diff --git a/api/proto/identity/identity.go b/api/proto/identity/identity.go
index 856ce90f0..4895c5e63 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[2]), nil
+	return MessageType(message[0]), nil
 }
 
 // GetIdentityMessagePayload message payload from the identity message
diff --git a/api/proto/identity/identity_test.go b/api/proto/identity/identity_test.go
index 1e00df15f..d0d3c1819 100644
--- a/api/proto/identity/identity_test.go
+++ b/api/proto/identity/identity_test.go
@@ -3,11 +3,14 @@ package identity
 import (
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/harmony-one/harmony/api/proto"
 )
 
 func TestRegisterIdentityMessage(t *testing.T) {
 	registerIdentityMessage := ConstructIdentityMessage(Register, []byte("registerIdentityMessage"))
-	messageType, err := GetIdentityMessageType(registerIdentityMessage)
+	msgPayload, err := proto.GetMessagePayload(registerIdentityMessage)
+	messageType, err := GetIdentityMessageType(msgPayload)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("Error thrown in geting message type")
 	}
@@ -18,7 +21,8 @@ func TestRegisterIdentityMessage(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestAcknowledgeIdentityMessage(t *testing.T) {
 	registerAcknowledgeMessage := ConstructIdentityMessage(Acknowledge, []byte("acknowledgeIdentityMsgPayload"))
-	messageType, err := GetIdentityMessageType(registerAcknowledgeMessage)
+	msgPayload, err := proto.GetMessagePayload(registerAcknowledgeMessage)
+	messageType, err := GetIdentityMessageType(msgPayload)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("Error thrown in geting message type")
 	}
@@ -29,6 +33,11 @@ func TestAcknowledgeIdentityMessage(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestInvalidIdentityMessage(t *testing.T) {
 	registerInvalidMessage := ConstructIdentityMessage(3, []byte("acknowledgeIdentityMsgPayload"))
+	registerInvalidMessagePayload, err := GetIdentityMessagePayload(registerInvalidMessage)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Error thrown in geting message type from invalid message")
+	}
+	_ = registerInvalidMessagePayload
 	messageType, err := GetIdentityMessageType(registerInvalidMessage)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("Error thrown in geting message type from invalid message")