diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 802f4b7..dd0a868 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -463,7 +463,11 @@ $advancedSettings = array (
          False || True (use sp certs) || array (
                                                     keyFileName => 'metadata.key',
                                                     certFileName => 'metadata.crt'
-                                                )
+                                               )
+                                      || array (
+                                                    'x509cert' => '',
+                                                    'privateKey' => ''
+                                               )
         */
         'signMetadata' => false,
 
diff --git a/advanced_settings_example.php b/advanced_settings_example.php
index 50194ae..99d0c04 100644
--- a/advanced_settings_example.php
+++ b/advanced_settings_example.php
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 $advancedSettings = array (
 
-    // Compression settings 
+    // Compression settings
     // Handle if the getRequest/getResponse methods will return the Request/Response deflated.
     // But if we provide a $deflate boolean parameter to the getRequest or getResponse
     // method it will have priority over the compression settings.
@@ -36,7 +36,11 @@
          False || True (use sp certs) || array (
                                                     keyFileName => 'metadata.key',
                                                     certFileName => 'metadata.crt'
-                                                )
+                                               )
+                                      || array (
+                                                    'x509cert' => '',
+                                                    'privateKey' => ''
+                                               )
         */
         'signMetadata' => false,
 
diff --git a/lib/Saml2/Settings.php b/lib/Saml2/Settings.php
index 13e54ff..67410cf 100644
--- a/lib/Saml2/Settings.php
+++ b/lib/Saml2/Settings.php
@@ -608,9 +608,14 @@ public function checkSPSettings($settings)
                 $errors[] = 'sp_sls_url_invalid';
             }
 
-            if (isset($security['signMetadata']) && is_array($security['signMetadata']) &&
-                (!isset($security['signMetadata']['keyFileName']) || !isset($security['signMetadata']['certFileName']))) {
-                $errors[] = 'sp_signMetadata_invalid';
+            if (isset($security['signMetadata']) && is_array($security['signMetadata'])) {
+                if ((!isset($security['signMetadata']['keyFileName'])
+                    || !isset($security['signMetadata']['certFileName'])) &&
+                    (!isset($security['signMetadata']['privateKey'])
+                    || !isset($security['signMetadata']['x509cert']))
+                ) {
+                    $errors[] = 'sp_signMetadata_invalid';
+                }
             }
 
             if (((isset($security['authnRequestsSigned']) && $security['authnRequestsSigned'] == true)
@@ -842,40 +847,28 @@ public function getSPMetadata($alwaysPublishEncryptionCert = false, $validUntil
         }
 
         //Sign Metadata
-        if (isset($this->_security['signMetadata']) && $this->_security['signMetadata'] != false) {
+        if (isset($this->_security['signMetadata']) && $this->_security['signMetadata'] !== false) {
             if ($this->_security['signMetadata'] === true) {
                 $keyMetadata = $this->getSPkey();
                 $certMetadata = $cert;
-
                 if (!$keyMetadata) {
                     throw new OneLogin_Saml2_Error(
                         'SP Private key not found.',
                         OneLogin_Saml2_Error::PRIVATE_KEY_FILE_NOT_FOUND
                     );
                 }
-
                 if (!$certMetadata) {
                     throw new OneLogin_Saml2_Error(
                         'SP Public cert not found.',
                         OneLogin_Saml2_Error::PUBLIC_CERT_FILE_NOT_FOUND
                     );
                 }
-            } else {
-                if (!isset($this->_security['signMetadata']['keyFileName'])
-                    || !isset($this->_security['signMetadata']['certFileName'])
-                ) {
-                    throw new OneLogin_Saml2_Error(
-                        'Invalid Setting: signMetadata value of the sp is not valid',
-                        OneLogin_Saml2_Error::SETTINGS_INVALID_SYNTAX
-                    );
-                }
+            } else if (isset($this->_security['signMetadata']['keyFileName']) &&
+                isset($this->_security['signMetadata']['certFileName'])) {
                 $keyFileName = $this->_security['signMetadata']['keyFileName'];
                 $certFileName = $this->_security['signMetadata']['certFileName'];
-
                 $keyMetadataFile = $this->_paths['cert'].$keyFileName;
                 $certMetadataFile = $this->_paths['cert'].$certFileName;
-
-
                 if (!file_exists($keyMetadataFile)) {
                     throw new OneLogin_Saml2_Error(
                         'SP Private key file not found: %s',
@@ -883,7 +876,6 @@ public function getSPMetadata($alwaysPublishEncryptionCert = false, $validUntil
                         array($keyMetadataFile)
                     );
                 }
-
                 if (!file_exists($certMetadataFile)) {
                     throw new OneLogin_Saml2_Error(
                         'SP Public cert file not found: %s',
@@ -893,6 +885,27 @@ public function getSPMetadata($alwaysPublishEncryptionCert = false, $validUntil
                 }
                 $keyMetadata = file_get_contents($keyMetadataFile);
                 $certMetadata = file_get_contents($certMetadataFile);
+            } else if (isset($this->_security['signMetadata']['privateKey']) &&
+                isset($this->_security['signMetadata']['x509cert'])) {
+                $keyMetadata = OneLogin_Saml2_Utils::formatPrivateKey($this->_security['signMetadata']['privateKey']);
+                $certMetadata = OneLogin_Saml2_Utils::formatCert($this->_security['signMetadata']['x509cert']);
+                if (!$keyMetadata) {
+                    throw new OneLogin_Saml2_Error(
+                        'Private key not found.',
+                        OneLogin_Saml2_Error::PRIVATE_KEY_FILE_NOT_FOUND
+                    );
+                }
+                if (!$certMetadata) {
+                    throw new OneLogin_Saml2_Error(
+                        'Public cert not found.',
+                        OneLogin_Saml2_Error::PUBLIC_CERT_FILE_NOT_FOUND
+                    );
+                }
+            } else {
+                throw new OneLogin_Saml2_Error(
+                    'Invalid Setting: signMetadata value of the sp is not valid',
+                    OneLogin_Saml2_Error::SETTINGS_INVALID_SYNTAX
+                );
             }
 
