diff --git a/api/proto/identity/identity.go b/api/proto/identity/identity.go
index 4895c5e63..856ce90f0 100644
--- a/api/proto/identity/identity.go
+++ b/api/proto/identity/identity.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func GetIdentityMessageType(message []byte) (MessageType, error) {
 	if len(message) < 1 {
 		return 0, errors.New("failed to get identity message type: no data available")
 	}
-	return MessageType(message[0]), nil
+	return MessageType(message[2]), nil
 }
 
 // GetIdentityMessagePayload message payload from the identity message
diff --git a/api/proto/identity/identity_test.go b/api/proto/identity/identity_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1e00df15f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/proto/identity/identity_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package identity
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestRegisterIdentityMessage(t *testing.T) {
+	registerIdentityMessage := ConstructIdentityMessage(Register, []byte("registerIdentityMessage"))
+	messageType, err := GetIdentityMessageType(registerIdentityMessage)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Error thrown in geting message type")
+	}
+	if messageType != Register {
+		t.Error("Message type expected ", Register, " actual ", messageType)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAcknowledgeIdentityMessage(t *testing.T) {
+	registerAcknowledgeMessage := ConstructIdentityMessage(Acknowledge, []byte("acknowledgeIdentityMsgPayload"))
+	messageType, err := GetIdentityMessageType(registerAcknowledgeMessage)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Error thrown in geting message type")
+	}
+	if messageType != Acknowledge {
+		t.Error("Message type expected ", Acknowledge, " actual ", messageType)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInvalidIdentityMessage(t *testing.T) {
+	registerInvalidMessage := ConstructIdentityMessage(3, []byte("acknowledgeIdentityMsgPayload"))
+	messageType, err := GetIdentityMessageType(registerInvalidMessage)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Error thrown in geting message type from invalid message")
+	}
+	if strings.Compare(messageType.String(), "Unknown") != 0 {
+		t.Error("Unknown message type expected for Invalid identity message")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestEmptyMessage(t *testing.T) {
+	messageType, err := GetIdentityMessageType([]byte(""))
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Error("Error expected in getting message type from empty message")
+	}
+	if messageType != 0 {
+		t.Error("Message type expected", 0, " actual ", messageType)
+	}
+}