diff --git a/src/internal.c b/src/internal.c
index 57d95d6..599b27c 100644
--- a/src/internal.c
+++ b/src/internal.c
@@ -2267,7 +2267,7 @@ static int DoKexDhReply(WOLFSSH* ssh, byte* buf, word32 len, word32* idx)
     word32 sigSz;
     word32 scratch;
     byte  scratchLen[LENGTH_SZ];
-    word32 kPad = 0;
+    byte  kPad = 0;
     struct {
         byte useRsa;
         word32 keySz;
@@ -2516,10 +2516,10 @@ static int DoKexDhReply(WOLFSSH* ssh, byte* buf, word32 len, word32* idx)
                 wc_ecc_free(&ssh->handshake->privKey.ecc);
             }
         }
+        CreateMpint(ssh->k, &ssh->kSz, &kPad);
 
         /* Hash in the shared secret K. */
         if (ret == 0) {
-            kPad = (ssh->k[0] & 0x80) ? 1 : 0;
             c32toa(ssh->kSz + kPad, scratchLen);
             ret = wc_HashUpdate(&ssh->handshake->hash, ssh->handshake->hashId,
                                 scratchLen, LENGTH_SZ);
@@ -5325,10 +5325,10 @@ int SendKexDhReply(WOLFSSH* ssh)
                                              &sigKeyBlock.sk.rsa.nSz);
             if (ret == 0) {
                 /* Add a pad byte if the mpint has the MSB set. */
-                sigKeyBlock.sk.rsa.ePad = (sigKeyBlock.sk.rsa.e[0] & 0x80) ?
-                                           1 : 0;
-                sigKeyBlock.sk.rsa.nPad = (sigKeyBlock.sk.rsa.n[0] & 0x80) ?
-                                           1 : 0;
+                CreateMpint(sigKeyBlock.sk.rsa.e, &sigKeyBlock.sk.rsa.eSz,
+                        &sigKeyBlock.sk.rsa.ePad);
+                CreateMpint(sigKeyBlock.sk.rsa.n, &sigKeyBlock.sk.rsa.nSz,
+                        &sigKeyBlock.sk.rsa.nPad);
                 sigKeyBlock.sz = (LENGTH_SZ * 3) + sigKeyBlock.nameSz +
                                   sigKeyBlock.sk.rsa.eSz +
                                   sigKeyBlock.sk.rsa.ePad +
@@ -5497,8 +5497,7 @@ int SendKexDhReply(WOLFSSH* ssh)
             }
             /* Add a pad byte if the mpint has the MSB set. */
             if (ret == 0) {
-                if (primeGroup[0] & 0x80)
-                    primeGroupPad = 1;
+                CreateMpint((byte*)primeGroup, &primeGroupSz, &primeGroupPad);
 
                 /* Hash in the length of the GEX prime group. */
                 c32toa(primeGroupSz + primeGroupPad, scratchLen);
@@ -5522,8 +5521,7 @@ int SendKexDhReply(WOLFSSH* ssh)
                                      primeGroup, primeGroupSz);
             /* Add a pad byte if the mpint has the MSB set. */
             if (ret == 0) {
-                if (generator[0] & 0x80)
-                    generatorPad = 1;
+                CreateMpint((byte*)generator, &generatorSz, &generatorPad);
 
                 /* Hash in the length of the GEX generator. */
                 c32toa(generatorSz + generatorPad, scratchLen);
@@ -5615,7 +5613,7 @@ int SendKexDhReply(WOLFSSH* ssh)
 
         /* Hash in the server's DH f-value. */
         if (ret == 0) {
-            fPad = (f[0] & 0x80) ? 1 : 0;
+            CreateMpint(f, &fSz, &fPad);
             c32toa(fSz + fPad, scratchLen);
             ret = wc_HashUpdate(&ssh->handshake->hash, ssh->handshake->hashId,
                                scratchLen, LENGTH_SZ);
@@ -5633,7 +5631,7 @@ int SendKexDhReply(WOLFSSH* ssh)
 
         /* Hash in the shared secret K. */
         if (ret == 0) {
-            kPad = (ssh->k[0] & 0x80) ? 1 : 0;
+            CreateMpint(ssh->k, &ssh->kSz, &kPad);
             c32toa(ssh->kSz + kPad, scratchLen);
             ret = wc_HashUpdate(&ssh->handshake->hash, ssh->handshake->hashId,
                                 scratchLen, LENGTH_SZ);
@@ -6102,8 +6100,8 @@ int SendKexDhInit(WOLFSSH* ssh)
     }
 
     if (ret == WS_SUCCESS) {
-        if (e[0] & 0x80)  {
-            ePad = 1;
+        CreateMpint(e, &eSz, &ePad);
+        if (ePad == 1) {
             ssh->handshake->e[0] = 0;
         }
         WMEMCPY(ssh->handshake->e + ePad, e, eSz);
diff --git a/src/misc.c b/src/misc.c
index 2a336fe..a1200f2 100644
--- a/src/misc.c
+++ b/src/misc.c
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 
 
 #include <wolfssh/misc.h>
+#include <wolfssh/log.h>
 
 
 #ifdef NO_INLINE
@@ -111,6 +112,45 @@ STATIC INLINE int ConstantCompare(const byte* a, const byte* b,
 }
 
 
+/* create mpint type
+ *
+ * can decrease size of buf by 1 or more if leading bytes are 0's and not needed
+ * the input argument "sz" gets reset if that is the case. Buffer size is never
+ * increased.
+ *
+ * An example of this would be a buffer of 0053 changed to 53.
+ * If a padding value is needed then "pad" is set to 1
+ *
+ */
+STATIC INLINE void CreateMpint(byte* buf, word32* sz, byte* pad)
+{
+    word32 i;
+
+    if (buf == NULL || sz == NULL || pad == NULL) {
+        WLOG(WS_LOG_ERROR, "Internal argument error with CreateMpint");
+    }
+
+    /* check for leading 0's */
+    for (i = 0; i < *sz; i++) {
+        if (buf[i] != 0x00)
+            break;
+    }
+    *pad = (buf[i] & 0x80) ? 1 : 0;
+
+    /* if padding would be needed and have leading 0's already then do not add
+     * extra 0's */
+    if (i > 0 && *pad == 1) {
+        i = i - 1;
+        *pad = 0;
+    }
+
+    /* if i is still greater than 0 then the buffer needs shifted to remove
+     * leading 0's */
+    if (i > 0) {
+        WMEMMOVE(buf, buf + i, *sz - i);
+        *sz = *sz - i;
+    }
+}
 #undef STATIC
 
 
diff --git a/wolfssh/misc.h b/wolfssh/misc.h
index 491d639..d79357d 100644
--- a/wolfssh/misc.h
+++ b/wolfssh/misc.h
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ WOLFSSH_LOCAL void ato32(const byte*, word32*);
 WOLFSSH_LOCAL void c32toa(word32, byte*);
 WOLFSSH_LOCAL void ForceZero(const void*, word32);
 WOLFSSH_LOCAL int ConstantCompare(const byte*, const byte*, word32);
+WOLFSSH_LOCAL void CreateMpint(byte*, word32*, byte*);
 
 
 #endif /* NO_INLINE */