diff --git a/consts/src/lib.rs b/consts/src/lib.rs
index 8d49086d..ffab8c32 100644
--- a/consts/src/lib.rs
+++ b/consts/src/lib.rs
@@ -88,8 +88,7 @@ mod common {
 
     #[derive(Debug)]
     pub struct EADItem {
-        pub(crate) label: u8,
-        pub(crate) is_critical: bool,
+        pub(crate) label: i16,
         // TODO[ead]: have adjustable (smaller) length for this buffer
         pub(crate) value: Option<EdhocMessageBuffer>,
     }
@@ -122,11 +121,15 @@ mod common {
     impl EADTrait for EADItem {
         #[inline(always)] // Assist const propagation that removes error states
         fn new(label: u16, is_critical: bool, value: Option<&[u8]>) -> Result<Self, EADNewError> {
+            let mut label: i16 = label
+                .try_into()
+                .map_err(|_| EADNewError::InexpressibleLabel)?;
+            if is_critical {
+                // As it has been positive before, this can not underflow.
+                label = -label;
+            }
             Ok(EADItem {
-                label: label
-                    .try_into()
-                    .map_err(|_| EADNewError::InexpressibleLabel)?,
-                is_critical,
+                label,
                 value: value
                     .map(|v| v.try_into().map_err(|_| EADNewError::SizeExceeded))
                     .transpose()?,
@@ -134,11 +137,11 @@ mod common {
         }
 
         fn label(&self) -> u16 {
-            self.label.into()
+            self.label.unsigned_abs()
         }
 
         fn is_critical(&self) -> bool {
-            self.is_critical
+            self.label < 0
         }
 
         fn value(&self) -> Option<&[u8]> {
@@ -149,7 +152,7 @@ mod common {
     pub const MAX_MESSAGE_SIZE_LEN: usize = 64;
     pub const MAX_EAD_SIZE_LEN: usize = 64;
     pub type EADMessageBuffer = EdhocMessageBuffer; // TODO: make it of size MAX_EAD_SIZE_LEN
-    pub const EAD_ZEROCONF_LABEL: u8 = 0x1; // NOTE: in lake-authz-draft-02 it is still TBD1
+    pub const EAD_ZEROCONF_LABEL: u16 = 0x1; // NOTE: in lake-authz-draft-02 it is still TBD1
 
     pub const ID_CRED_LEN: usize = 4;
     pub const SUITES_LEN: usize = 9;
@@ -327,8 +330,8 @@ mod hacspec {
         }
         fn from_public_item(item: &EADItem) -> Self {
             EADItemHacspec {
-                label: U8(item.label),
-                is_critical: item.is_critical,
+                label: U8(item.label().try_into().unwrap()),
+                is_critical: item.is_critical(),
                 value: match &item.value {
                     Some(value) => Some(EdhocMessageBufferHacspec::from_public_buffer(value)),
                     None => None,
@@ -336,14 +339,15 @@ mod hacspec {
             }
         }
         fn to_public_item(&self) -> EADItem {
-            EADItem {
-                label: self.label.declassify(),
-                is_critical: self.is_critical,
-                value: match &self.value {
-                    Some(value) => Some(value.to_public_buffer()),
-                    None => None,
-                },
-            }
+            let value_full = self
+                .value
+                .as_ref()
+                .map(|v| (v.content.to_public_array(), v.len));
+            let value = value_full
+                .as_ref()
+                .map(|(value, len)| &value[..(*len as usize)]);
+
+            EADItem::new(self.label.declassify().into(), self.is_critical, value).unwrap()
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/ead/edhoc-ead-zeroconf/src/lib.rs b/ead/edhoc-ead-zeroconf/src/lib.rs
index c10c146c..bfe56f5f 100644
--- a/ead/edhoc-ead-zeroconf/src/lib.rs
+++ b/ead/edhoc-ead-zeroconf/src/lib.rs
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ pub fn ead_initiator_set_global_state(new_state: EADInitiatorState) {
 
 pub fn i_prepare_ead_1() -> Option<EADItem> {
     // TODO: build Voucher_Info (LOC_W, ENC_ID), and append it to the buffer
-    let mut ead_1 = EADItem::new(EAD_ZEROCONF_LABEL.into(), true, None)
+    let mut ead_1 = EADItem::new(EAD_ZEROCONF_LABEL, true, None)
         // Const propagation will remove this.
         .unwrap();
 
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ pub fn r_process_ead_1(ead_1: EADItem) -> Result<(), ()> {
 
 pub fn r_prepare_ead_2() -> Option<EADItem> {
     // TODO: append Voucher (H(message_1), CRED_V) to the buffer
-    let ead_2 = EADItem::new(EAD_ZEROCONF_LABEL.into(), true, None).unwrap();
+    let ead_2 = EADItem::new(EAD_ZEROCONF_LABEL, true, None).unwrap();
 
     // NOTE: see the note in lib.rs::test_ead
     // state.protocol_state = EADResponderProtocolState::WaitMessage3;