diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 7a982c99dc..35bad999f1 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "@types/jsonwebtoken": "^7.1.33",
     "faye-websocket": "0.9.3",
-    "jsonwebtoken": "7.1.9"
+    "jsonwebtoken": "7.1.9",
+    "node-forge": "0.7.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@types/chai": "^3.4.34",
diff --git a/src/auth/credential.ts b/src/auth/credential.ts
index 6c913e1aa4..e63c6454b6 100644
--- a/src/auth/credential.ts
+++ b/src/auth/credential.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 
 import * as jwt from 'jsonwebtoken';
+import * as forge from 'node-forge';
 
 // Use untyped import syntax for Node built-ins
 import fs = require('fs');
@@ -167,6 +168,14 @@ export class Certificate {
     if (typeof errorMessage !== 'undefined') {
       throw new FirebaseAppError(AppErrorCodes.INVALID_CREDENTIAL, errorMessage);
     }
+
+    try {
+      forge.pki.privateKeyFromPem(this.privateKey);
+    } catch (error) {
+      throw new FirebaseAppError(
+        AppErrorCodes.INVALID_CREDENTIAL,
+        'Failed to parse private key: ' + error);
+    }
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/test/unit/auth/credential.spec.ts b/test/unit/auth/credential.spec.ts
index 6f31bf5646..4892ae7546 100644
--- a/test/unit/auth/credential.spec.ts
+++ b/test/unit/auth/credential.spec.ts
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ describe('Credential', () => {
         }).to.throw('Certificate object must contain a string "client_email" property');
       });
 
-      it('should throw if certificate object does not contain a valid "private_key"', () => {
+      it('should throw if certificate object does not contain a "private_key"', () => {
         mockCertificateObject.private_key = '';
 
         expect(() => {
@@ -185,6 +185,14 @@ describe('Credential', () => {
         }).to.throw('Certificate object must contain a string "private_key" property');
       });
 
+      it('should throw if certificate object does not contain a valid "private_key"', () => {
+        mockCertificateObject.private_key = 'invalid.key';
+
+        expect(() => {
+          return new Certificate(mockCertificateObject);
+        }).to.throw('Failed to parse private key: Error: Invalid PEM formatted message.');
+      });
+
       it('should not throw given a valid certificate object', () => {
         expect(() => {
           return new Certificate(mockCertificateObject);