diff --git a/shacrypt.py b/shacrypt.py
index 2e26ddf..67f91de 100644
--- a/shacrypt.py
+++ b/shacrypt.py
@@ -117,35 +117,38 @@ def shacrypt_enc(key, plaintext):
 	del plaintext
 	del cipher_key
 
+	# Contruct the HMACed part of ciphertext
+	hmaced = b''.join((
+		hkdf_salt,
+		cipher_nonce,
+		ciphered
+	))
+	del ciphered
+
 	# HMAC
-	hmac = hmac_sha256(hmac_key, ciphered)
+	hmac = hmac_sha256(hmac_key, hmaced)
 	del hmac_key
 
 	# Construct the full ciphertext
-	return b''.join((
-		hkdf_salt,
-		cipher_nonce,
-		ciphered,
-		hmac
-	))
+	return hmaced + hmac
 
 class AuthenticationError(Exception): pass
 
 def shacrypt_dec(key, ciphertext):
 	assert len(key) == 256//8
 
-	# Extract the IVs
-	hkdf_salt = ciphertext[0:256//8]
-	cipher_nonce = ciphertext[256//8:256//8 + 256//8]
-
-	# Extract the main part of ciphertext
-	ciphered = ciphertext[2 * 256//8:-sha256_outputsize]
+	# Extract the HMACed part of ciphertext
+	hmaced = ciphertext[:-sha256_outputsize]
 
 	# Extract the expected HMAC
 	expected_hmac = ciphertext[-sha256_outputsize:]
 
 	del ciphertext
 
+	# Extract the IVs
+	hkdf_salt = hmaced[0:256//8]
+	cipher_nonce = hmaced[256//8:256//8 + 256//8]
+
 	# Derive keys
 	keys = hkdf_sha256(hkdf_salt, key, b'', 512//8)
 	del key
@@ -160,13 +163,17 @@ def shacrypt_dec(key, ciphertext):
 	del keys
 
 	# Verify HMAC
-	hmac = hmac_sha256(hmac_key, ciphered)
+	hmac = hmac_sha256(hmac_key, hmaced)
 	del hmac_key
 	if not secrets.compare_digest(expected_hmac, hmac):
 		raise AuthenticationError
 	del expected_hmac
 	del hmac
 
+	# Extract the ciphered part of the ciphertext
+	ciphered = hmaced[2 * 256//8:]
+	del hmaced
+
 	# Decrypt
 	plaintext = bytearray()
 	for cipheredbyte, keybyte in zip(ciphered, hmac_sha256_ctr_keystream(cipher_nonce, cipher_key)):