diff --git a/cmdline/pom.xml b/cmdline/pom.xml
index 897f5658..55916094 100644
--- a/cmdline/pom.xml
+++ b/cmdline/pom.xml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
     <parent>
         <groupId>io.opentdf.platform</groupId>
         <artifactId>sdk-pom</artifactId>
-        <version>0.7.4</version>
+        <version>0.7.5-SNAPSHOT</version>
     </parent>
     <artifactId>cmdline</artifactId>
     <properties>
diff --git a/examples/pom.xml b/examples/pom.xml
index 28915c44..922f6b8b 100644
--- a/examples/pom.xml
+++ b/examples/pom.xml
@@ -4,12 +4,12 @@
   <parent>
     <artifactId>sdk-pom</artifactId>
     <groupId>io.opentdf.platform</groupId>
-    <version>0.7.4</version>
+    <version>0.7.5-SNAPSHOT</version>
   </parent>
 
   <groupId>io.opentdf.platform</groupId>
   <artifactId>examples</artifactId>
-  <version>0.7.4</version>
+  <version>0.7.5-SNAPSHOT</version>
 
   <name>examples</name>
   <!-- FIXME change it to the project's website -->
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index e1b0ec0f..d37b49cf 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
     <groupId>io.opentdf.platform</groupId>
     <artifactId>sdk-pom</artifactId>
-    <version>0.7.4</version>
+    <version>0.7.5-SNAPSHOT</version>
     <name>io.opentdf.platform:sdk-pom</name>
     <description>OpenTDF Java SDK</description>
     <url>https://github.com/opentdf/java-sdk</url>
diff --git a/sdk/pom.xml b/sdk/pom.xml
index db01dbc2..5dfe5539 100644
--- a/sdk/pom.xml
+++ b/sdk/pom.xml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     <parent>
         <artifactId>sdk-pom</artifactId>
         <groupId>io.opentdf.platform</groupId>
-        <version>0.7.4</version>
+        <version>0.7.5-SNAPSHOT</version>
     </parent>
     <packaging>jar</packaging>
     <dependencies>
diff --git a/sdk/src/main/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/Config.java b/sdk/src/main/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/Config.java
index c7d4f092..1f44854a 100644
--- a/sdk/src/main/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/Config.java
+++ b/sdk/src/main/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/Config.java
@@ -91,12 +91,14 @@ AssertionConfig.AssertionKey getKey(String key) {
 
     public static class TDFReaderConfig {
         // Optional Map of Assertion Verification Keys
-        AssertionVerificationKeys assertionVerificationKeys;
+        AssertionVerificationKeys assertionVerificationKeys = new AssertionVerificationKeys();
+        boolean disableAssertionVerification;
     }
 
     @SafeVarargs
     public static TDFReaderConfig newTDFReaderConfig(Consumer<TDFReaderConfig>... options) {
         TDFReaderConfig config = new TDFReaderConfig();
+        config.disableAssertionVerification = false;
         for (Consumer<TDFReaderConfig> option : options) {
             option.accept(config);
         }
@@ -108,6 +110,10 @@ public static Consumer<TDFReaderConfig> withAssertionVerificationKeys(
         return (TDFReaderConfig config) -> config.assertionVerificationKeys = assertionVerificationKeys;
     }
 
+    public static Consumer<TDFReaderConfig> withDisableAssertionVerification(boolean disable) {
+        return (TDFReaderConfig config) -> config.disableAssertionVerification = disable;
+    }
+
     public static class TDFConfig {
         public Boolean autoconfigure;
         public int defaultSegmentSize;
diff --git a/sdk/src/main/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/TDF.java b/sdk/src/main/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/TDF.java
index 41f1eb40..4c6eb6da 100644
--- a/sdk/src/main/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/TDF.java
+++ b/sdk/src/main/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/TDF.java
@@ -568,8 +568,14 @@ public List<String> defaultKases(TDFConfig config) {
         return defk;
     }
 
