diff --git a/src/saml2/entity.py b/src/saml2/entity.py
index f6f053e..33cfb2e 100644
--- a/src/saml2/entity.py
+++ b/src/saml2/entity.py
@@ -588,10 +588,10 @@ class Entity(HTTPBase):
                 else:
                     return typ
 
-    def _parse_request(self, xmlstr, request_cls, service, binding):
+    def _parse_request(self, enc_request, request_cls, service, binding):
         """Parse a Request
 
-        :param xmlstr: The request in its transport format
+        :param enc_request: The request in its transport format
         :param request_cls: The type of requests I expect
         :param service:
         :param binding: Which binding that was used to transport the message
@@ -625,8 +625,7 @@ class Entity(HTTPBase):
                                self.config.attribute_converters,
                                timeslack=timeslack)
 
-        origdoc = xmlstr
-        xmlstr = self.unravel(xmlstr, binding, request_cls.msgtype)
+        xmlstr = self.unravel(enc_request, binding, request_cls.msgtype)
         must = self.config.getattr("want_authn_requests_signed", "idp")
         only_valid_cert = self.config.getattr(
             "want_authn_requests_only_with_valid_cert", "idp")
@@ -634,7 +633,7 @@ class Entity(HTTPBase):
             only_valid_cert = False
         if only_valid_cert:
             must = True
-        _request = _request.loads(xmlstr, binding, origdoc=origdoc, must=must,
+        _request = _request.loads(xmlstr, binding, origdoc=enc_request, must=must,
                                   only_valid_cert=only_valid_cert)
 
         _log_debug("Loaded request")