diff --git a/pgpainless-core/src/main/kotlin/org/pgpainless/algorithm/negotiation/EncryptionMechanismNegotiator.kt b/pgpainless-core/src/main/kotlin/org/pgpainless/algorithm/negotiation/EncryptionMechanismNegotiator.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c8476910
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pgpainless-core/src/main/kotlin/org/pgpainless/algorithm/negotiation/EncryptionMechanismNegotiator.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2025 Paul Schaub <vanitasvitae@fsfe.org>
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+package org.pgpainless.algorithm.negotiation
+
+import org.bouncycastle.openpgp.api.MessageEncryptionMechanism
+import org.pgpainless.algorithm.AEADAlgorithm
+import org.pgpainless.algorithm.AEADCipherMode
+import org.pgpainless.algorithm.Feature
+import org.pgpainless.algorithm.SymmetricKeyAlgorithm
+import org.pgpainless.policy.Policy
+
+fun interface EncryptionMechanismNegotiator {
+
+    fun negotiate(
+        policy: Policy,
+        override: MessageEncryptionMechanism?,
+        features: List<Set<Feature>>,
+        aeadAlgorithmPreferences: List<Set<AEADCipherMode>>,
+        symmetricAlgorithmPreferences: List<Set<SymmetricKeyAlgorithm>>
+    ): MessageEncryptionMechanism
+
+    companion object {
+        @JvmStatic
+        fun modificationDetectionOrBetter(
+            symmetricKeyAlgorithmNegotiator: SymmetricKeyAlgorithmNegotiator
+        ): EncryptionMechanismNegotiator =
+            object : EncryptionMechanismNegotiator {
+
+                override fun negotiate(
+                    policy: Policy,
+                    override: MessageEncryptionMechanism?,
+                    features: List<Set<Feature>>,
+                    aeadAlgorithmPreferences: List<Set<AEADCipherMode>>,
+                    symmetricAlgorithmPreferences: List<Set<SymmetricKeyAlgorithm>>
+                ): MessageEncryptionMechanism {
+
+                    // If the user supplied an override, use that
+                    if (override != null) {
+                        return override
+                    }
+
+                    // If all support SEIPD2, use SEIPD2
+                    if (features.all { it.contains(Feature.MODIFICATION_DETECTION_2) }) {
+                        // Find best supported algorithm combination
+                        val counted = mutableMapOf<AEADCipherMode, Int>()
+                        for (pref in aeadAlgorithmPreferences) {
+                            for (mode in pref) {
+                                counted[mode] = counted.getOrDefault(mode, 0) + 1
+                            }
+                        }
+                        // filter for supported combinations and find most widely supported
+                        val bestSupportedMode: AEADCipherMode =
+                            counted
+                                .filter {
+                                    policy.messageEncryptionAlgorithmPolicy.isAcceptable(
+                                        MessageEncryptionMechanism.aead(
+                                            it.key.ciphermode.algorithmId,
+                                            it.key.aeadAlgorithm.algorithmId))
+                                }
+                                .maxByOrNull { it.value }
+                                ?.key
+                                ?: AEADCipherMode(AEADAlgorithm.OCB, SymmetricKeyAlgorithm.AES_128)
+
+                        // return best supported mode or symmetric key fallback mechanism
+                        return MessageEncryptionMechanism.aead(
+                            bestSupportedMode.ciphermode.algorithmId,
+                            bestSupportedMode.aeadAlgorithm.algorithmId)
+                    }
+                    // If all support SEIPD1, negotiate SEIPD1 using symmetricKeyAlgorithmNegotiator
+                    else if (features.all { it.contains(Feature.MODIFICATION_DETECTION) }) {
+                        return MessageEncryptionMechanism.integrityProtected(
+                            symmetricKeyAlgorithmNegotiator
+                                .negotiate(
+                                    policy.messageEncryptionAlgorithmPolicy
+                                        .symmetricAlgorithmPolicy,
+                                    null,
+                                    symmetricAlgorithmPreferences)
+                                .algorithmId)
+                    }
+                    // Else fall back to fallback mechanism from policy
+                    else {
+                        return policy.messageEncryptionAlgorithmPolicy.asymmetricFallbackMechanism
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/pgpainless-core/src/main/kotlin/org/pgpainless/encryption_signing/EncryptionOptions.kt b/pgpainless-core/src/main/kotlin/org/pgpainless/encryption_signing/EncryptionOptions.kt
index 45a8ba4e..980a2278 100644
--- a/pgpainless-core/src/main/kotlin/org/pgpainless/encryption_signing/EncryptionOptions.kt
+++ b/pgpainless-core/src/main/kotlin/org/pgpainless/encryption_signing/EncryptionOptions.kt
@@ -11,15 +11,15 @@ import org.bouncycastle.openpgp.api.OpenPGPCertificate
 import org.bouncycastle.openpgp.api.OpenPGPCertificate.OpenPGPComponentKey
 import org.bouncycastle.openpgp.operator.PGPKeyEncryptionMethodGenerator
 import org.pgpainless.PGPainless
-import org.pgpainless.algorithm.AEADAlgorithm
-import org.pgpainless.algorithm.AEADCipherMode
 import org.pgpainless.algorithm.EncryptionPurpose
-import org.pgpainless.algorithm.Feature
 import org.pgpainless.algorithm.SymmetricKeyAlgorithm
+import org.pgpainless.algorithm.negotiation.EncryptionMechanismNegotiator
 import org.pgpainless.algorithm.negotiation.SymmetricKeyAlgorithmNegotiator.Companion.byPopularity
 import org.pgpainless.authentication.CertificateAuthority
 import org.pgpainless.encryption_signing.EncryptionOptions.EncryptionKeySelector
-import org.pgpainless.exception.KeyException.*
+import org.pgpainless.exception.KeyException.ExpiredKeyException
+import org.pgpainless.exception.KeyException.UnacceptableEncryptionKeyException
+import org.pgpainless.exception.KeyException.UnacceptableSelfSignatureException
 import org.pgpainless.key.SubkeyIdentifier
 import org.pgpainless.key.info.KeyAccessor
 import org.pgpainless.key.info.KeyRingInfo
@@ -427,42 +427,26 @@ class EncryptionOptions(private val purpose: EncryptionPurpose, private val api:
 
