diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5196a14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+## Kafka SPIFFE Principal Builder
+
+A custom `KafkaPrincipalBuilder` implementation for Apache Kafka.
+This class and documentation deals only with `SslAuthenticationContext`, we do not support any other context at the moment (Kerberos, SASL, Oauth)
+
+#### Default behavior
+The default `DefaultKafkaPrincipalBuilder` class that comes with Apache Kafka builds a principal
+name according to the x509 Subject in the SSL certificate. Since there is no logic that deals with *Subject Alternative Name*,
+this approach cannot handle a *SPIFFE ID*.
+
+#### New behavior
+The principal builder first looks for any valid *SPIFFE ID* in the certificate, if found, the *KafkaPrincipal* that will
+be returned would be seen by an *ACL Authorizer* as **SPIFFE:spiffe://some.spiffe.id.uri**. If that fails, a normal usage of the Subject will
+used with a normal **USER:CN=...**
+   
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diff --git a/src/main/java/io/okro/kafka/SpiffePrincipalBuilder.java b/src/main/java/io/okro/kafka/SpiffePrincipalBuilder.java
index 26a0faf..4560f51 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/okro/kafka/SpiffePrincipalBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/okro/kafka/SpiffePrincipalBuilder.java
@@ -7,10 +7,19 @@
 import java.security.cert.Certificate;
 import java.security.cert.CertificateParsingException;
 import java.security.cert.X509Certificate;
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.List;
+
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
 import static org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils.startsWith;
 
 public class SpiffePrincipalBuilder implements KafkaPrincipalBuilder {
+    private static final Logger LOG = LoggerFactory.getLogger(SpiffePrincipalBuilder.class);
+
+    private static final String SPIFFE_TYPE = "SPIFFE";
+
     public KafkaPrincipal build(AuthenticationContext context) {
         if (context instanceof PlaintextAuthenticationContext) {
             return KafkaPrincipal.ANONYMOUS;
@@ -30,14 +39,27 @@ public KafkaPrincipal build(AuthenticationContext context) {
                 return KafkaPrincipal.ANONYMOUS;
             }
             X509Certificate cert = (X509Certificate) peerCerts[0];
-            return cert.getSubjectAlternativeNames().stream()
-                    .map(san -> (String) san.get(1))
-                    .filter(uri -> startsWith(uri, "spiffe://"))
-                    .findFirst()
-                    .map(s -> new KafkaPrincipal(KafkaPrincipal.USER_TYPE, s))
-                    .orElse(KafkaPrincipal.ANONYMOUS);
+
+            Collection<List<?>> sanCollection = cert.getSubjectAlternativeNames();
+            KafkaPrincipal principal;
+
+            if (sanCollection != null) {
+                principal = sanCollection.stream()
+                        .map(san -> (String) san.get(1))
+                        .filter(uri -> startsWith(uri, "spiffe://"))
+                        .findFirst()
+                        .map(s -> new KafkaPrincipal(SPIFFE_TYPE, s))
+                        .orElse(new KafkaPrincipal(KafkaPrincipal.USER_TYPE, cert.getSubjectX500Principal().getName()));
+            } else {
+                principal = new KafkaPrincipal(KafkaPrincipal.USER_TYPE, cert.getSubjectX500Principal().getName());
+            }
+
+            LOG.debug("PrincipalBuilder found principal: {}", principal.toString());
+
+            return principal;
         } catch (SSLPeerUnverifiedException | CertificateParsingException se) {
+            LOG.warn("Unhandled exception: " + se.toString());
             return KafkaPrincipal.ANONYMOUS;
         }
     }
-}
+}
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