diff --git a/modules/abstract-utxo/src/core/descriptor/DescriptorMap.ts b/modules/abstract-utxo/src/core/descriptor/DescriptorMap.ts
index d726a9935f..053a6e7476 100644
--- a/modules/abstract-utxo/src/core/descriptor/DescriptorMap.ts
+++ b/modules/abstract-utxo/src/core/descriptor/DescriptorMap.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ import { Descriptor } from '@bitgo/wasm-miniscript';
 export type DescriptorMap = Map<string, Descriptor>;
 
 /** Convert an array of descriptor name-value pairs to a descriptor map */
-export function toDescriptorMap(descriptors: { name: string; value: string }[]): DescriptorMap {
-  return new Map(descriptors.map((d) => [d.name, Descriptor.fromString(d.value, 'derivable')]));
+export function toDescriptorMap(descriptors: { name: string; value: Descriptor | string }[]): DescriptorMap {
+  return new Map(
+    descriptors.map((d) => [
+      d.name,
+      d.value instanceof Descriptor ? d.value : Descriptor.fromString(d.value, 'derivable'),
+    ])
+  );
 }
diff --git a/modules/abstract-utxo/src/descriptor/NamedDescriptor.ts b/modules/abstract-utxo/src/descriptor/NamedDescriptor.ts
index 6df54a02e7..7dcd661669 100644
--- a/modules/abstract-utxo/src/descriptor/NamedDescriptor.ts
+++ b/modules/abstract-utxo/src/descriptor/NamedDescriptor.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,11 @@ export const NamedDescriptor = t.intersection(
   'NamedDescriptor'
 );
 
-export type NamedDescriptor = t.TypeOf<typeof NamedDescriptor>;
+export type NamedDescriptor<T = string> = {
+  name: string;
+  value: T;
+  signatures?: string[];
+};
 
 export function createNamedDescriptorWithSignature(
   name: string,
@@ -28,14 +32,19 @@ export function createNamedDescriptorWithSignature(
   return { name, value, signatures: [signature] };
 }
 
-export function assertHasValidSignature(namedDescriptor: NamedDescriptor, key: BIP32Interface): void {
-  if (namedDescriptor.signatures === undefined) {
-    throw new Error(`Descriptor ${namedDescriptor.name} does not have a signature`);
+export function hasValidSignature(descriptor: string | Descriptor, key: BIP32Interface, signatures: string[]): boolean {
+  if (typeof descriptor === 'string') {
+    descriptor = Descriptor.fromString(descriptor, 'derivable');
   }
-  const isValid = namedDescriptor.signatures.some((signature) => {
-    return verifyMessage(namedDescriptor.value, key, Buffer.from(signature, 'hex'), networks.bitcoin);
+
+  const message = descriptor.toString();
+  return signatures.some((signature) => {
+    return verifyMessage(message, key, Buffer.from(signature, 'hex'), networks.bitcoin);
   });
-  if (!isValid) {
+}
+
+export function assertHasValidSignature(namedDescriptor: NamedDescriptor, key: BIP32Interface): void {
+  if (!hasValidSignature(namedDescriptor.value, key, namedDescriptor.signatures ?? [])) {
     throw new Error(`Descriptor ${namedDescriptor.name} does not have a valid signature (key=${key.toBase58()})`);
   }
 }
diff --git a/modules/abstract-utxo/src/descriptor/validatePolicy.ts b/modules/abstract-utxo/src/descriptor/validatePolicy.ts
index 976c2d44b1..ee24e22b0a 100644
--- a/modules/abstract-utxo/src/descriptor/validatePolicy.ts
+++ b/modules/abstract-utxo/src/descriptor/validatePolicy.ts
@@ -5,13 +5,13 @@ import * as utxolib from '@bitgo/utxo-lib';
 import { DescriptorMap, toDescriptorMap } from '../core/descriptor';
 
 import { parseDescriptor } from './builder';
-import { NamedDescriptor } from './NamedDescriptor';
+import { hasValidSignature, NamedDescriptor } from './NamedDescriptor';
 
 export type KeyTriple = Triple<utxolib.BIP32Interface>;
 
