diff --git a/src/saml2/sigver.py b/src/saml2/sigver.py
index 5b83df4..e598781 100644
--- a/src/saml2/sigver.py
+++ b/src/saml2/sigver.py
@@ -611,18 +611,18 @@ RESP_ORDER = ["SAMLResponse", "RelayState", "SigAlg"]
 def verify_redirect_signature(saml_msg, cert=None, sigkey=None):
     """
 
-    :param saml_msg: A dictionary as produced by parse_qs, means all values are
-        lists.
+    :param saml_msg: A dictionary with strings as values, *NOT* lists as
+    produced by parse_qs.
     :param cert: A certificate to use when verifying the signature
     :return: True, if signature verified
     """
 
     try:
-        signer = SIGNER_ALGS[saml_msg["SigAlg"][0]]
+        signer = SIGNER_ALGS[saml_msg["SigAlg"]]
     except KeyError:
         raise Unsupported("Signature algorithm: %s" % saml_msg["SigAlg"])
     else:
-        if saml_msg["SigAlg"][0] in SIGNER_ALGS:
+        if saml_msg["SigAlg"] in SIGNER_ALGS:
             if "SAMLRequest" in saml_msg:
                 _order = REQ_ORDER
             elif "SAMLResponse" in saml_msg:
@@ -631,15 +631,15 @@ def verify_redirect_signature(saml_msg, cert=None, sigkey=None):
                 raise Unsupported(
                     "Verifying signature on something that should not be "
                     "signed")
-            args = saml_msg.copy()
-            del args["Signature"]  # everything but the signature
+            _args = saml_msg.copy()
+            del _args["Signature"]  # everything but the signature
             string = "&".join(
-                [urllib.urlencode({k: args[k][0]}) for k in _order if k in args])
+                [urllib.urlencode({k: _args[k]}) for k in _order if k in _args])
             if cert:
                 _key = extract_rsa_key_from_x509_cert(pem_format(cert))
             else:
                 _key = sigkey
-            _sign = base64.b64decode(saml_msg["Signature"][0])
+            _sign = base64.b64decode(saml_msg["Signature"])
 
             return bool(signer.verify(string, _sign, _key))
 
diff --git a/tests/test_51_client.py b/tests/test_51_client.py
index fc89870..5e4c0b2 100644
--- a/tests/test_51_client.py
+++ b/tests/test_51_client.py
@@ -24,8 +24,9 @@ from saml2.saml import NAMEID_FORMAT_PERSISTENT, EncryptedAssertion
 from saml2.saml import NAMEID_FORMAT_TRANSIENT
 from saml2.saml import NameID
 from saml2.server import Server
-from saml2.sigver import pre_encryption_part, rm_xmltag, \
-    verify_redirect_signature
+from saml2.sigver import pre_encryption_part
+from saml2.sigver import rm_xmltag
+from saml2.sigver import verify_redirect_signature
 from saml2.s_utils import do_attribute_statement
 from saml2.s_utils import factory
 from saml2.time_util import in_a_while
@@ -114,6 +115,10 @@ nid = NameID(name_qualifier="foo", format=NAMEID_FORMAT_TRANSIENT,
              text="123456")
 
 
+def list_values2simpletons(_dict):
+    return dict([(k, v[0]) for k, v in _dict.items()])
+
+
 class TestClient:
     def setup_class(self):
         self.server = Server("idp_conf")
@@ -510,7 +515,8 @@ class TestClient:
         assert _leq(qs.keys(),
                     ['SigAlg', 'SAMLRequest', 'RelayState', 'Signature'])
 
-        assert verify_redirect_signature(qs, sigkey=key)
+        assert verify_redirect_signature(list_values2simpletons(qs),
+                                         sigkey=key)
 
         res = self.server.parse_authn_request(qs["SAMLRequest"][0],
                                               BINDING_HTTP_REDIRECT)
diff --git a/tests/test_70_redirect_signing.py b/tests/test_70_redirect_signing.py
index d54f70a..cb2ca0c 100644
--- a/tests/test_70_redirect_signing.py
+++ b/tests/test_70_redirect_signing.py
@@ -13,6 +13,11 @@ from pathutils import dotname
 
 __author__ = 'rolandh'
 
+
+def list_values2simpletons(_dict):
+    return dict([(k, v[0]) for k, v in _dict.items()])
+
+
 def test():
     with closing(Server(config_file=dotname("idp_all_conf"))) as idp:
         conf = SPConfig()
@@ -41,7 +46,12 @@ def test():
                 _dict = parse_qs(val.split("?")[1])
                 _certs = idp.metadata.certs(sp.config.entityid, "any", "signing")
                 for cert in _certs:
-                    if verify_redirect_signature(_dict, cert):
+                    if verify_redirect_signature(
+                            list_values2simpletons(_dict), cert):
                         verified_ok = True
 
         assert verified_ok
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    test()
\ No newline at end of file