diff --git a/src/libostree/ostree-gpg-verifier.c b/src/libostree/ostree-gpg-verifier.c
index cb6d8f50..eda69dc1 100644
--- a/src/libostree/ostree-gpg-verifier.c
+++ b/src/libostree/ostree-gpg-verifier.c
@@ -40,10 +40,7 @@ struct OstreeGpgVerifier {
   GList *keyrings;
 };
 
-static void _ostree_gpg_verifier_initable_iface_init (GInitableIface *iface);
-
-G_DEFINE_TYPE_WITH_CODE (OstreeGpgVerifier, _ostree_gpg_verifier, G_TYPE_OBJECT,
-                         G_IMPLEMENT_INTERFACE (G_TYPE_INITABLE, _ostree_gpg_verifier_initable_iface_init))
+G_DEFINE_TYPE (OstreeGpgVerifier, _ostree_gpg_verifier, G_TYPE_OBJECT)
 
 static void
 ostree_gpg_verifier_finalize (GObject *object)
@@ -71,42 +68,6 @@ _ostree_gpg_verifier_init (OstreeGpgVerifier *self)
 {
 }
 
-static gboolean
-ostree_gpg_verifier_initable_init (GInitable        *initable,
-                                   GCancellable     *cancellable,
-                                   GError          **error)
-{
-  gboolean ret = FALSE;
-  OstreeGpgVerifier *self = (OstreeGpgVerifier*)initable;
-  const char *default_keyring_path = g_getenv ("OSTREE_GPG_HOME");
-  g_autoptr(GFile) default_keyring_dir = NULL;
-
-  if (!default_keyring_path)
-    default_keyring_path = DATADIR "/ostree/trusted.gpg.d/";
-
-  if (g_file_test (default_keyring_path, G_FILE_TEST_IS_DIR))
-    {
-      default_keyring_dir = g_file_new_for_path (default_keyring_path);
-      if (!_ostree_gpg_verifier_add_keyring_dir (self, default_keyring_dir,
-                                                 cancellable, error))
-        {
-          g_prefix_error (error, "Reading keyring directory '%s'",
-                          gs_file_get_path_cached (default_keyring_dir));
-          goto out;
-        }
-    }
-
-  ret = TRUE;
- out:
-  return ret;
-}
-
-static void
-_ostree_gpg_verifier_initable_iface_init (GInitableIface *iface)
-{
-  iface->init = ostree_gpg_verifier_initable_init;
-}
-
 static void
 verify_result_finalized_cb (gpointer data,
                             GObject *finalized_verify_result)
@@ -323,9 +284,40 @@ _ostree_gpg_verifier_add_keyring_dir (OstreeGpgVerifier   *self,
   return ret;
 }
 
-OstreeGpgVerifier*
-_ostree_gpg_verifier_new (GCancellable   *cancellable,
-                          GError        **error)
+gboolean
+_ostree_gpg_verifier_add_global_keyring_dir (OstreeGpgVerifier  *self,
+                                             GCancellable       *cancellable,
+                                             GError            **error)
 {
-  return g_initable_new (OSTREE_TYPE_GPG_VERIFIER, cancellable, error, NULL);
+  const char *global_keyring_path = g_getenv ("OSTREE_GPG_HOME");
+  g_autoptr(GFile) global_keyring_dir = NULL;
+  gboolean ret = FALSE;
+
+  g_return_val_if_fail (OSTREE_IS_GPG_VERIFIER (self), FALSE);
+
+  if (global_keyring_path == NULL)
+    global_keyring_path = DATADIR "/ostree/trusted.gpg.d/";
+
+  if (g_file_test (global_keyring_path, G_FILE_TEST_IS_DIR))
+    {
+      global_keyring_dir = g_file_new_for_path (global_keyring_path);
+      if (!_ostree_gpg_verifier_add_keyring_dir (self, global_keyring_dir,
+                                                 cancellable, error))
+        {
+          g_prefix_error (error, "Reading keyring directory '%s'",
+                          gs_file_get_path_cached (global_keyring_dir));
+          goto out;
+        }
+    }
+
+  ret = TRUE;
+
+out:
+  return ret;
+}
+
+OstreeGpgVerifier*
+_ostree_gpg_verifier_new (void)
+{
+  return g_object_new (OSTREE_TYPE_GPG_VERIFIER, NULL);
 }
diff --git a/src/libostree/ostree-gpg-verifier.h b/src/libostree/ostree-gpg-verifier.h
index 54be424f..209f7342 100644
--- a/src/libostree/ostree-gpg-verifier.h
+++ b/src/libostree/ostree-gpg-verifier.h
@@ -37,8 +37,7 @@ typedef struct OstreeGpgVerifier OstreeGpgVerifier;
 
