diff --git a/src/main/java/stirling/software/SPDF/controller/api/SplitPdfByChaptersController.java b/src/main/java/stirling/software/SPDF/controller/api/SplitPdfByChaptersController.java
index 9d03f8b6..0cca8f78 100644
--- a/src/main/java/stirling/software/SPDF/controller/api/SplitPdfByChaptersController.java
+++ b/src/main/java/stirling/software/SPDF/controller/api/SplitPdfByChaptersController.java
@@ -67,15 +67,6 @@ public class SplitPdfByChaptersController {
         }
         PDDocument sourceDocument = Loader.loadPDF(file.getBytes());
 
-        // checks if the document is encrypted by an empty user password
-        if (sourceDocument.isEncrypted()) {
-            try {
-                sourceDocument.setAllSecurityToBeRemoved(true);
-                logger.info("Removing security from the source document ");
-            } catch (Exception e) {
-                logger.warn("Cannot decrypt the pdf");
-            }
-        }
         PDDocumentOutline outline = sourceDocument.getDocumentCatalog().getDocumentOutline();
 
         if (outline == null) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/stirling/software/SPDF/service/CustomPDDocumentFactory.java b/src/main/java/stirling/software/SPDF/service/CustomPDDocumentFactory.java
index b3f9eec7..2d3d8990 100644
--- a/src/main/java/stirling/software/SPDF/service/CustomPDDocumentFactory.java
+++ b/src/main/java/stirling/software/SPDF/service/CustomPDDocumentFactory.java
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import java.io.InputStream;
 
 import org.apache.pdfbox.Loader;
 import org.apache.pdfbox.pdmodel.PDDocument;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
 import org.springframework.web.multipart.MultipartFile;
@@ -18,6 +20,8 @@ import stirling.software.SPDF.model.api.PDFFile;
 @Component
 public class CustomPDDocumentFactory {
 
+    private static final Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(CustomPDDocumentFactory.class);
+
     private final PdfMetadataService pdfMetadataService;
 
     @Autowired
@@ -71,6 +75,7 @@ public class CustomPDDocumentFactory {
     public PDDocument load(byte[] input) throws IOException {
         PDDocument document = Loader.loadPDF(input);
         pdfMetadataService.setDefaultMetadata(document);
+        removezeropassword(document);
         return document;
     }
 
@@ -96,5 +101,17 @@ public class CustomPDDocumentFactory {
         return document;
     }
 
+    private PDDocument removezeropassword(PDDocument document) throws IOException {
+        if (document.isEncrypted()) {
+            try {
+                logger.info("Removing security from the source document");
+                document.setAllSecurityToBeRemoved(true);
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                logger.warn("Cannot decrypt the pdf");
+            }
+        }
+        return document;
+    }
+
     // Add other load methods as needed, following the same pattern
 }