diff --git a/src/libostree/ostree-repo-pull.c b/src/libostree/ostree-repo-pull.c
index 1a4e64da..f3f13ed3 100644
--- a/src/libostree/ostree-repo-pull.c
+++ b/src/libostree/ostree-repo-pull.c
@@ -1567,20 +1567,7 @@ ostree_verify_unwritten_commit (OtPullData                 *pull_data,
                                          &pk_ascii, NULL);
           if (pk_ascii != NULL)
             {
-              g_autoptr (GVariant) pk = NULL;
-
-              if (!g_strcmp0(ostree_sign_get_name(sign), "dummy"))
-                {
-                  // Just use the string as signature
-                  pk = g_variant_new_string(pk_ascii);
-                }
-              else if (!g_strcmp0(ostree_sign_get_name(sign), "ed25519"))
-                {
-                  gsize key_len = 0;
-                  g_autofree guchar *key = g_base64_decode (pk_ascii, &key_len);
-                  pk = g_variant_new_fixed_array (G_VARIANT_TYPE_BYTE, key, key_len, sizeof(guchar));
-                }
-
+              g_autoptr (GVariant) pk = g_variant_new_string(pk_ascii);
               if (!ostree_sign_set_pk (sign, pk, &local_error))
                 continue;
             }
@@ -1976,18 +1963,8 @@ scan_commit_object (OtPullData                 *pull_data,
             {
               g_autoptr (GVariant) pk = NULL;
 
-              if (!g_strcmp0(ostree_sign_get_name(sign), "dummy"))
-                {
-                  // Just use the string as signature
-                  pk = g_variant_new_string(pk_ascii);
-                }
-              else if (!g_strcmp0(ostree_sign_get_name(sign), "ed25519"))
-                {
-                  gsize key_len = 0;
-                  g_autofree guchar *key = g_base64_decode (pk_ascii, &key_len);
-                  pk = g_variant_new_fixed_array (G_VARIANT_TYPE_BYTE, key, key_len, sizeof(guchar));
-                }
-
+              // Just use the string as signature
+              pk = g_variant_new_string(pk_ascii);
               if (!ostree_sign_set_pk (sign, pk, &local_error))
                 continue;
             }
@@ -4853,11 +4830,10 @@ ostree_repo_pull_with_options (OstreeRepo             *self,
       else
         gpg_verify_state = (pull_data->gpg_verify ? "commit" : "disabled");
 
-      g_string_append_printf (msg, "\nsecurity: GPG: %s ", gpg_verify_state);
 #else
       gpg_verify_state = "disabled";
-      g_string_append_printf (msg, "\nsecurity: %s ", gpg_verify_state);
 #endif /* OSTREE_DISABLE_GPGME */
+      g_string_append_printf (msg, "\nsecurity: GPG: %s ", gpg_verify_state);
 
       const char *sign_verify_state;
       sign_verify_state = (pull_data->sign_verify ? "commit" : "disabled");
diff --git a/src/libostree/ostree-sign-ed25519.c b/src/libostree/ostree-sign-ed25519.c
index 2bf10cf1..f90a310c 100644
--- a/src/libostree/ostree-sign-ed25519.c
+++ b/src/libostree/ostree-sign-ed25519.c
@@ -253,6 +253,10 @@ const gchar * ostree_sign_ed25519_metadata_format (OstreeSign *self)
   return OSTREE_SIGN_METADATA_ED25519_TYPE;
 }
 