     fun hasEncryptionMethod() = _encryptionMethods.isNotEmpty()
 
-    internal fun negotiateSymmetricEncryptionAlgorithm(): SymmetricKeyAlgorithm {
-        val preferences =
-            keysAndAccessors.values.map { it.preferredSymmetricKeyAlgorithms }.toList()
-        val algorithm =
-            byPopularity()
-                .negotiate(
-                    api.algorithmPolicy.messageEncryptionAlgorithmPolicy.symmetricAlgorithmPolicy,
-                    encryptionAlgorithmOverride,
-                    preferences)
-        return algorithm
-    }
-
     internal fun negotiateEncryptionMechanism(): MessageEncryptionMechanism {
         if (encryptionMechanismOverride != null) {
             return encryptionMechanismOverride!!
         }
 
         val features = keysAndAccessors.values.map { it.features }.toList()
+        val aeadAlgorithms = keysAndAccessors.values.map { it.preferredAEADCipherSuites }.toList()
+        val symmetricKeyAlgorithms =
+            keysAndAccessors.values.map { it.preferredSymmetricKeyAlgorithms }.toList()
 
-        if (features.all { it.contains(Feature.MODIFICATION_DETECTION_2) }) {
-            val aeadPrefs = keysAndAccessors.values.map { it.preferredAEADCipherSuites }.toList()
-            val counted = mutableMapOf<AEADCipherMode, Int>()
-            for (pref in aeadPrefs) {
-                for (mode in pref) {
-                    counted[mode] = counted.getOrDefault(mode, 0) + 1
-                }
-            }
-            val max: AEADCipherMode =
-                counted.maxByOrNull { it.value }?.key
-                    ?: AEADCipherMode(AEADAlgorithm.OCB, SymmetricKeyAlgorithm.AES_128)
-            return MessageEncryptionMechanism.aead(
-                max.ciphermode.algorithmId, max.aeadAlgorithm.algorithmId)
-        } else {
-            return MessageEncryptionMechanism.integrityProtected(
-                negotiateSymmetricEncryptionAlgorithm().algorithmId)
-        }
+        val mechanism =
+            EncryptionMechanismNegotiator.modificationDetectionOrBetter(byPopularity())
+                .negotiate(
+                    api.algorithmPolicy,
+                    encryptionMechanismOverride,
+                    features,
+                    aeadAlgorithms,
+                    symmetricKeyAlgorithms)
+
+        return mechanism
     }
 
     fun interface EncryptionKeySelector {
diff --git a/pgpainless-core/src/test/java/org/pgpainless/encryption_signing/MechanismNegotiationTest.java b/pgpainless-core/src/test/java/org/pgpainless/encryption_signing/MechanismNegotiationTest.java
index e55b08fd..5f32e678 100644
--- a/pgpainless-core/src/test/java/org/pgpainless/encryption_signing/MechanismNegotiationTest.java
+++ b/pgpainless-core/src/test/java/org/pgpainless/encryption_signing/MechanismNegotiationTest.java
@@ -79,11 +79,15 @@ public class MechanismNegotiationTest {
                         .build()));
     }
 
+
+    /**
+     * Here, we fall back to SEIPD1(AES128), as that is the policy fallback mechanism.
+     */
     @TestTemplate
     @ExtendWith(TestAllImplementations.class)
     public void testEncryptToV6SEIPD1CertAndV6SEIPD2Cert() throws IOException, PGPException {
         testEncryptDecryptAndCheckExpectations(
-                MessageEncryptionMechanism.integrityProtected(SymmetricKeyAlgorithm.AES_192.getAlgorithmId()),
+                MessageEncryptionMechanism.integrityProtected(SymmetricKeyAlgorithm.AES_128.getAlgorithmId()),
 
                 new KeySpecification(OpenPGPKeyVersion.v6, AlgorithmSuite.emptyBuilder()
                         .overrideAeadAlgorithms(new AEADCipherMode(AEADAlgorithm.OCB, SymmetricKeyAlgorithm.AES_256))