diff --git a/packages/dids/src/did-resolver.ts b/packages/dids/src/did-resolver.ts
index 22beaf427..8cd5fa6b4 100644
--- a/packages/dids/src/did-resolver.ts
+++ b/packages/dids/src/did-resolver.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ import type {
   DidMethodResolver,
   DidResolutionResult,
   DidResolutionOptions,
-  DidResource
+  DidResource,
+  DidDereferenceResult
 } from './types.js';
 
 import { parseDid } from './utils.js';
@@ -14,6 +15,9 @@ export type DidResolverOptions = {
   cache?: DidResolverCache;
 }
 
+/**
+ * argument passed to {@link DidResolver.resolve}
+ */
 export type DereferenceParams = {
   didUrl: string
 }
@@ -112,44 +116,80 @@ export class DidResolver {
   }
 
   /**
- * Asynchronously dereferences a DID (Decentralized Identifier) URL to a corresponding DID resource. This method interprets the DID URL's components, which include the DID method, method-specific identifier, path, query, and fragment,
- * and retrieves the related resource as per the DID Core specifications. The dereferencing process involves resolving the DID contained in the DID URL to a DID document, and then extracting the specific part
- * of the document identified by the fragment in the DID URL. If no fragment is specified, the entire DID document is returned. This method supports resolution of different components within a DID document such
- * as service endpoints and verification methods, based on their IDs. It accommodates both full and relative DID URLs as specified in the DID Core specification.
+ * dereferences a DID (Decentralized Identifier) URL to a corresponding DID resource. This method interprets
+ * the DID URL's components, which include the DID method, method-specific identifier, path, query, and fragment,
+ * and retrieves the related resource as per the DID Core specifications. The dereferencing process involves resolving
+ * the DID contained in the DID URL to a DID document, and then extracting the specific part of the document identified
+ * by the fragment in the DID URL. If no fragment is specified, the entire DID document is returned.
  *
- * More information on DID URL dereferencing can be found in the DID Core specification [here](https://www.w3.org/TR/did-core/#did-url-dereferencing)
+ * This method supports resolution of different components within a DID document such as
+ * service endpoints and verification methods, based on their IDs. It accommodates both full and relative DID URLs
+ * as specified in the DID Core specification.
+ *
+ * More information on DID URL dereferencing can be found in the DID Core specification
+ * [here](https://www.w3.org/TR/did-core/#did-url-dereferencing)
  *
  * @param params - An object of type `DereferenceParams` containing the `didUrl` which needs to be dereferenced.
- * @returns A `Promise` that resolves to a `DidResource`, which can be the entire DID Document or a specific part of it (like a verification method or service endpoint) depending on the presence and value of the fragment in the DID URL.
+ * @returns a {@link DidDereferenceResult}
  */
-  async dereference(params: DereferenceParams): Promise<DidResource> {
+  async dereference(params: DereferenceParams): Promise<DidDereferenceResult> {
     const { didUrl } = params;
-    const { didDocument } = await this.resolve(didUrl);
+    const { didDocument, didResolutionMetadata, didDocumentMetadata } = await this.resolve(didUrl);
+
+    if (didResolutionMetadata.error) {
+      return {
+        dereferencingMetadata : didResolutionMetadata,
+        contentStream         : null,
+        contentMetadata       : didDocumentMetadata
+      };
+    }
 
     const parsedDid = parseDid(params);
 
     // return the entire DID Document if no fragment is present on the did url
     if (!parsedDid.fragment) {
-      return didDocument;
+      return {
+        dereferencingMetadata : didResolutionMetadata,
+        contentStream         : didDocument,
+        contentMetadata       : didDocumentMetadata
+      };
     }
 
-    const { service, verificationMethod } = didDocument;
+    const { service = [], verificationMethod = [] } = didDocument;
 
     // create a set of possible id matches. the DID spec allows for an id to be the entire did#fragment or just #fragment.
     // See: https://www.w3.org/TR/did-core/#relative-did-urls
     // using a set for fast string comparison. DIDs can be lonnng.
     const idSet = new Set([didUrl, parsedDid.fragment, `#${parsedDid.fragment}`]);
 
+    let didResource: DidResource;
     for (let vm of verificationMethod) {
       if (idSet.has(vm.id)) {
-        return vm;
+        didResource = vm;
+        break;
       }
     }
 
     for (let svc of service) {
       if (idSet.has(svc.id)) {
-        return svc;
+        didResource = svc;
+        break;
       }
     }
+    if (didResource) {
+      return {
+        dereferencingMetadata : didResolutionMetadata,
+        contentStream         : didResource,
+        contentMetadata       : didResolutionMetadata
+      };
+    } else {
+      return {
+        dereferencingMetadata: {
+          error: 'notFound'
+        },
+        contentStream   : null,
+        contentMetadata : {},
+      };
+    }
   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/dids/src/types.ts b/packages/dids/src/types.ts
index 9d569d153..097315afb 100644
--- a/packages/dids/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/dids/src/types.ts
@@ -183,6 +183,35 @@ export type DidResolutionResult = {
   didDocumentMetadata: DidDocumentMetadata
 };
 
