diff --git a/include/libssh/hybrid_mlkem.h b/include/libssh/hybrid_mlkem.h
index 6e9d9e5d..ca9b6a20 100644
--- a/include/libssh/hybrid_mlkem.h
+++ b/include/libssh/hybrid_mlkem.h
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
+#define NISTP256_SHARED_SECRET_SIZE 32
+#define NISTP384_SHARED_SECRET_SIZE 48
+
 int ssh_client_hybrid_mlkem_init(ssh_session session);
 void ssh_client_hybrid_mlkem_remove_callbacks(ssh_session session);
 
diff --git a/src/hybrid_mlkem.c b/src/hybrid_mlkem.c
index df2169c2..18a0744d 100644
--- a/src/hybrid_mlkem.c
+++ b/src/hybrid_mlkem.c
@@ -43,43 +43,65 @@ static struct ssh_packet_callbacks_struct ssh_hybrid_mlkem_client_callbacks = {
     .user = NULL,
 };
 
-static ssh_string derive_ecdh_secret(ssh_session session)
+static ssh_string derive_curve25519_secret(ssh_session session)
+{
+    ssh_string secret = NULL;
+    int rc;
+
+    secret = ssh_string_new(CURVE25519_PUBKEY_SIZE);
+    if (secret == NULL) {
+        ssh_set_error_oom(session);
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    rc = ssh_curve25519_create_k(session, ssh_string_data(secret));
+    if (rc != SSH_OK) {
+        ssh_set_error(session,
+                      SSH_FATAL,
+                      "Curve25519 secret derivation failed");
+        ssh_string_free(secret);
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    return secret;
+}
+
+static ssh_string derive_nist_curve_secret(ssh_session session,
+                                           size_t secret_size)
 {
     struct ssh_crypto_struct *crypto = session->next_crypto;
     ssh_string secret = NULL;
-    size_t secret_size;
     int rc;
 
-    switch (crypto->kex_type) {
+    rc = ecdh_build_k(session);
+    if (rc != SSH_OK) {
+        ssh_set_error(session, SSH_FATAL, "ECDH secret derivation failed");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    secret = ssh_make_padded_bignum_string(crypto->shared_secret, secret_size);
+    if (secret == NULL) {
+        ssh_set_error(session, SSH_FATAL, "Failed to encode the shared secret");
+    }
+
+    bignum_safe_free(crypto->shared_secret);
+
+    return secret;
+}
+
+static ssh_string derive_ecdh_secret(ssh_session session)
+{
+    ssh_string secret = NULL;
+
+    switch (session->next_crypto->kex_type) {
     case SSH_KEX_MLKEM768X25519_SHA256:
-        secret = ssh_string_new(CURVE25519_PUBKEY_SIZE);
-        if (secret == NULL) {
-            ssh_set_error_oom(session);
-            return NULL;
-        }
-        rc = ssh_curve25519_create_k(session, ssh_string_data(secret));
-        if (rc != SSH_OK) {
-            ssh_set_error(session, SSH_FATAL, "Curve25519 secret derivation failed");
-            ssh_string_free(secret);
-            return NULL;
-        }
+        secret = derive_curve25519_secret(session);
         break;
     case SSH_KEX_MLKEM768NISTP256_SHA256:
+        secret = derive_nist_curve_secret(session, NISTP256_SHARED_SECRET_SIZE);
+        break;
     case SSH_KEX_MLKEM1024NISTP384_SHA384:
-        rc = ecdh_build_k(session);
-        if (rc != SSH_OK) {
-            ssh_set_error(session, SSH_FATAL, "ECDH secret derivation failed");
-            return NULL;
-        }
-        secret_size = bignum_num_bytes(crypto->shared_secret);
-        secret = ssh_string_new(secret_size);
-        if (secret == NULL) {
-            ssh_set_error_oom(session);
-            bignum_safe_free(crypto->shared_secret);
-            return NULL;
-        }
-        bignum_bn2bin(crypto->shared_secret, secret_size, ssh_string_data(secret));
-        bignum_safe_free(crypto->shared_secret);
+        secret = derive_nist_curve_secret(session, NISTP384_SHARED_SECRET_SIZE);
         break;
     default:
         ssh_set_error(session, SSH_FATAL, "Unsupported KEX type");