diff --git a/src/xmlsec/crypto.py b/src/xmlsec/crypto.py
index 29f0264e..8101739f 100644
--- a/src/xmlsec/crypto.py
+++ b/src/xmlsec/crypto.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ def from_keyspec(keyspec, private=False, signature_element=None):
 
     Possible keyspecs, in evaluation order :
 
+      - XMLSECCrypto   If keyspec is already a loaded key, just return it.
       - a callable.    Return a partial dict with 'f_private' set to the keyspec.
       - a filename.    Load a PEM X.509 certificate from the file.
       - a PKCS#11-URI  (see xmlsec.pk11.parse_uri()). Return a dict with 'f_private'
@@ -29,21 +30,12 @@ def from_keyspec(keyspec, private=False, signature_element=None):
                        the fingerprint (provided as string).
       - X.509 string.  An X.509 certificate as string.
 
-    Resulting dictionary (used except for 'callable') :
-
-      {'keyspec': keyspec,
-       'source': 'pkcs11' or 'file' or 'fingerprint' or 'keyspec',
-       'data': X.509 certificate as string if source != 'pkcs11',
-       'key': Parsed key from certificate if source != 'pkcs11',
-       'keysize': Keysize in bits if source != 'pkcs11',
-       'f_public': rsa_x509_pem.f_public(key) if private == False,
-       'f_private': rsa_x509_pem.f_private(key) if private == True,
-      }
-
     :param keyspec: Keyspec as string or callable. See above.
     :param private: True of False, is keyspec a private key or not?
     :param signature_element:
-    :returns: dict, see above.
+    :returns: Loaded keyspec
+
+    :rtype: XMlSecCrypto
     """
     thread_local = threading.local()
     cache = getattr(thread_local, 'keycache', {})
@@ -147,6 +139,8 @@ def __init__(self, signature_element, keyspec):
 
 
 def _load_keyspec(keyspec, private=False, signature_element=None):
+    if isinstance(keyspec, XMlSecCrypto):
+        return keyspec
     if private and hasattr(keyspec, '__call__'):
         return XMLSecCryptoCallable(keyspec)
     if isinstance(keyspec, basestring):
diff --git a/src/xmlsec/test/sign_verify_test.py b/src/xmlsec/test/sign_verify_test.py
index 00b87f9f..3fff8043 100644
--- a/src/xmlsec/test/sign_verify_test.py
+++ b/src/xmlsec/test/sign_verify_test.py
@@ -327,6 +327,22 @@ def test_verify_href(self):
         res = xmlsec.verify(t, href_signer)
         self.assertTrue(res)
 
+    def test_already_loaded_keyspec(self):
+        """
+        Test signing a SAML assertion with an already loaded keyspec, and making sure we can verify it.
+        """
+        case = self.cases['SAML_assertion1']
+        print("XML input :\n{}\n\n".format(case.as_buf('in.xml')))
+
+        private_key = xmlsec.crypto.from_keyspec(self.private_keyspec, private = True)
+        public_key = xmlsec.crypto.from_keyspec(self.public_keyspec, private = False)
+
+        signed = xmlsec.sign(case.as_etree('in.xml'),
+                             key_spec=private_key,
+                             cert_spec=self.public_keyspec)
+        res = xmlsec.verify(signed, public_key)
+        self.assertTrue(res)
+
 
 def main():
     unittest.main()