diff --git a/authority/authority.go b/authority/authority.go
index 32d26470..67fccf53 100644
--- a/authority/authority.go
+++ b/authority/authority.go
@@ -347,10 +347,12 @@ func (a *Authority) init() error {
 			}
 		}
 
-		a.scepService = &scep.Service{
-			Signer:    options.Signer,
-			Decrypter: options.Decrypter,
+		a.scepService, err = scep.NewService(context.Background(), options)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
 		}
+
+		// TODO: mimick the x509CAService GetCertificateAuthority here too?
 	}
 
 	// Read root certificates and store them in the certificates map.
diff --git a/cas/apiv1/registry.go b/cas/apiv1/registry.go
index b74103b7..5876e9d7 100644
--- a/cas/apiv1/registry.go
+++ b/cas/apiv1/registry.go
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ func Register(t Type, fn CertificateAuthorityServiceNewFunc) {
 	registry.Store(t.String(), fn)
 }
 
-// LoadCertificateAuthorityServiceNewFunc returns the function initialize a KayManager.
+// LoadCertificateAuthorityServiceNewFunc returns the function to initialize a KeyManager.
 func LoadCertificateAuthorityServiceNewFunc(t Type) (CertificateAuthorityServiceNewFunc, bool) {
 	v, ok := registry.Load(t.String())
 	if !ok {
diff --git a/scep/authority.go b/scep/authority.go
index 69d83554..03bd6919 100644
--- a/scep/authority.go
+++ b/scep/authority.go
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/smallstep/certificates/authority/provisioner"
 	database "github.com/smallstep/certificates/db"
 
-	"go.step.sm/crypto/pemutil"
-
 	"github.com/smallstep/nosql"
 
 	microx509util "github.com/micromdm/scep/crypto/x509util"
@@ -59,10 +57,8 @@ type Authority struct {
 
 // AuthorityOptions required to create a new SCEP Authority.
 type AuthorityOptions struct {
-	IntermediateCertificatePath string
-
+	// Service provides the SCEP functions to Authority
 	Service Service
-
 	// Backdate
 	Backdate provisioner.Duration
 	// DB is the database used by nosql.
@@ -96,21 +92,12 @@ func New(signAuth SignAuthority, ops AuthorityOptions) (*Authority, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// TODO: the below is a bit similar as what happens in the core Authority class, which
-	// creates the full x509 service. However, those aren't accessible directly, which is
-	// why I reimplemented this (for now). There might be an alternative that I haven't
-	// found yet.
-	certificateChain, err := pemutil.ReadCertificateBundle(ops.IntermediateCertificatePath)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
 	return &Authority{
 		backdate:                ops.Backdate,
 		db:                      ops.DB,
 		prefix:                  ops.Prefix,
 		dns:                     ops.DNS,
-		intermediateCertificate: certificateChain[0],
+		intermediateCertificate: ops.Service.certificateChain[0],
 		service:                 ops.Service,
 		signAuth:                signAuth,
 	}, nil
@@ -208,7 +195,7 @@ func (a *Authority) DecryptPKIEnvelope(ctx context.Context, msg *PKIMessage) err
 		return err
 	}
 
-	envelope, err := p7c.Decrypt(a.intermediateCertificate, a.service.Decrypter)
+	envelope, err := p7c.Decrypt(a.intermediateCertificate, a.service.decrypter)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -351,7 +338,7 @@ func (a *Authority) SignCSR(ctx context.Context, csr *x509.CertificateRequest, m
 	authCert := a.intermediateCertificate
 
 	// sign the attributes
-	if err := signedData.AddSigner(authCert, a.service.Signer, config); err != nil {
+	if err := signedData.AddSigner(authCert, a.service.signer, config); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
@@ -430,7 +417,7 @@ func (a *Authority) CreateFailureResponse(ctx context.Context, csr *x509.Certifi
 	}
 
 	// sign the attributes
-	if err := signedData.AddSigner(a.intermediateCertificate, a.service.Signer, config); err != nil {
+	if err := signedData.AddSigner(a.intermediateCertificate, a.service.signer, config); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
diff --git a/scep/service.go b/scep/service.go
index 1d743dd6..0b37716d 100644
--- a/scep/service.go
+++ b/scep/service.go
@@ -1,9 +1,36 @@
 package scep
 
-import "crypto"
+import (
+	"context"
+	"crypto"
+	"crypto/x509"
+	"strings"
 
-// Service is a (temporary?) wrapper for signer/decrypters
+	"github.com/smallstep/certificates/cas/apiv1"
+)
+
+// Service is a wrapper for crypto.Signer and crypto.Decrypter
 type Service struct {
-	Signer    crypto.Signer
-	Decrypter crypto.Decrypter
+	certificateChain []*x509.Certificate
+	signer           crypto.Signer
+	decrypter        crypto.Decrypter
+}
+
+func NewService(ctx context.Context, opts apiv1.Options) (*Service, error) {
+
+	if err := opts.Validate(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	t := apiv1.Type(strings.ToLower(opts.Type))
+	if t == apiv1.DefaultCAS {
+		t = apiv1.SoftCAS
+	}
+
+	// TODO: should this become similar to the New CertificateAuthorityService as in x509CAService?
+	return &Service{
+		chain:     opts.CertificateChain,
+		signer:    opts.Signer,
+		decrypter: opts.Decrypter,
+	}, nil
 }