diff --git a/policy/engine_test.go b/policy/engine_test.go
index fabfebb9..1280d14d 100755
--- a/policy/engine_test.go
+++ b/policy/engine_test.go
@@ -2492,6 +2492,7 @@ func TestNamePolicyEngine_X509_AllAllowed(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			engine, err := New(tt.options...)
 			assert.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.NotNil(t, engine)
 			gotErr := engine.IsX509CertificateAllowed(tt.cert)
 			wantErr := tt.wantErr != nil
 
diff --git a/policy/options.go b/policy/options.go
index 79507f43..f08f9180 100755
--- a/policy/options.go
+++ b/policy/options.go
@@ -28,14 +28,30 @@ func WithAllowLiteralWildcardNames() NamePolicyOption {
 
 func WithPermittedCommonNames(commonNames ...string) NamePolicyOption {
 	return func(g *NamePolicyEngine) error {
-		g.permittedCommonNames = commonNames
+		normalizedCommonNames := make([]string, len(commonNames))
+		for i, commonName := range commonNames {
+			normalizedCommonName, err := normalizeAndValidateCommonName(commonName)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("cannot parse permitted common name constraint %q: %w", commonName, err)
+			}
+			normalizedCommonNames[i] = normalizedCommonName
+		}
+		g.permittedCommonNames = normalizedCommonNames
 		return nil
 	}
 }
 
 func WithExcludedCommonNames(commonNames ...string) NamePolicyOption {
 	return func(g *NamePolicyEngine) error {
-		g.excludedCommonNames = commonNames
+		normalizedCommonNames := make([]string, len(commonNames))
+		for i, commonName := range commonNames {
+			normalizedCommonName, err := normalizeAndValidateCommonName(commonName)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("cannot parse excluded common name constraint %q: %w", commonName, err)
+			}
+			normalizedCommonNames[i] = normalizedCommonName
+		}
+		g.excludedCommonNames = normalizedCommonNames
 		return nil
 	}
 }
@@ -242,6 +258,17 @@ func isIPv4(ip net.IP) bool {
 	return ip.To4() != nil
 }
 
+func normalizeAndValidateCommonName(constraint string) (string, error) {
+	normalizedConstraint := strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(constraint))
+	if normalizedConstraint == "" {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("contraint %q can not be empty or white space string", constraint)
+	}
+	if normalizedConstraint == "*" {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("wildcard constraint %q is not supported", constraint)
+	}
+	return normalizedConstraint, nil
+}
+
 func normalizeAndValidateDNSDomainConstraint(constraint string) (string, error) {
 	normalizedConstraint := strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(constraint))
 	if normalizedConstraint == "" {
diff --git a/policy/options_test.go b/policy/options_test.go
index d1a62a9f..697afecf 100644
--- a/policy/options_test.go
+++ b/policy/options_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,46 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
+func Test_normalizeAndValidateCommonName(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name       string
+		constraint string
+		want       string
+		wantErr    bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:       "fail/empty-constraint",
+			constraint: "",
+			want:       "",
+			wantErr:    true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:       "fail/wildcard",
+			constraint: "*",
+			want:       "",
+			wantErr:    true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:       "ok",
+			constraint: "step",
+			want:       "step",
+			wantErr:    false,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got, err := normalizeAndValidateCommonName(tt.constraint)
+			if (err != nil) != tt.wantErr {
+				t.Errorf("normalizeAndValidateCommonName() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tt.wantErr)
+				return
+			}
+			if got != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("normalizeAndValidateCommonName() = %v, want %v", got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func Test_normalizeAndValidateDNSDomainConstraint(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		name       string
@@ -196,6 +236,24 @@ func TestNew(t *testing.T) {
 		wantErr bool
 	}
 	var tests = map[string]func(t *testing.T) test{
+		"fail/with-permitted-common-name": func(t *testing.T) test {
+			return test{
+				options: []NamePolicyOption{
+					WithPermittedCommonNames("*"),
+				},
+				want:    nil,
+				wantErr: true,
+			}
+		},
+		"fail/with-excluded-common-name": func(t *testing.T) test {
+			return test{
+				options: []NamePolicyOption{
+					WithExcludedCommonNames(""),
+				},
+				want:    nil,
+				wantErr: true,
+			}
+		},
 		"fail/with-permitted-dns-domains": func(t *testing.T) test {
 			return test{
 				options: []NamePolicyOption{
diff --git a/policy/validate.go b/policy/validate.go
index 968e936d..ee6f7e9c 100644
--- a/policy/validate.go
+++ b/policy/validate.go
@@ -639,5 +639,9 @@ func matchPrincipalConstraint(principal, constraint string) (bool, error) {
 
 // matchCommonNameConstraint performs a string literal equality check against constraint.
 func matchCommonNameConstraint(commonName, constraint string) (bool, error) {
+	// wildcard constraint is (currently) not supported for common names
+	if constraint == "*" {
+		return false, nil
+	}
 	return strings.EqualFold(commonName, constraint), nil
 }