diff --git a/pkg/plugin/implementation/vcvalidator/vcvalidator_test.go b/pkg/plugin/implementation/vcvalidator/vcvalidator_test.go
index 2b79cd02..af810bec 100644
--- a/pkg/plugin/implementation/vcvalidator/vcvalidator_test.go
+++ b/pkg/plugin/implementation/vcvalidator/vcvalidator_test.go
@@ -399,6 +399,31 @@ func TestProofPresentButEmpty(t *testing.T) {
 	assertClassCode(t, err, failProof, codeAutSignatureMissing)
 }
 
+// TestDataIntegrityProofWithoutVerificationMethod asserts that a JSON-LD Data
+// Integrity proof carrying no verificationMethod is rejected even when
+// RequireProof is false. With requireProof disabled the signature itself is
+// deliberately not checked, so the resolvable verificationMethod is the only
+// remaining evidence about the credential; absent it there is nothing left to
+// verify, which is the same situation as the no-proof and empty-proof cases
+// and is classified with the same code.
+func TestDataIntegrityProofWithoutVerificationMethod(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := DefaultConfig()
+	cfg.Actions = []string{"confirm"}
+	cfg.RequireProof = false
+
+	vc := map[string]any{
+		"issuer":            "did:web:issuer.example.org",
+		"credentialSubject": map[string]any{"id": "x"},
+		"proof": map[string]any{
+			"type":       "Ed25519Signature2020",
+			"proofValue": "z58DAdFfa9Skq...",
+		},
+	}
+	v := testVerifier(cfg)
+	err := v.verify(context.Background(), vcBytes(t, vc))
+	assertClassCode(t, err, failProof, codeAutSignatureMissing)
+}
+
 // TestUnsupportedDIDMethodIsKeyNotFound asserts a resolution failure caused by
 // a disallowed/unsupported DID method (not a network problem) is classified
 // AUT_KEY_NOT_FOUND rather than a NET_* code.
diff --git a/pkg/plugin/implementation/vcvalidator/verify.go b/pkg/plugin/implementation/vcvalidator/verify.go
index 34f0f4d8..a4e8a3a9 100644
--- a/pkg/plugin/implementation/vcvalidator/verify.go
+++ b/pkg/plugin/implementation/vcvalidator/verify.go
@@ -220,12 +220,18 @@ func (v *verifier) verify(ctx context.Context, raw json.RawMessage) error {
 					"set requireProof=false to accept on expiry/revocation only",
 				cred.Proof.Type)
 		}
-		// Best-effort: confirm the verification method DID resolves.
-		if vm := cred.Proof.VerificationMethod; vm != "" {
-			if _, err := resolveDID(ctx, vm, "", v.cfg, v.fetch); err != nil {
-				if !v.cfg.FailOpen {
-					return failf(failResolution, resolutionCode(err), "verificationMethod %q did not resolve: %v", vm, err)
-				}
+		// Best-effort: confirm the verification method DID resolves. Without a
+		// verificationMethod there is nothing at all left to check — the same
+		// defect as the two cases above — so reject rather than accept a
+		// credential on which no verification was performed.
+		vm := cred.Proof.VerificationMethod
+		if vm == "" {
+			return failf(failProof, codeAutSignatureMissing,
+				"proof type %q has no verificationMethod to resolve", cred.Proof.Type)
+		}
+		if _, err := resolveDID(ctx, vm, "", v.cfg, v.fetch); err != nil {
+			if !v.cfg.FailOpen {
+				return failf(failResolution, resolutionCode(err), "verificationMethod %q did not resolve: %v", vm, err)
 			}
 		}
 	} else {