 export interface DescriptorValidationPolicy {
   name: string;
-  validate(d: Descriptor, walletKeys: KeyTriple): boolean;
+  validate(d: Descriptor, walletKeys: KeyTriple, signatures: string[]): boolean;
 }
 
 export const policyAllowAll: DescriptorValidationPolicy = {
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ export function getValidatorDescriptorTemplate(name: string): DescriptorValidati
 export function getValidatorEvery(validators: DescriptorValidationPolicy[]): DescriptorValidationPolicy {
   return {
     name: 'every(' + validators.map((v) => v.name).join(',') + ')',
-    validate(d: Descriptor, walletKeys: KeyTriple): boolean {
-      return validators.every((v) => v.validate(d, walletKeys));
+    validate(d: Descriptor, walletKeys: KeyTriple, signatures: string[]): boolean {
+      return validators.every((v) => v.validate(d, walletKeys, signatures));
     },
   };
 }
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ export function getValidatorEvery(validators: DescriptorValidationPolicy[]): Des
 export function getValidatorSome(validators: DescriptorValidationPolicy[]): DescriptorValidationPolicy {
   return {
     name: 'some(' + validators.map((v) => v.name).join(',') + ')',
-    validate(d: Descriptor, walletKeys: KeyTriple): boolean {
-      return validators.some((v) => v.validate(d, walletKeys));
+    validate(d: Descriptor, walletKeys: KeyTriple, signatures: string[]): boolean {
+      return validators.some((v) => v.validate(d, walletKeys, signatures));
     },
   };
 }
@@ -55,6 +55,16 @@ export function getValidatorOneOfTemplates(names: string[]): DescriptorValidatio
   return getValidatorSome(names.map(getValidatorDescriptorTemplate));
 }
 
+export function getValidatorSignedByUserKey(): DescriptorValidationPolicy {
+  return {
+    name: 'signedByUser',
+    validate(d: Descriptor, walletKeys: KeyTriple, signatures: string[]): boolean {
+      // the first key is the user key, by convention
+      return hasValidSignature(d, walletKeys[0], signatures);
+    },
+  };
+}
+
 export class DescriptorPolicyValidationError extends Error {
   constructor(descriptor: Descriptor, policy: DescriptorValidationPolicy) {
     super(`Descriptor ${descriptor.toString()} does not match policy ${policy.name}`);
@@ -64,9 +74,10 @@ export class DescriptorPolicyValidationError extends Error {
 export function assertDescriptorPolicy(
   descriptor: Descriptor,
   policy: DescriptorValidationPolicy,
-  walletKeys: KeyTriple
+  walletKeys: KeyTriple,
+  signatures: string[]
 ): void {
-  if (!policy.validate(descriptor, walletKeys)) {
+  if (!policy.validate(descriptor, walletKeys, signatures)) {
     throw new DescriptorPolicyValidationError(descriptor, policy);
   }
 }
@@ -76,18 +87,25 @@ export function toDescriptorMapValidate(
   walletKeys: KeyTriple,
   policy: DescriptorValidationPolicy
 ): DescriptorMap {
-  const map = toDescriptorMap(descriptors);
-  for (const descriptor of map.values()) {
-    assertDescriptorPolicy(descriptor, policy, walletKeys);
-  }
-  return map;
+  return toDescriptorMap(
+    descriptors.map((namedDescriptor) => {
+      const d = Descriptor.fromString(namedDescriptor.value, 'derivable');
+      assertDescriptorPolicy(d, policy, walletKeys, namedDescriptor.signatures ?? []);
+      return { name: namedDescriptor.name, value: d };
+    })
+  );
 }
 
