diff --git a/src/saml2/metadata.py b/src/saml2/metadata.py
index e7ab6011d..2516cc27d 100644
--- a/src/saml2/metadata.py
+++ b/src/saml2/metadata.py
@@ -65,14 +65,13 @@
 def metadata_tostring_fix(desc, nspair, xmlstring=""):
     if not xmlstring:
         xmlstring = desc.to_string(nspair)
-
+    
     try:
         if "\"xs:string\"" in xmlstring and XMLNSXS not in xmlstring:
             xmlstring = xmlstring.replace(MDNS, MDNS + XMLNSXS)
     except TypeError:
         if b"\"xs:string\"" in xmlstring and bXMLNSXS not in xmlstring:
             xmlstring = xmlstring.replace(bMDNS, bMDNS + bXMLNSXS)
-
     return xmlstring
 
 
diff --git a/tools/make_metadata.py b/tools/make_metadata.py
index 147425fe5..243ce1010 100755
--- a/tools/make_metadata.py
+++ b/tools/make_metadata.py
@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@
                     help="xmlsec binaries to be used for the signing")
 parser.add_argument('-w', dest='wellknown',
                     help="Use wellknown namespace prefixes")
+parser.add_argument('-S', dest='signalg',
+                    default='http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#rsa-sha1',
+                    help="Algorithm to sign the metadata")
+parser.add_argument('-D', dest='digestalg',
+                    default='http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#sha1',
+                    help="Algorithm to compute the digest of the metadata")
 parser.add_argument(dest="config", nargs="+")
 args = parser.parse_args()
 
@@ -70,16 +76,19 @@
                                        args.sign, secc)
     valid_instance(desc)
     xmldoc = metadata_tostring_fix(desc, nspair, xmldoc)
-    print(xmldoc.decode("utf-8"))
 else:
     for eid in eds:
         if args.sign:
             assert conf.key_file
             assert conf.cert_file
-            eid, xmldoc = sign_entity_descriptor(eid, args.id, secc)
+            sign_alg = args.signalg
+            digest_alg = args.digestalg
+            eid, xmldoc = sign_entity_descriptor(eid, args.id, secc, sign_alg,
+                                                 digest_alg)
         else:
             xmldoc = None
 
         valid_instance(eid)
         xmldoc = metadata_tostring_fix(eid, nspair, xmldoc)
-        print(xmldoc.decode("utf-8"))
+
+print(xmldoc)