diff --git a/composer.json b/composer.json
index 8dd6294..5f0ff57 100644
--- a/composer.json
+++ b/composer.json
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@
     "scripts": {
         "verify": [
             "vendor/bin/phpcs -p",
-            "vendor/bin/phpunit --no-coverage --testdox"
+            "vendor/bin/phpunit --no-coverage --testdox",
+            "vendor/bin/phpstan --memory-limit=256M analyze -c phpstan.neon"
         ],
         "tests": [
             "vendor/bin/phpunit --no-coverage"
diff --git a/src/Controller/Traits/TicketValidatorTrait.php b/src/Controller/Traits/TicketValidatorTrait.php
index 5956875..23cd9e0 100644
--- a/src/Controller/Traits/TicketValidatorTrait.php
+++ b/src/Controller/Traits/TicketValidatorTrait.php
@@ -74,21 +74,7 @@ public function validate(
         $message = '';
         // Below, we do not have a ticket or the ticket does not meet the very basic criteria that allow
         // any further handling
-        if (empty($serviceTicket)) {
-            // No ticket
-            $message = 'Ticket ' . var_export($ticket, true) . ' not recognized';
-            $failed  = true;
-        } elseif ($method === 'proxyValidate' && !$this->ticketFactory->isProxyTicket($serviceTicket)) {
-            // proxyValidate but not a proxy ticket
-            $message = 'Ticket ' . var_export($ticket, true) . ' is not a proxy ticket.';
-            $failed  = true;
-        } elseif ($method === 'serviceValidate' && !$this->ticketFactory->isServiceTicket($serviceTicket)) {
-            // serviceValidate but not a service ticket
-            $message = 'Ticket ' . var_export($ticket, true) . ' is not a service ticket.';
-            $failed  = true;
-        }
-
-        if ($failed) {
+        if ($message = $this->validateServiceTicket($serviceTicket, $ticket, $method)) {
             $finalMessage = 'casserver:validate: ' . $message;
             Logger::error(__METHOD__ . '::' . $finalMessage);
 
@@ -185,4 +171,27 @@ public function validate(
             Response::HTTP_OK,
         );
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @param array{'id': string}|null $serviceTicket
+     *
+     * @return ?string Message on failure, null on success
+     */
+    private function validateServiceTicket(?array $serviceTicket, string $ticket, string $method): ?string
+    {
+        if (empty($serviceTicket)) {
+            return 'Ticket ' . var_export($ticket, true) . ' not recognized';
+        }
+
+        $isServiceTicket = $this->ticketFactory->isServiceTicket($serviceTicket);
+        if ($method === 'serviceValidate' && !$isServiceTicket) {
+            return 'Ticket ' . var_export($ticket, true) . ' is not a service ticket.';
+        }
+
+        if ($method === 'proxyValidate' && !$isServiceTicket && !$this->ticketFactory->isProxyTicket($serviceTicket)) {
+            return 'Ticket ' . var_export($ticket, true) . ' is not a proxy ticket.';
+        }
+
+        return null;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/tests/src/Controller/Cas20ControllerTest.php b/tests/src/Controller/Cas20ControllerTest.php
index 4842ad1..1dcdf76 100644
--- a/tests/src/Controller/Cas20ControllerTest.php
+++ b/tests/src/Controller/Cas20ControllerTest.php
@@ -565,14 +565,6 @@ public static function validateOnDifferentQueryParameterCombinationsProxyValidat
                 "Ticket 'PT-{$sessionId}' has expired",
                 'PT-' . $sessionId,
             ],
-            'Returns Bad Request on Ticket is A Service Ticket' => [
-                [
-                    'ticket' => 'ST-' . $sessionId,
-                    'service' => 'https://myservice.com/abcd',
-                ],
-                "Ticket 'ST-{$sessionId}' is not a proxy ticket.",
-                'ST-' . $sessionId,
-            ],
             'Returns Bad Request on Ticket Issued By Single SignOn Session' => [
                 [
                     'ticket' => 'PT-' . $sessionId,
@@ -583,7 +575,7 @@ public static function validateOnDifferentQueryParameterCombinationsProxyValidat
                 'PT-' . $sessionId,
                 9999999999,
             ],
-            'Returns Success' => [
+            'Returns Success with Proxy Ticket' => [
                 [
                     'ticket' => 'PT-' . $sessionId,
                     'service' => 'https://myservice.com/abcd',
@@ -592,6 +584,15 @@ public static function validateOnDifferentQueryParameterCombinationsProxyValidat
                 'PT-' . $sessionId,
                 9999999999,
             ],
+            'Returns Success with Service Ticket' => [
+                [
+                    'ticket' => 'ST-' . $sessionId,
+                    'service' => 'https://myservice.com/abcd',
+                ],
+                'username@google.com',
+                'ST-' . $sessionId,
+                9999999999,
+            ],
         ];
     }