diff --git a/src/key/private_key.js b/src/key/private_key.js
index 904c09a0..37cd4588 100644
--- a/src/key/private_key.js
+++ b/src/key/private_key.js
@@ -77,28 +77,45 @@ class PrivateKey extends PublicKey {
    * @param  {String}            userID, optional
    * @param {Object} [config] - Full configuration, defaults to openpgp.config
    * @returns {Promise<Array<Key|Subkey>>} Array of decryption keys.
+   * @throws {Error} if no decryption key is found
    * @async
    */
   async getDecryptionKeys(keyID, date = new Date(), userID = {}, config = defaultConfig) {
     const primaryKey = this.keyPacket;
     const keys = [];
+    let exception = null;
     for (let i = 0; i < this.subkeys.length; i++) {
       if (!keyID || this.subkeys[i].getKeyID().equals(keyID, true)) {
+        if (this.subkeys[i].keyPacket.isDummy()) {
+          exception = exception || new Error('Gnu-dummy key packets cannot be used for decryption');
+          continue;
+        }
+
         try {
           const dataToVerify = { key: primaryKey, bind: this.subkeys[i].keyPacket };
           const bindingSignature = await helper.getLatestValidSignature(this.subkeys[i].bindingSignatures, primaryKey, enums.signature.subkeyBinding, dataToVerify, date, config);
           if (helper.validateDecryptionKeyPacket(this.subkeys[i].keyPacket, bindingSignature, config)) {
             keys.push(this.subkeys[i]);
           }
-        } catch (e) {}
+        } catch (e) {
+          exception = e;
+        }
       }
     }
 
     // evaluate primary key
     const selfCertification = await this.getPrimarySelfSignature(date, userID, config);
-    if ((!keyID || primaryKey.getKeyID().equals(keyID, true)) &&
-        helper.validateDecryptionKeyPacket(primaryKey, selfCertification, config)) {
-      keys.push(this);
+    if ((!keyID || primaryKey.getKeyID().equals(keyID, true)) && helper.validateDecryptionKeyPacket(primaryKey, selfCertification, config)) {
+      if (primaryKey.isDummy()) {
+        exception = exception || new Error('Gnu-dummy key packets cannot be used for decryption');
+      } else {
+        keys.push(this);
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (keys.length === 0) {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-throw-literal
+      throw exception || new Error('No decryption key packets found');
     }
 
     return keys;
diff --git a/src/message.js b/src/message.js
index 113d5623..fb12e8e4 100644
--- a/src/message.js
+++ b/src/message.js
@@ -199,6 +199,15 @@ export class Message {
       }
       await Promise.all(pkeskPackets.map(async function(pkeskPacket) {
         await Promise.all(decryptionKeys.map(async function(decryptionKey) {
+          let decryptionKeyPackets;
+          try {
+            // do not check key expiration to allow decryption of old messages
+            decryptionKeyPackets = (await decryptionKey.getDecryptionKeys(pkeskPacket.publicKeyID, null, undefined, config)).map(key => key.keyPacket);
+          } catch (err) {
+            exception = err;
+            return;
+          }
+
           let algos = [
             enums.symmetric.aes256, // Old OpenPGP.js default fallback
             enums.symmetric.aes128, // RFC4880bis fallback
@@ -212,12 +221,7 @@ export class Message {
             }
           } catch (e) {}
 
-          // do not check key expiration to allow decryption of old messages
-          const decryptionKeyPackets = (await decryptionKey.getDecryptionKeys(pkeskPacket.publicKeyID, null, undefined, config)).map(key => key.keyPacket);
           await Promise.all(decryptionKeyPackets.map(async function(decryptionKeyPacket) {
-            if (!decryptionKeyPacket || decryptionKeyPacket.isDummy()) {
-              return;
-            }
             if (!decryptionKeyPacket.isDecrypted()) {
               throw new Error('Decryption key is not decrypted.');
             }
diff --git a/test/general/key.js b/test/general/key.js
index 06ed5ab4..995c32b5 100644
--- a/test/general/key.js
+++ b/test/general/key.js
@@ -3541,7 +3541,7 @@ PzIEeL7UH3trraFmi+Gq8u4kAA==
     await expect(openpgp.decrypt({
       message: await openpgp.readMessage({ armoredMessage: encryptedRsaSignOnly }),
       decryptionKeys: key
-    })).to.be.rejectedWith(/Session key decryption failed/);
+    })).to.be.rejectedWith(/No decryption key packets found/);
 
     await expect(openpgp.decrypt({
       message: await openpgp.readMessage({ armoredMessage: encryptedRsaSignOnly }),
@@ -3550,6 +3550,11 @@ PzIEeL7UH3trraFmi+Gq8u4kAA==
     })).to.be.fulfilled;
   });
 
+  it('PrivateKey.getDecryptionKeys() - should throw for sign-only key', async function() {
+    const key = await openpgp.readKey({ armoredKey: rsaSignOnly });
+    await expect(key.getDecryptionKeys()).to.be.rejectedWith(/No decryption key packets found/);
+  });
+
   it('Key.getExpirationTime()', async function() {
     const [, pubKey] = await openpgp.readKeys({ armoredKeys: twoKeys });
     expect(pubKey).to.exist;
diff --git a/test/general/openpgp.js b/test/general/openpgp.js
index e6f5bbca..fe9ae8c2 100644
--- a/test/general/openpgp.js
+++ b/test/general/openpgp.js
@@ -1768,7 +1768,7 @@ aOU=
         message: await openpgp.readMessage({ armoredMessage: encrypted }),
         decryptionKeys: privateKeyRSA,
         config
-      })).to.be.rejectedWith(/Session key decryption failed/);
+      })).to.be.rejectedWith(/No decryption key packets found/);
       // decryption using ECC key should succeed (PKCS1 is not used, so constant time countermeasures are not applied)
       const { data } = await openpgp.decrypt({
         message: await openpgp.readMessage({ armoredMessage: encrypted }),
@@ -2642,7 +2642,7 @@ XfA3pqV4mTzF
             }).then(() => {
               throw new Error('Should not decrypt with invalid key');
             }).catch(error => {
-              expect(error.message).to.match(/Error decrypting session keys: Session key decryption failed./);
+              expect(error.message).to.match(/Error decrypting session keys: Could not find valid subkey binding signature in key/);
             });
           });
         });
@@ -4174,7 +4174,7 @@ XfA3pqV4mTzF
           decryptionKeys: decryptedKeyDE
         };
         // binding signature is invalid
-        await expect(openpgp.decrypt(decOpt)).to.be.rejectedWith(/Session key decryption failed/);
+        await expect(openpgp.decrypt(decOpt)).to.be.rejectedWith(/Could not find valid subkey binding signature in key/);
       });
 
       it('RSA decryption with PKCS1 padding of wrong length should fail', async function() {