+export type DidDereferenceResult = {
+  /**
+   * A metadata structure consisting of values relating to the results of the DID URL dereferencing process.
+   * This structure is REQUIRED, and in the case of an error in the dereferencing process, this MUST NOT be empty.
+   * Properties defined by this specification are in 7.2.2 DID URL Dereferencing Metadata. If the dereferencing is
+   * not successful, this structure MUST contain an error property describing the error.
+   */
+  dereferencingMetadata: DidResolutionMetadata
+  /**
+   * If the dereferencing function was called and successful, this MUST contain a resource corresponding to the DID URL.
+   * The contentStream MAY be a resource such as:
+   *   * A DID document that is serializable in one of the conformant representations
+   *   * A Verification Method,
+   *   * A service
+   *   * Any other resource format that can be identified via a Media Type and obtained through the resolution process.
+   *
+   * If the dereferencing is unsuccessful, this value MUST be empty.
+   */
+  contentStream: DidResource | null
+  /**
+   * If the dereferencing is successful, this MUST be a metadata structure, but the structure MAY be empty.
+   * This structure contains metadata about the contentStream. If the contentStream is a DID document,
+   * this MUST be a didDocumentMetadata structure as described in DID Resolution. If the dereferencing is unsuccessful,
+   * this output MUST be an empty metadata structure.
+
+   */
+  contentMetadata: DidDocumentMetadata
+}
+
 /**
  * implement this interface to provide your own cache for did resolution results. can be plugged in through Web5 API
  */
diff --git a/packages/dids/tests/did-resolver.spec.ts b/packages/dids/tests/did-resolver.spec.ts
index 914e5a49d..1b182c63c 100644
--- a/packages/dids/tests/did-resolver.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/dids/tests/did-resolver.spec.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { DidResolver } from '../src/did-resolver.js';
 import { didResolverTestVectors } from './fixtures/test-vectors/did-resolver.js';
 import { DidResolverCacheLevel } from '../src/resolver-cache-level.js';
 import { DidResolverCache } from '../src/types.js';
+import { isVerificationMethod } from '../src/utils.js';
 
 describe('DidResolver', () => {
   describe('resolve()', () => {
@@ -114,4 +115,53 @@ describe('DidResolver', () => {
       });
     });
   });
+
+  describe('dereference()', () => {
+    let didResolver: DidResolver;
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      const didMethodApis = [DidKeyMethod];
+      didResolver = new DidResolver({ didResolvers: didMethodApis });
+    });
+
+    it('returns a result with contentStream set to null and dereferenceMetadata.error set if resolution fails', async () => {
+      const result = await didResolver.dereference({ didUrl: 'abcd123;;;' });
+      expect(result.contentStream).to.be.null;
+      expect(result.dereferencingMetadata.error).to.exist;
+      expect(result.dereferencingMetadata.error).to.equal('invalidDid');
+
+    });
+
+    it('returns the appropriate DID resource as the value of contentStream if found', async () => {
+      const did = await DidKeyMethod.create();
+
+      const result = await didResolver.dereference({ didUrl: did.document.verificationMethod[0].id });
+      expect(result.contentStream).to.be.not.be.null;
+      expect(result.dereferencingMetadata.error).to.not.exist;
+
+      const didResource = result.contentStream;
+      expect(isVerificationMethod(didResource)).to.be.true;
+    });
+
+    it('returns the entire did document as the value of contentStream if the did url contains no fragment', async () => {
+      const did = await DidKeyMethod.create();
+
+      const result = await didResolver.dereference({ didUrl: did.did });
+      expect(result.contentStream).to.be.not.be.null;
+      expect(result.dereferencingMetadata.error).to.not.exist;
+
+      const didResource = result.contentStream;
+      expect(didResource['@context']).to.exist;
+      expect(didResource['@context']).to.include('https://www.w3.org/ns/did/v1');
+    });
+
+    it('returns contentStream set to null and dereferenceMetadata.error set to notFound if resource is not found', async () => {
+      const did = await DidKeyMethod.create();
+
+      const result = await didResolver.dereference({ didUrl: `${did.did}#0` });
+      expect(result.contentStream).to.be.null;
+      expect(result.dereferencingMetadata.error).to.exist;
+      expect(result.dereferencingMetadata.error).to.equal('notFound');
+    });
+  });
 });
\ No newline at end of file