+    public Reader loadTDF(SeekableByteChannel tdf, SDK.KAS kas)
+            throws DecoderException, IOException, ParseException, NoSuchAlgorithmException, JOSEException {
+        return loadTDF(tdf, kas, new Config.TDFReaderConfig());
+    }
+
+
     public Reader loadTDF(SeekableByteChannel tdf, SDK.KAS kas,
-            Config.AssertionVerificationKeys... assertionVerificationKeys)
+                          Config.TDFReaderConfig tdfReaderConfig)
             throws RootSignatureValidationException, SegmentSizeMismatch,
             IOException, FailedToCreateGMAC, JOSEException, ParseException, NoSuchAlgorithmException, DecoderException {
 
@@ -690,10 +696,16 @@ public Reader loadTDF(SeekableByteChannel tdf, SDK.KAS kas,
 
         // Validate assertions
         for (var assertion : manifest.assertions) {
+            // Skip assertion verification if disabled
+            if (tdfReaderConfig.disableAssertionVerification) {
+                break;
+            }
+
             // Set default to HS256
             var assertionKey = new AssertionConfig.AssertionKey(AssertionConfig.AssertionKeyAlg.HS256, payloadKey);
-            if (assertionVerificationKeys != null && assertionVerificationKeys.length > 0) {
-                var keyForAssertion = assertionVerificationKeys[0].getKey(assertion.id);
+            Config.AssertionVerificationKeys assertionVerificationKeys = tdfReaderConfig.assertionVerificationKeys;
+            if (!assertionVerificationKeys.isEmpty()) {
+                var keyForAssertion = assertionVerificationKeys.getKey(assertion.id);
                 if (keyForAssertion != null) {
                     assertionKey = keyForAssertion;
                 }
diff --git a/sdk/src/test/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/TDFE2ETest.java b/sdk/src/test/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/TDFE2ETest.java
index fb44663c..11a41bc8 100644
--- a/sdk/src/test/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/TDFE2ETest.java
+++ b/sdk/src/test/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/TDFE2ETest.java
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public void createAndDecryptTdfIT() throws Exception {
         tdf.createTDF(plainTextInputStream, tdfOutputStream, config, sdk.kas(), sdk.attributes());
 
         var unwrappedData = new java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream();
-        var reader = tdf.loadTDF(new SeekableInMemoryByteChannel(tdfOutputStream.toByteArray()), sdk.kas());
+        var reader = tdf.loadTDF(new SeekableInMemoryByteChannel(tdfOutputStream.toByteArray()),  sdk.kas());
         reader.readPayload(unwrappedData);
 
         assertThat(unwrappedData.toString(StandardCharsets.UTF_8)).isEqualTo("text");
diff --git a/sdk/src/test/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/TDFTest.java b/sdk/src/test/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/TDFTest.java
index 48264b5c..ae4746b2 100644
--- a/sdk/src/test/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/TDFTest.java
+++ b/sdk/src/test/java/io/opentdf/platform/sdk/TDFTest.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import com.google.common.util.concurrent.ListenableFuture;
 
+import com.nimbusds.jose.JOSEException;
 import io.opentdf.platform.policy.attributes.GetAttributeValuesByFqnsRequest;
 import io.opentdf.platform.policy.attributes.GetAttributeValuesByFqnsResponse;
 import io.opentdf.platform.policy.attributes.AttributesServiceGrpc;
@@ -136,8 +137,10 @@ void testSimpleTDFEncryptAndDecrypt() throws Exception {
                 key);
 
         var unwrappedData = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+        Config.TDFReaderConfig readerConfig = Config.newTDFReaderConfig(
+                Config.withAssertionVerificationKeys(assertionVerificationKeys));
         var reader = tdf.loadTDF(new SeekableInMemoryByteChannel(tdfOutputStream.toByteArray()), kas,
-                assertionVerificationKeys);
+                readerConfig);
         assertThat(reader.getManifest().payload.mimeType).isEqualTo("application/octet-stream");
 
         reader.readPayload(unwrappedData);
@@ -192,8 +195,10 @@ void testSimpleTDFWithAssertionWithRS256() throws Exception {
                 new AssertionConfig.AssertionKey(AssertionConfig.AssertionKeyAlg.RS256, keypair.getPublic()));
 
         var unwrappedData = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+        Config.TDFReaderConfig readerConfig = Config.newTDFReaderConfig(
+                Config.withAssertionVerificationKeys(assertionVerificationKeys));
         var reader = tdf.loadTDF(new SeekableInMemoryByteChannel(tdfOutputStream.toByteArray()), kas,
-                assertionVerificationKeys);
+                readerConfig);
         reader.readPayload(unwrappedData);
 
