diff --git a/pvmfw/avb/src/verify.rs b/pvmfw/avb/src/verify.rs
index 67658fd..b03506c 100644
--- a/pvmfw/avb/src/verify.rs
+++ b/pvmfw/avb/src/verify.rs
@@ -23,13 +23,15 @@
 
 /// Verified data returned when the payload verification succeeds.
 #[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
-pub struct VerifiedBootData {
+pub struct VerifiedBootData<'a> {
     /// DebugLevel of the VM.
     pub debug_level: DebugLevel,
     /// Kernel digest.
     pub kernel_digest: Digest,
     /// Initrd digest if initrd exists.
     pub initrd_digest: Option<Digest>,
+    /// Trusted public key.
+    pub public_key: &'a [u8],
 }
 
 /// This enum corresponds to the `DebugLevel` in `VirtualMachineConfig`.
@@ -94,11 +96,11 @@
 }
 
 /// Verifies the payload (signed kernel + initrd) against the trusted public key.
-pub fn verify_payload(
+pub fn verify_payload<'a>(
     kernel: &[u8],
     initrd: Option<&[u8]>,
-    trusted_public_key: &[u8],
-) -> Result<VerifiedBootData, AvbSlotVerifyError> {
+    trusted_public_key: &'a [u8],
+) -> Result<VerifiedBootData<'a>, AvbSlotVerifyError> {
     let mut payload = Payload::new(kernel, initrd, trusted_public_key);
     let mut ops = Ops::from(&mut payload);
     let kernel_verify_result = ops.verify_partition(PartitionName::Kernel.as_cstr())?;
@@ -119,6 +121,7 @@
             debug_level: DebugLevel::None,
             kernel_digest: kernel_descriptor.digest,
             initrd_digest: None,
+            public_key: trusted_public_key,
         });
     }
 
@@ -142,5 +145,6 @@
         debug_level,
         kernel_digest: kernel_descriptor.digest,
         initrd_digest: Some(initrd_descriptor.digest),
+        public_key: trusted_public_key,
     })
 }
diff --git a/pvmfw/avb/tests/api_test.rs b/pvmfw/avb/tests/api_test.rs
index 1d7369d..78f274a 100644
--- a/pvmfw/avb/tests/api_test.rs
+++ b/pvmfw/avb/tests/api_test.rs
@@ -53,16 +53,21 @@
 
 #[test]
 fn payload_expecting_no_initrd_passes_verification_with_no_initrd() -> Result<()> {
+    let public_key = load_trusted_public_key()?;
     let verified_boot_data = verify_payload(
         &fs::read(TEST_IMG_WITH_ONE_HASHDESC_PATH)?,
         /*initrd=*/ None,
-        &load_trusted_public_key()?,
+        &public_key,
     )
     .map_err(|e| anyhow!("Verification failed. Error: {}", e))?;
 
     let kernel_digest = hash(&[&hex::decode("1111")?, &fs::read(UNSIGNED_TEST_IMG_PATH)?]);
-    let expected_boot_data =
-        VerifiedBootData { debug_level: DebugLevel::None, kernel_digest, initrd_digest: None };
+    let expected_boot_data = VerifiedBootData {
+        debug_level: DebugLevel::None,
+        kernel_digest,
+        initrd_digest: None,
+        public_key: &public_key,
+    };
     assert_eq!(expected_boot_data, verified_boot_data);
 
     Ok(())
diff --git a/pvmfw/avb/tests/utils.rs b/pvmfw/avb/tests/utils.rs
index 9942b98..6713846 100644
--- a/pvmfw/avb/tests/utils.rs
+++ b/pvmfw/avb/tests/utils.rs
@@ -102,16 +102,21 @@
     initrd_salt: &[u8],
     expected_debug_level: DebugLevel,
 ) -> Result<()> {
+    let public_key = load_trusted_public_key()?;
     let kernel = load_latest_signed_kernel()?;
-    let verified_boot_data = verify_payload(&kernel, Some(initrd), &load_trusted_public_key()?)
+    let verified_boot_data = verify_payload(&kernel, Some(initrd), &public_key)
         .map_err(|e| anyhow!("Verification failed. Error: {}", e))?;
 
     let footer = extract_avb_footer(&kernel)?;
     let kernel_digest =
         hash(&[&hash(&[b"bootloader"]), &kernel[..usize::try_from(footer.original_image_size)?]]);
     let initrd_digest = Some(hash(&[&hash(&[initrd_salt]), initrd]));
-    let expected_boot_data =
-        VerifiedBootData { debug_level: expected_debug_level, kernel_digest, initrd_digest };
+    let expected_boot_data = VerifiedBootData {
+        debug_level: expected_debug_level,
+        kernel_digest,
+        initrd_digest,
+        public_key: &public_key,
+    };
     assert_eq!(expected_boot_data, verified_boot_data);
 
     Ok(())