 export function getPolicyForEnv(env: EnvironmentName): DescriptorValidationPolicy {
   switch (env) {
     case 'adminProd':
     case 'prod':
-      return getValidatorOneOfTemplates(['Wsh2Of3', 'Wsh2Of3CltvDrop', 'ShWsh2Of3CltvDrop']);
+      return getValidatorSome([
+        // allow all 2-of-3-ish descriptors where the keys match the wallet keys
+        getValidatorOneOfTemplates(['Wsh2Of3', 'Wsh2Of3CltvDrop', 'ShWsh2Of3CltvDrop']),
+        // allow all descriptors signed by the user key
+        getValidatorSignedByUserKey(),
+      ]);
     default:
       return policyAllowAll;
   }
diff --git a/modules/abstract-utxo/test/transaction/descriptor/validatePolicy.ts b/modules/abstract-utxo/test/transaction/descriptor/validatePolicy.ts
index 8838875f86..1303a65920 100644
--- a/modules/abstract-utxo/test/transaction/descriptor/validatePolicy.ts
+++ b/modules/abstract-utxo/test/transaction/descriptor/validatePolicy.ts
@@ -11,16 +11,18 @@ import {
   getPolicyForEnv,
   getValidatorDescriptorTemplate,
 } from '../../../src/descriptor/validatePolicy';
-import { getDescriptor } from '../../core/descriptor/descriptor.utils';
+import { DescriptorTemplate, getDescriptor } from '../../core/descriptor/descriptor.utils';
 import { getKeyTriple } from '../../core/key.utils';
+import { NamedDescriptor } from '../../../src/descriptor';
+import { createNamedDescriptorWithSignature } from '../../../src/descriptor/NamedDescriptor';
 
 function testAssertDescriptorPolicy(
-  d: Descriptor,
+  d: NamedDescriptor<string>,
   p: DescriptorValidationPolicy,
   k: Triple<BIP32Interface>,
   expectedError: DescriptorPolicyValidationError | null
 ) {
-  const f = () => assertDescriptorPolicy(d, p, k);
+  const f = () => assertDescriptorPolicy(Descriptor.fromString(d.value, 'derivable'), p, k, d.signatures ?? []);
   if (expectedError) {
     assert.throws(f);
   } else {
@@ -29,20 +31,30 @@ function testAssertDescriptorPolicy(
 }
 
 describe('assertDescriptorPolicy', function () {
+  const keys = getKeyTriple();
+  function getNamedDescriptor(name: DescriptorTemplate): NamedDescriptor {
+    return createNamedDescriptorWithSignature(name, getDescriptor(name), keys[0]);
+  }
+  function stripSignature(d: NamedDescriptor): NamedDescriptor {
+    return { ...d, signatures: undefined };
+  }
+
   it('has expected result', function () {
-    const keys = getKeyTriple();
-    testAssertDescriptorPolicy(getDescriptor('Wsh2Of3', keys), getValidatorDescriptorTemplate('Wsh2Of3'), keys, null);
+    testAssertDescriptorPolicy(getNamedDescriptor('Wsh2Of3'), getValidatorDescriptorTemplate('Wsh2Of3'), keys, null);
 
     // prod does only allow Wsh2Of3-ish descriptors
-    testAssertDescriptorPolicy(getDescriptor('Wsh2Of3', keys), getPolicyForEnv('prod'), keys, null);
+    testAssertDescriptorPolicy(getNamedDescriptor('Wsh2Of3'), getPolicyForEnv('prod'), keys, null);
+
+    // prod only allows other descriptors if they are signed by the user key
+    testAssertDescriptorPolicy(getNamedDescriptor('Wsh2Of2'), getPolicyForEnv('prod'), keys, null);
     testAssertDescriptorPolicy(
-      getDescriptor('Wsh2Of2', keys),
+      stripSignature(getNamedDescriptor('Wsh2Of2')),
       getPolicyForEnv('prod'),
       keys,
-      new DescriptorPolicyValidationError(getDescriptor('Wsh2Of2', keys), getPolicyForEnv('prod'))
+      new DescriptorPolicyValidationError(getDescriptor('Wsh2Of2'), getPolicyForEnv('prod'))
     );
 
     // test is very permissive by default
-    testAssertDescriptorPolicy(getDescriptor('Wsh2Of2', keys), getPolicyForEnv('test'), keys, null);
+    testAssertDescriptorPolicy(stripSignature(getNamedDescriptor('Wsh2Of2')), getPolicyForEnv('test'), keys, null);
   });
 });