+    if [[ "$OPTION_ENCRYPT" = "true" ]]; then # Check if encryption option active.
+       if checkapp age; then # Check that age is available.
+           for pubkey in "${recPubKeys[@]}"; do # Validate recipient pubkey strings by forming test message
+               vbm "DEBUG:Testing pubkey string:$pubkey"
+               if ! echo "butts" | age -a -r "$pubkey" 1>/dev/null; then
+                   yell "ERROR:Exit code ""$?"". Invalid recipient pubkey string. Exiting."; exit 1;
+               else
+                   # Form age recipient string
+                   recipients="$recipients""-r $pubkey ";
+                   vbm "Added pubkey:""$pubkey";
+                   vbm "DEBUG:recipients:""$recipients";
+               fi
+           done
+           vbm "DEBUG:Finished processing recPubKeys array";
+       else
+           yell "ERROR:Encryption enabled but \"age\" not found. Exiting."; exit 1;
+       fi
+    fi
+