diff --git a/openpdf-core/src/main/java/org/openpdf/text/pdf/PdfEncryption.java b/openpdf-core/src/main/java/org/openpdf/text/pdf/PdfEncryption.java
index 990176fc6..660908adf 100644
--- a/openpdf-core/src/main/java/org/openpdf/text/pdf/PdfEncryption.java
+++ b/openpdf-core/src/main/java/org/openpdf/text/pdf/PdfEncryption.java
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ private static byte[] decodeHex(byte[] hexEncoded) {
     public void setCryptoMode(int mode, int kl) {
         cryptoMode = mode;
         encryptMetadata = (mode & PdfWriter.DO_NOT_ENCRYPT_METADATA) == 0;
-        embeddedFilesOnly = (mode & PdfWriter.EMBEDDED_FILES_ONLY) != 0;
+        embeddedFilesOnly = (mode & PdfWriter.EMBEDDED_FILES_ONLY) == PdfWriter.EMBEDDED_FILES_ONLY;
         mode &= PdfWriter.ENCRYPTION_MASK;
         switch (mode) {
             case PdfWriter.STANDARD_ENCRYPTION_40:
diff --git a/openpdf-core/src/test/java/org/openpdf/text/pdf/encryption/DoNotEncryptMetadataTest.java b/openpdf-core/src/test/java/org/openpdf/text/pdf/encryption/DoNotEncryptMetadataTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..01a1b0df9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openpdf-core/src/test/java/org/openpdf/text/pdf/encryption/DoNotEncryptMetadataTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+package org.openpdf.text.pdf.encryption;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
+
+import java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.openpdf.text.Document;
+import org.openpdf.text.PageSize;
+import org.openpdf.text.Paragraph;
+import org.openpdf.text.pdf.PdfEncryption;
+import org.openpdf.text.pdf.PdfReader;
+import org.openpdf.text.pdf.PdfStamper;
+import org.openpdf.text.pdf.PdfWriter;
+import org.openpdf.text.pdf.parser.PdfTextExtractor;
+
+/**
+ * Tests for issue #1576: passing {@link PdfWriter#DO_NOT_ENCRYPT_METADATA} alone must not switch
+ * the document to embedded-files-only mode. {@code EMBEDDED_FILES_ONLY} (24) contains the
+ * {@code DO_NOT_ENCRYPT_METADATA} bit (8), so the embedded-files-only detection must require both
+ * of its bits, not just one — otherwise stream and string crypt filters are silently set to
+ * /Identity and the document content is written unencrypted.
+ */
+class DoNotEncryptMetadataTest {
+
+    @Test
+    void doNotEncryptMetadataAloneIsNotEmbeddedFilesOnly() {
+        PdfEncryption encryption = new PdfEncryption();
+        encryption.setCryptoMode(PdfWriter.ENCRYPTION_AES_128 | PdfWriter.DO_NOT_ENCRYPT_METADATA, 0);
+        assertFalse(encryption.isMetadataEncrypted(), "Metadata should not be encrypted");
+        assertFalse(encryption.isEmbeddedFilesOnly(),
+                "DO_NOT_ENCRYPT_METADATA alone must not enable embedded-files-only mode");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void embeddedFilesOnlyModeIsStillDetected() {
+        PdfEncryption encryption = new PdfEncryption();
+        encryption.setCryptoMode(PdfWriter.ENCRYPTION_AES_128 | PdfWriter.EMBEDDED_FILES_ONLY, 0);
+        assertFalse(encryption.isMetadataEncrypted(), "Embedded-files-only mode implies unencrypted metadata");
+        assertTrue(encryption.isEmbeddedFilesOnly(), "EMBEDDED_FILES_ONLY must enable embedded-files-only mode");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void defaultModeEncryptsEverything() {
+        PdfEncryption encryption = new PdfEncryption();
+        encryption.setCryptoMode(PdfWriter.ENCRYPTION_AES_128, 0);
+        assertTrue(encryption.isMetadataEncrypted(), "Metadata should be encrypted by default");
+        assertFalse(encryption.isEmbeddedFilesOnly(), "Embedded-files-only mode should be off by default");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void doNotEncryptMetadataStillEncryptsStreamsAndStrings() throws Exception {
+        byte[] encrypted = encrypt(PdfWriter.ENCRYPTION_AES_128 | PdfWriter.DO_NOT_ENCRYPT_METADATA);
+
+        // The /Encrypt dictionary is always written as a plain, uncompressed object,
+        // so its entries can be asserted on the raw output bytes.
+        String raw = new String(encrypted, StandardCharsets.ISO_8859_1);
+        assertTrue(raw.contains("/StmF/StdCF"),
+                "Streams must be encrypted with the standard crypt filter, not /Identity");
+        assertTrue(raw.contains("/StrF/StdCF"),
+                "Strings must be encrypted with the standard crypt filter, not /Identity");
+        assertFalse(raw.contains("/StmF/Identity"), "Streams must not use the /Identity crypt filter");
+        assertFalse(raw.contains("/EFF"), "No embedded-files crypt filter should be set");
+        assertTrue(raw.contains("/EncryptMetadata false"), "Metadata must be declared unencrypted");
+        assertTrue(raw.contains("/AuthEvent/DocOpen"),
+                "Authentication must be required on document open, not only on embedded file open");
+
+        PdfReader reader = new PdfReader(encrypted, "owner".getBytes());
+        try {
+            assertTrue(reader.isEncrypted(), "Document should be encrypted");
+            assertFalse(reader.isMetadataEncrypted(), "Metadata should not be encrypted");
+            assertEquals("Hello", new PdfTextExtractor(reader).getTextFromPage(1),
+                    "Encrypted content should still be readable with the password");
+        } finally {
+            reader.close();
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void embeddedFilesOnlyStillUsesIdentityFilters() throws Exception {
+        byte[] encrypted = encrypt(PdfWriter.ENCRYPTION_AES_128 | PdfWriter.EMBEDDED_FILES_ONLY);
+
+        String raw = new String(encrypted, StandardCharsets.ISO_8859_1);
+        assertTrue(raw.contains("/StmF/Identity"), "Embedded-files-only mode must leave streams unencrypted");
+        assertTrue(raw.contains("/StrF/Identity"), "Embedded-files-only mode must leave strings unencrypted");
+        assertTrue(raw.contains("/EFF/StdCF"), "Embedded-files-only mode must encrypt embedded files");
+        assertTrue(raw.contains("/AuthEvent/EFOpen"),
+                "Embedded-files-only mode must only require authentication for embedded files");
+    }
+
+    private static byte[] encrypt(int encryptionType) throws Exception {
+        ByteArrayOutputStream source = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+        Document document = new Document(PageSize.A4);
+        PdfWriter.getInstance(document, source);
+        document.open();
+        document.add(new Paragraph("Hello"));
+        document.close();
+
+        ByteArrayOutputStream out = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+        PdfReader reader = new PdfReader(source.toByteArray());
+        PdfStamper stamper = new PdfStamper(reader, out);
+        stamper.setEncryption("user".getBytes(), "owner".getBytes(), PdfWriter.ALLOW_PRINTING, encryptionType);
+        stamper.close();
+        reader.close();
+        return out.toByteArray();
+    }
+}