diff --git a/extensions/common/iam/verifiable-credentials/src/main/java/org/eclipse/edc/iam/verifiablecredentials/StatusList2021RevocationService.java b/extensions/common/iam/verifiable-credentials/src/main/java/org/eclipse/edc/iam/verifiablecredentials/StatusList2021RevocationService.java
index 74f2cbe6dd7..ce0c2e6cf4f 100644
--- a/extensions/common/iam/verifiable-credentials/src/main/java/org/eclipse/edc/iam/verifiablecredentials/StatusList2021RevocationService.java
+++ b/extensions/common/iam/verifiable-credentials/src/main/java/org/eclipse/edc/iam/verifiablecredentials/StatusList2021RevocationService.java
@@ -42,7 +42,9 @@ public class StatusList2021RevocationService implements RevocationListService {
     private final Cache<String, VerifiableCredential> cache;
 
     public StatusList2021RevocationService(ObjectMapper objectMapper, long cacheValidity) {
-        this.objectMapper = objectMapper.copy().disable(DeserializationFeature.FAIL_ON_UNKNOWN_PROPERTIES); // let's make sure this is disabled, because the "@context" would cause problems
+        this.objectMapper = objectMapper.copy()
+                .enable(DeserializationFeature.ACCEPT_SINGLE_VALUE_AS_ARRAY) // technically, credential subjects and credential status can be objects AND Arrays
+                .disable(DeserializationFeature.FAIL_ON_UNKNOWN_PROPERTIES); // let's make sure this is disabled, because the "@context" would cause problems
         cache = new Cache<>(this::updateCredential, cacheValidity);
     }
 
diff --git a/extensions/common/iam/verifiable-credentials/src/test/java/org/eclipse/edc/iam/verifiablecredentials/StatusList2021RevocationServiceTest.java b/extensions/common/iam/verifiable-credentials/src/test/java/org/eclipse/edc/iam/verifiablecredentials/StatusList2021RevocationServiceTest.java
index 40c6aa4c00c..56a86b09687 100644
--- a/extensions/common/iam/verifiable-credentials/src/test/java/org/eclipse/edc/iam/verifiablecredentials/StatusList2021RevocationServiceTest.java
+++ b/extensions/common/iam/verifiable-credentials/src/test/java/org/eclipse/edc/iam/verifiablecredentials/StatusList2021RevocationServiceTest.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.datatype.jsr310.JavaTimeModule;
 import org.eclipse.edc.iam.verifiablecredentials.spi.TestFunctions;
 import org.eclipse.edc.iam.verifiablecredentials.spi.model.CredentialStatus;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.mockserver.integration.ClientAndServer;
@@ -44,9 +45,28 @@ class StatusList2021RevocationServiceTest {
     void setup() {
         clientAndServer = ClientAndServer.startClientAndServer("localhost", getFreePort());
         clientAndServer.when(request().withMethod("GET").withPath("/credentials/status/3"))
-                .respond(HttpResponse.response().withStatusCode(200).withBody(TestData.STATUS_LIST_CREDENTIAL));
+                .respond(HttpResponse.response().withStatusCode(200).withBody(TestData.STATUS_LIST_CREDENTIAL_SINGLE_SUBJECT));
     }
 
+    @AfterEach
+    void tearDown() {
+        clientAndServer.stop();
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void checkRevocation_shenSubjectIsArray() {
+        clientAndServer.reset();
+        clientAndServer.when(request().withMethod("GET").withPath("/credentials/status/3"))
+                .respond(HttpResponse.response().withStatusCode(200).withBody(TestData.STATUS_LIST_CREDENTIAL_SUBJECT_IS_ARRAY));
+        var credential = TestFunctions.createCredentialBuilder().credentialStatus(new CredentialStatus("test-id", "StatusList2021",
+                        Map.of(STATUS_LIST_PURPOSE, "revocation",
+                                STATUS_LIST_INDEX, NOT_REVOKED_INDEX,
+                                STATUS_LIST_CREDENTIAL, "http://localhost:%d/credentials/status/3".formatted(clientAndServer.getPort()))))
+                .build();
+        assertThat(revocationService.checkValidity(credential)).isSucceeded();
+    }
+
+
     @Test
     void checkRevocation_whenNotCached_valid() {
         var credential = TestFunctions.createCredentialBuilder().credentialStatus(new CredentialStatus("test-id", "StatusList2021",
diff --git a/extensions/common/iam/verifiable-credentials/src/test/java/org/eclipse/edc/iam/verifiablecredentials/TestData.java b/extensions/common/iam/verifiable-credentials/src/test/java/org/eclipse/edc/iam/verifiablecredentials/TestData.java
index d1cef1cf4ce..8eff30b3441 100644
--- a/extensions/common/iam/verifiable-credentials/src/test/java/org/eclipse/edc/iam/verifiablecredentials/TestData.java
+++ b/extensions/common/iam/verifiable-credentials/src/test/java/org/eclipse/edc/iam/verifiablecredentials/TestData.java
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
 public class TestData {
     // test data taken from https://www.w3.org/TR/2023/WD-vc-status-list-20230427/#example-example-statuslist2021credential-0
-    public static final String STATUS_LIST_CREDENTIAL = """
+    public static final String STATUS_LIST_CREDENTIAL_SUBJECT_IS_ARRAY = """
             {
               "@context": [
                 "https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1",
@@ -26,12 +26,33 @@ public class TestData {
               "type": ["VerifiableCredential", "StatusList2021Credential"],
               "issuer": "did:example:12345",
               "issued": "2021-04-05T14:27:40Z",
-              "credentialSubject": [{
+              "credentialSubject": [
+              {
                 "id": "https://example.com/status/3#list",
                 "type": "StatusList2021",
                 "https://w3id.org/vc/status-list#statusPurpose": "revocation",
                 "https://w3id.org/vc/status-list#encodedList": "H4sIAAAAAAAAA-3BMQEAAADCoPVPbQwfoAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIC3AYbSVKsAQAAA"
-              }]
+              }
+              ]
+            }
+            """;
+
+    public static final String STATUS_LIST_CREDENTIAL_SINGLE_SUBJECT = """
+            {
+              "@context": [
+                "https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1",
+                "https://w3id.org/vc/status-list/2021/v1"
+              ],
+              "id": "https://example.com/credentials/status/3",
+              "type": ["VerifiableCredential", "StatusList2021Credential"],
+              "issuer": "did:example:12345",
+              "issued": "2021-04-05T14:27:40Z",
+              "credentialSubject": {
+                "id": "https://example.com/status/3#list",
+                "type": "StatusList2021",
+                "https://w3id.org/vc/status-list#statusPurpose": "revocation",
+                "https://w3id.org/vc/status-list#encodedList": "H4sIAAAAAAAAA-3BMQEAAADCoPVPbQwfoAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIC3AYbSVKsAQAAA"
+              }
             }
             """;
 }