diff --git a/backend/src/confirmation.rs b/backend/src/confirmation.rs
index 08d52e7..27f5010 100644
--- a/backend/src/confirmation.rs
+++ b/backend/src/confirmation.rs
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ use log::{debug, error, warn};
 use crate::errors::SpecialErrors;
 use crate::management::{delete_key, Action, Pending};
 use crate::settings::{MAILER, SETTINGS};
-use crate::utils::{get_email_from_cert, insert_key, parse_pem, read_file};
-use crate::{log_err, pending_path, validate_cert};
+use crate::utils::{get_email_from_cert, insert_key, parse_pem, read_file, validate_cert};
+use crate::{log_err, pending_path};
 use anyhow::Result;
 
 use lettre::{AsyncTransport, Message};
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ pub fn confirm_action(token: &str) -> Result<(Action, String)> {
         let address = match key.action() {
             Action::Add => {
                 let cert = parse_pem(key.data())?;
-                let validcert = validate_cert!(cert)?;
+                let validcert = validate_cert(&cert)?;
                 let email = get_email_from_cert(&validcert)?;
                 log_err!(insert_key(&validcert), warn)?;
                 email
diff --git a/backend/src/main.rs b/backend/src/main.rs
index 0d4b886..5aab3b7 100644
--- a/backend/src/main.rs
+++ b/backend/src/main.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ use crate::management::{clean_stale, store_pending_addition, store_pending_delet
 use crate::settings::{ROOT_FOLDER, SETTINGS};
 use crate::utils::{
     gen_random_token, get_email_from_cert, is_email_allowed, key_exists, parse_pem, read_file,
-    return_outcome,
+    return_outcome, validate_cert
 };
 
 use actix_files::Files;
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ async fn index(req: HttpRequest) -> Result<HttpResponse, CompatErr> {
 #[post("/api/submit")]
 async fn submit(pem: web::Form<Key>) -> Result<HttpResponse, CompatErr> {
     let cert = parse_pem(&pem.key)?;
-    let validcert = validate_cert!(cert)?;
+    let validcert = validate_cert(&cert)?;
     if validcert.is_tsk() {
         Err(SpecialErrors::ContainsSecret)?
     }
diff --git a/backend/src/utils.rs b/backend/src/utils.rs
index 05d8fa6..b07a8ca 100644
--- a/backend/src/utils.rs
+++ b/backend/src/utils.rs
@@ -24,14 +24,11 @@ use std::{
     path::{Path, PathBuf},
 };
 
-#[macro_export]
-macro_rules! validate_cert {
-    ( $x:expr ) => {
-        match log_err!($x.with_policy($crate::settings::POLICY, None), debug) {
-            Ok(validcert) => Ok(validcert),
-            Err(_) => Err($crate::errors::SpecialErrors::InvalidCert),
-        }
-    };
+pub fn validate_cert(cert: &Cert) -> Result<ValidCert> {
+    match log_err!(cert.with_policy(crate::settings::POLICY, None), debug) {
+        Ok(validcert) => Ok(validcert),
+        Err(_) => Err(SpecialErrors::InvalidCert)?,
+    }
 }
 
 pub fn encode_local(local: &str) -> String {
@@ -106,7 +103,7 @@ pub fn parse_pem(pemfile: &str) -> Result<Cert> {
         Ok(cert) => cert,
         Err(_) => Err(SpecialErrors::MalformedCert)?,
     };
-    validate_cert!(cert)?;
+    validate_cert(&cert)?;
     Ok(cert)
 }