         assertThat(unwrappedData.toString(StandardCharsets.UTF_8))
@@ -201,6 +206,61 @@ void testSimpleTDFWithAssertionWithRS256() throws Exception {
                 .isEqualTo(plainText);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void testWithAssertionVerificationDisabled() throws Exception {
+
+        ListenableFuture<GetAttributeValuesByFqnsResponse> resp1 = mock(ListenableFuture.class);
+        lenient().when(resp1.get()).thenReturn(GetAttributeValuesByFqnsResponse.newBuilder().build());
+        lenient().when(attributeGrpcStub.getAttributeValuesByFqns(any(GetAttributeValuesByFqnsRequest.class)))
+                .thenReturn(resp1);
+
+        String assertion1Id = "assertion1";
+        var keypair = CryptoUtils.generateRSAKeypair();
+        var assertionConfig = new AssertionConfig();
+        assertionConfig.id = assertion1Id;
+        assertionConfig.type = AssertionConfig.Type.BaseAssertion;
+        assertionConfig.scope = AssertionConfig.Scope.TrustedDataObj;
+        assertionConfig.appliesToState = AssertionConfig.AppliesToState.Unencrypted;
+        assertionConfig.statement = new AssertionConfig.Statement();
+        assertionConfig.statement.format = "base64binary";
+        assertionConfig.statement.schema = "text";
+        assertionConfig.statement.value = "ICAgIDxlZGoOkVkaD4=";
+        assertionConfig.assertionKey = new AssertionConfig.AssertionKey(AssertionConfig.AssertionKeyAlg.RS256,
+                keypair.getPrivate());
+
+        Config.TDFConfig config = Config.newTDFConfig(
+                Config.withAutoconfigure(false),
+                Config.withKasInformation(getKASInfos()),
+                Config.withAssertionConfig(assertionConfig));
+
+        String plainText = "this is extremely sensitive stuff!!!";
+        InputStream plainTextInputStream = new ByteArrayInputStream(plainText.getBytes());
+        ByteArrayOutputStream tdfOutputStream = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+
+        TDF tdf = new TDF();
+        tdf.createTDF(plainTextInputStream, tdfOutputStream, config, kas, attributeGrpcStub);
+
+        var assertionVerificationKeys = new Config.AssertionVerificationKeys();
+        assertionVerificationKeys.keys.put(assertion1Id,
+                new AssertionConfig.AssertionKey(AssertionConfig.AssertionKeyAlg.RS256, keypair.getPublic()));
+
+        var unwrappedData = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+        assertThrows(JOSEException.class, () -> {
+            tdf.loadTDF(new SeekableInMemoryByteChannel(tdfOutputStream.toByteArray()), kas,
+                    new Config.TDFReaderConfig());
+        });
+
+        //  try with assertion verification disabled and not passing the assertion verification keys
+        Config.TDFReaderConfig readerConfig = Config.newTDFReaderConfig(
+                Config.withDisableAssertionVerification(true));
+        var reader = tdf.loadTDF(new SeekableInMemoryByteChannel(tdfOutputStream.toByteArray()), kas,
+                readerConfig);
+        reader.readPayload(unwrappedData);
+
+        assertThat(unwrappedData.toString(StandardCharsets.UTF_8))
+                .withFailMessage("extracted data does not match")
+                .isEqualTo(plainText);
+    }
     @Test
     void testSimpleTDFWithAssertionWithHS256() throws Exception {
 
@@ -244,7 +304,8 @@ void testSimpleTDFWithAssertionWithHS256() throws Exception {
         tdf.createTDF(plainTextInputStream, tdfOutputStream, config, kas, attributeGrpcStub);
 
         var unwrappedData = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
-        var reader = tdf.loadTDF(new SeekableInMemoryByteChannel(tdfOutputStream.toByteArray()), kas);
+        var reader = tdf.loadTDF(new SeekableInMemoryByteChannel(tdfOutputStream.toByteArray()),
+                kas,  new Config.TDFReaderConfig());
         reader.readPayload(unwrappedData);
 
         assertThat(unwrappedData.toString(StandardCharsets.UTF_8))