diff --git a/library/pkwrite.c b/library/pkwrite.c
index 438816078..c2c562348 100644
--- a/library/pkwrite.c
+++ b/library/pkwrite.c
@@ -38,7 +38,9 @@
 #include "mbedtls/rsa.h"
 #endif
 #if defined(MBEDTLS_ECP_C)
+#include "mbedtls/bignum.h"
 #include "mbedtls/ecp.h"
+#include "mbedtls/platform_util.h"
 #endif
 #if defined(MBEDTLS_ECDSA_C)
 #include "mbedtls/ecdsa.h"
@@ -154,6 +156,26 @@ static int pk_write_ec_param( unsigned char **p, unsigned char *start,
 
     return( (int) len );
 }
+
+/*
+ * privateKey  OCTET STRING -- always of length ceil(log2(n)/8)
+ */
+static int pk_write_ec_private( unsigned char **p, unsigned char *start,
+                                mbedtls_ecp_keypair *ec )
+{
+    int ret;
+    size_t byte_length = ( ec->grp.pbits + 7 ) / 8;
+    unsigned char tmp[MBEDTLS_ECP_MAX_BYTES];
+
+    ret = mbedtls_mpi_write_binary( &ec->d, tmp, byte_length );
+    if( ret != 0 )
+        goto exit;
+    ret = mbedtls_asn1_write_octet_string( p, start, tmp, byte_length );
+
+exit:
+    mbedtls_platform_zeroize( tmp, byte_length );
+    return( ret );
+}
 #endif /* MBEDTLS_ECP_C */
 
 int mbedtls_pk_write_pubkey( unsigned char **p, unsigned char *start,
@@ -424,9 +446,8 @@ int mbedtls_pk_write_key_der( mbedtls_pk_context *key, unsigned char *buf, size_
                             MBEDTLS_ASN1_CONTEXT_SPECIFIC | MBEDTLS_ASN1_CONSTRUCTED | 0 ) );
         len += par_len;
 
-        /* privateKey: write as MPI then fix tag */
-        MBEDTLS_ASN1_CHK_ADD( len, mbedtls_asn1_write_mpi( &c, buf, &ec->d ) );
-        *c = MBEDTLS_ASN1_OCTET_STRING;
+        /* privateKey */
+        MBEDTLS_ASN1_CHK_ADD( len, pk_write_ec_private( &c, buf, ec ) );
 
         /* version */
         MBEDTLS_ASN1_CHK_ADD( len, mbedtls_asn1_write_int( &c, buf, 1 ) );