diff --git a/pyhanko/pdf_utils/writer.py b/pyhanko/pdf_utils/writer.py
index 3e4a014b..96061b50 100644
--- a/pyhanko/pdf_utils/writer.py
+++ b/pyhanko/pdf_utils/writer.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 for the original license.
 """
 
+import logging
 import os
 import typing
 from typing import Dict, Iterable, List, Optional, Set, Tuple, Union, cast
@@ -53,6 +54,8 @@
     'copy_into_new_writer',
 ]
 
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
 
 # TODO move this to content.py?
 def init_xobject_dictionary(
@@ -1240,6 +1243,44 @@ def process_reference(self, ref: generic.Reference) -> generic.PdfObject:
             self.queued_references.append((ref, new_ido.reference))
             return new_ido
 
+    def preprocess_signature_data(self):
+        # Signature /Contents is never encrypted => ensure we respect that
+        # (even though the import operation is guaranteed to break the signature
+        # there are valid use cases for stripping the encryption on such files,
+        # e.g. for downstream processing)
+        from ..sign.fields import enumerate_sig_fields
+
+        signature_dict_refs = [
+            field_value.reference
+            for fq_name, field_value, field_ref in enumerate_sig_fields(
+                self.source, filled_status=True
+            )
+            # this is the case in all valid PDFs
+            if isinstance(field_value, generic.IndirectObject)
+        ]
+        if signature_dict_refs:
+            logger.warning(
+                "Source document contains filled signature fields--the copy "
+                "operation will invalidate them."
+            )
+        for ref in signature_dict_refs:
+            sig_dict = ref.get_object()
+            assert isinstance(sig_dict, generic.DictionaryObject)
+            raw_dict = {
+                k: self._ingest(v)
+                for k, v in sig_dict.items()
+                if k != '/Contents'
+            }
+            raw_dict['/Contents'] = generic.ByteStringObject(
+                sig_dict.raw_get(
+                    '/Contents', decrypt=generic.EncryptedObjAccess.RAW
+                ).original_bytes
+            )
+            self.reference_map[ref] = self.target.add_object(
+                generic.DictionaryObject(raw_dict),
+                obj_stream=None,
+            )
+
 
 def copy_into_new_writer(
     input_handler: PdfHandler, writer_kwargs: Optional[dict] = None
@@ -1290,6 +1331,7 @@ def copy_into_new_writer(
         },
         obj_stream=None,
     )
+    importer.preprocess_signature_data()
     new_root_dict = importer.import_object(input_handler.root)
     # override the old root ref
     ix = (output_root_ref.generation, output_root_ref.idnum)
diff --git a/pyhanko_tests/data/pdf/signed-encrypted-pubkey-with-catalog-ref.pdf b/pyhanko_tests/data/pdf/signed-encrypted-pubkey-with-catalog-ref.pdf
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..db188395
Binary files /dev/null and b/pyhanko_tests/data/pdf/signed-encrypted-pubkey-with-catalog-ref.pdf differ
diff --git a/pyhanko_tests/test_sign_encrypted.py b/pyhanko_tests/test_sign_encrypted.py
index b535be64..19586088 100644
--- a/pyhanko_tests/test_sign_encrypted.py
+++ b/pyhanko_tests/test_sign_encrypted.py
@@ -5,12 +5,14 @@
 
 from pyhanko.pdf_utils.incremental_writer import IncrementalPdfFileWriter
 from pyhanko.pdf_utils.reader import PdfFileReader
+from pyhanko.pdf_utils.writer import copy_into_new_writer
 from pyhanko.sign import signers
 from pyhanko.sign.diff_analysis import ModificationLevel
 from pyhanko.sign.signers.pdf_signer import (
     DSSContentSettings,
     SigDSSPlacementPreference,
 )
+from pyhanko.sign.validation import validate_pdf_signature
 from pyhanko_tests.samples import (
     MINIMAL_AES256,
     MINIMAL_ONE_FIELD_AES256,
@@ -18,11 +20,13 @@
     MINIMAL_PUBKEY_ONE_FIELD_AES256,
     MINIMAL_PUBKEY_ONE_FIELD_RC4,
     MINIMAL_RC4,
+    PDF_DATA_DIR,
     PUBKEY_SELFSIGNED_DECRYPTER,
 )
 from pyhanko_tests.signing_commons import (
     DUMMY_HTTP_TS,
     FROM_CA,
+    SIMPLE_V_CONTEXT,
     live_testing_vc,
     val_trusted,
 )
@@ -175,3 +179,50 @@ def test_sign_encrypted_with_post_sign(requests_mock, password, file):
     assert status.modification_level == ModificationLevel.LTA_UPDATES
     assert len(r.embedded_regular_signatures) == 1
     assert len(r.embedded_timestamp_signatures) == 1
+
+
+def test_copy_encrypted_signed_file():
+    w = IncrementalPdfFileWriter(BytesIO(MINIMAL_ONE_FIELD_AES256))
+    w.encrypt("ownersecret")
+    out = signers.sign_pdf(
+        w,
+        signers.PdfSignatureMetadata(),
+        signer=FROM_CA,
+        existing_fields_only=True,
+    )
+
+    r = PdfFileReader(out)
+    r.decrypt("ownersecret")
+    w = copy_into_new_writer(r)
+    out2 = BytesIO()
+    w.write(out2)
+
+    r = PdfFileReader(out2)
+    assert not r.encrypted
+    s = r.embedded_signatures[0]
+    s.compute_integrity_info()
+    status = validate_pdf_signature(s, SIMPLE_V_CONTEXT(), skip_diff=True)
+    assert not status.intact
+
+
+def test_copy_file_with_mdp_signature_and_backref():
+    # This file has /Data in a signature reference dictionary
+    # pointing back to the root (which is sometimes still seen in
+    # FieldMDP signatures generated by Acrobat, among others)
+
+    fname = f"{PDF_DATA_DIR}/signed-encrypted-pubkey-with-catalog-ref.pdf"
+    with open(fname, 'rb') as inf:
+
+        r = PdfFileReader(inf)
+        r.decrypt_pubkey(PUBKEY_SELFSIGNED_DECRYPTER)
+
+        w = copy_into_new_writer(r)
+        out2 = BytesIO()
+        w.write(out2)
+
+    r = PdfFileReader(out2)
+    assert not r.encrypted
+    s = r.embedded_signatures[0]
+    s.compute_integrity_info()
+    status = validate_pdf_signature(s, SIMPLE_V_CONTEXT(), skip_diff=True)
+    assert not status.intact