			ctx.verifier.EXPECT().VerifyVP(presentation, true, true, gomock.Any()).Return(presentation.VerifiableCredential, nil)
+
+			_, err := ctx.client.handleS2SAccessTokenRequest(issuerDID, requestedScope, submissionJSON, presentation.Raw())
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+
+			resp, err := ctx.client.handleS2SAccessTokenRequest(issuerDID, requestedScope, submissionJSON, presentation.Raw())
+			assert.EqualError(t, err, "invalid_request - presentation nonce has already been used")
+			assert.Nil(t, resp)
+		})
+		t.Run("JSON-LD VP is missing nonce", func(t *testing.T) {
+			ctx := newTestClient(t)
+
+			proofVisitor := test.LDProofVisitor(func(proof *proof.LDProof) {
+				proof.Domain = &issuerDIDStr
+				proof.Nonce = nil
+			})
+			presentation := test.CreateJSONLDPresentation(t, *subjectDID, proofVisitor, verifiableCredential)
+
+			resp, err := ctx.client.handleS2SAccessTokenRequest(issuerDID, requestedScope, submissionJSON, presentation.Raw())
+			assert.EqualError(t, err, "invalid_request - presentation has invalid proof or nonce")
+			assert.Nil(t, resp)
+		})
+		t.Run("JWT VP is missing nonce", func(t *testing.T) {
+			ctx := newTestClient(t)
+			presentation := test.CreateJWTPresentation(t, *subjectDID, func(token jwt.Token) {
+				_ = token.Set(jwt.AudienceKey, issuerDID.String())
+				_ = token.Remove("nonce")
+			}, verifiableCredential)
+
+			_, err := ctx.client.handleS2SAccessTokenRequest(issuerDID, requestedScope, submissionJSON, presentation.Raw())
+
+			require.EqualError(t, err, "invalid_request - presentation has invalid/missing nonce")
+		})
+	})
 	t.Run("audience", func(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Run("missing", func(t *testing.T) {
 			ctx := newTestClient(t)