 GType _ostree_gpg_verifier_get_type (void);
 
-OstreeGpgVerifier *_ostree_gpg_verifier_new (GCancellable   *cancellable,
-                                             GError        **error);
+OstreeGpgVerifier *_ostree_gpg_verifier_new (void);
 
 OstreeGpgVerifyResult *_ostree_gpg_verifier_check_signature (OstreeGpgVerifier *self,
                                                              GBytes            *signed_data,
@@ -51,6 +50,10 @@ gboolean      _ostree_gpg_verifier_add_keyring_dir (OstreeGpgVerifier   *self,
                                                     GCancellable        *cancellable,
                                                     GError             **error);
 
+gboolean      _ostree_gpg_verifier_add_global_keyring_dir (OstreeGpgVerifier  *self,
+                                                           GCancellable       *cancellable,
+                                                           GError            **error);
+
 void _ostree_gpg_verifier_add_keyring (OstreeGpgVerifier *self,
                                        GFile             *path);
 
diff --git a/src/libostree/ostree-repo.c b/src/libostree/ostree-repo.c
index 762d426e..734f392f 100644
--- a/src/libostree/ostree-repo.c
+++ b/src/libostree/ostree-repo.c
@@ -3745,10 +3745,9 @@ _ostree_repo_gpg_verify_with_metadata (OstreeRepo          *self,
   GVariantIter iter;
   GVariant *child;
   g_autoptr (GBytes) signatures = NULL;
+  gboolean add_global_keyring_dir = TRUE;
 
-  verifier = _ostree_gpg_verifier_new (cancellable, error);
-  if (!verifier)
-    goto out;
+  verifier = _ostree_gpg_verifier_new ();
 
   if (remote_name == OSTREE_ALL_REMOTES)
     {
@@ -3760,8 +3759,7 @@ _ostree_repo_gpg_verify_with_metadata (OstreeRepo          *self,
     }
   else if (remote_name != NULL)
     {
-      /* Add the remote's keyring file.  OstreeGpgVerifier
-       * will ignore it if the keyring file does not exist. */
+      /* Add the remote's keyring file if it exists. */
 
       OstreeRemote *remote;
       g_autoptr(GFile) file = NULL;
@@ -3772,11 +3770,22 @@ _ostree_repo_gpg_verify_with_metadata (OstreeRepo          *self,
 
       file = g_file_get_child (self->repodir, remote->keyring);
 
-      _ostree_gpg_verifier_add_keyring (verifier, file);
+      if (g_file_query_exists (file, cancellable))
+        {
+          _ostree_gpg_verifier_add_keyring (verifier, file);
+          add_global_keyring_dir = FALSE;
+        }
 
       ost_remote_unref (remote);
     }
 
+  if (add_global_keyring_dir)
+    {
+      /* Use the deprecated global keyring directory. */
+      if (!_ostree_gpg_verifier_add_global_keyring_dir (verifier, cancellable, error))
+        goto out;
+    }
+
   if (keyringdir)
     {
       if (!_ostree_gpg_verifier_add_keyring_dir (verifier, keyringdir,