             $signatureAlgorithm = $this->_security['signatureAlgorithm'];
diff --git a/tests/src/OneLogin/Saml2/SettingsTest.php b/tests/src/OneLogin/Saml2/SettingsTest.php
index f23e56c..44bdae5 100644
--- a/tests/src/OneLogin/Saml2/SettingsTest.php
+++ b/tests/src/OneLogin/Saml2/SettingsTest.php
@@ -391,6 +391,16 @@ public function testCheckSettings()
             $this->assertContains('organization_not_enought_data', $e->getMessage());
             $this->assertContains('contact_type_invalid', $e->getMessage());
         }
+
+        $settingsInfo['security']['signMetadata'] = ['privateKey' => file_get_contents(TEST_ROOT . '/data/customPath/certs/metadata.key')];
+        try {
+            $settings = new OneLogin_Saml2_Settings($settingsInfo);
+            $this->fail('Error was not raised');
+        } catch (OneLogin_Saml2_Error $e) {
+            $this->assertContains('sp_signMetadata_invalid', $e->getMessage());
+            $this->assertContains('organization_not_enought_data', $e->getMessage());
+            $this->assertContains('contact_type_invalid', $e->getMessage());
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -588,6 +598,26 @@ public function testGetSPMetadataSigned()
         $this->assertContains('<ds:Reference', $metadata2);
         $this->assertContains('<ds:KeyInfo><ds:X509Data><ds:X509Certificate>', $metadata2);
 
+        $cert = file_get_contents(TEST_ROOT . '/data/customPath/certs/metadata.crt');
+        $settingsInfo['security']['signMetadata'] = [
+            'privateKey' => file_get_contents(TEST_ROOT . '/data/customPath/certs/metadata.key'),
+            'x509cert' => $cert,
+        ];
+        $settings3 = new OneLogin_Saml2_Settings($settingsInfo);
+        $metadata3 = $settings3->getSPMetadata();
+        $this->assertNotEmpty($metadata3);
+        $this->assertContains('<md:SPSSODescriptor', $metadata3);
+        $this->assertContains('entityID="http://stuff.com/endpoints/metadata.php"', $metadata3);
+        $this->assertContains('AuthnRequestsSigned="false"', $metadata3);
+        $this->assertContains('WantAssertionsSigned="false"', $metadata3);
+        $this->assertContains('<md:AssertionConsumerService Binding="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:bindings:HTTP-POST" Location="http://stuff.com/endpoints/endpoints/acs.php" index="1"/>', $metadata3);
+        $this->assertContains('<md:SingleLogoutService Binding="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:bindings:HTTP-Redirect" Location="http://stuff.com/endpoints/endpoints/sls.php"/>', $metadata3);
+        $this->assertContains('<md:NameIDFormat>urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:1.1:nameid-format:unspecified</md:NameIDFormat>', $metadata3);
+        $this->assertContains('<ds:SignedInfo><ds:CanonicalizationMethod Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/2001/10/xml-exc-c14n#"/>', $metadata3);
+        $this->assertContains('<ds:SignatureMethod Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#rsa-sha1"/>', $metadata3);
+        $this->assertContains('<ds:Reference', $metadata3);
+        $this->assertContains('<ds:KeyInfo><ds:X509Data><ds:X509Certificate>', $metadata3);
+        $this->assertContains(OneLogin_Saml2_Utils::formatCert($cert, false), $metadata3);
     }
 
     /**