+/* Support 2 representations:
+ * base64 ascii -- secret key is passed as string
+ * raw key -- key is passed as bytes array
+ * */
 gboolean ostree_sign_ed25519_set_sk (OstreeSign *self,
                                      GVariant *secret_key,
                                      GError **error)
@@ -266,7 +270,23 @@ gboolean ostree_sign_ed25519_set_sk (OstreeSign *self,
   g_free (sign->secret_key);
 
   gsize n_elements = 0;
-  sign->secret_key = (guchar *) g_variant_get_fixed_array (secret_key, &n_elements, sizeof(guchar));
+
+  if (g_variant_is_of_type (secret_key, G_VARIANT_TYPE_STRING))
+    {
+      const gchar *sk_ascii = g_variant_get_string (secret_key, NULL);
+      sign->secret_key = g_base64_decode (sk_ascii, &n_elements);
+    }
+  else if (g_variant_is_of_type (secret_key, G_VARIANT_TYPE_BYTESTRING))
+    {
+      sign->secret_key = (guchar *) g_variant_get_fixed_array (secret_key, &n_elements, sizeof(guchar));
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      g_set_error_literal (error, G_IO_ERROR, G_IO_ERROR_FAILED,
+                           "Unknown ed25519 secret key type");
+      goto err;
+    }
+
 
   if (n_elements != crypto_sign_SECRETKEYBYTES)
     {
@@ -282,6 +302,10 @@ err:
   return FALSE;
 }
 
+/* Support 2 representations:
+ * base64 ascii -- public key is passed as string
+ * raw key -- key is passed as bytes array
+ * */
 gboolean ostree_sign_ed25519_set_pk (OstreeSign *self,
                                      GVariant *public_key,
                                      GError **error)
@@ -301,6 +325,10 @@ gboolean ostree_sign_ed25519_set_pk (OstreeSign *self,
   return ostree_sign_ed25519_add_pk (self, public_key, error);
 }
 
+/* Support 2 representations:
+ * base64 ascii -- public key is passed as string
+ * raw key -- key is passed as bytes array
+ * */
 gboolean ostree_sign_ed25519_add_pk (OstreeSign *self,
                                      GVariant *public_key,
                                      GError **error)
@@ -314,7 +342,22 @@ gboolean ostree_sign_ed25519_add_pk (OstreeSign *self,
   gpointer key = NULL; 
 
   gsize n_elements = 0;
-  key = (gpointer) g_variant_get_fixed_array (public_key, &n_elements, sizeof(guchar));
+
+  if (g_variant_is_of_type (public_key, G_VARIANT_TYPE_STRING))
+    {
+      const gchar *pk_ascii = g_variant_get_string (public_key, NULL);
+      key = g_base64_decode (pk_ascii, &n_elements);
+    }
+  else if (g_variant_is_of_type (public_key, G_VARIANT_TYPE_BYTESTRING))
+    {
+      key = (gpointer) g_variant_get_fixed_array (public_key, &n_elements, sizeof(guchar));
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      g_set_error_literal (error, G_IO_ERROR, G_IO_ERROR_FAILED,
+                           "Unknown ed25519 public key type");
+      goto err;
+    }
 
   hex = g_malloc0 (crypto_sign_PUBLICKEYBYTES*2 + 1);
   g_debug ("Read ed25519 public key = %s", sodium_bin2hex (hex, crypto_sign_PUBLICKEYBYTES*2+1, key, n_elements));
diff --git a/src/ostree/ot-builtin-commit.c b/src/ostree/ot-builtin-commit.c
index 7d412639..606af2be 100644
--- a/src/ostree/ot-builtin-commit.c
+++ b/src/ostree/ot-builtin-commit.c
@@ -855,17 +855,7 @@ ostree_builtin_commit (int argc, char **argv, OstreeCommandInvocation *invocatio
               const char *keyid = *iter;
               g_autoptr (GVariant) secret_key = NULL;
 
-              if (!g_strcmp0(ostree_sign_get_name (sign), "dummy"))
-                {
-                  secret_key = g_variant_new_string (keyid);
-                }
-              else if (!g_strcmp0 (ostree_sign_get_name (sign), "ed25519"))
-                {
-                  gsize key_len = 0;
-                  g_autofree guchar *key = g_base64_decode (keyid, &key_len);
-
-                  secret_key = g_variant_new_fixed_array (G_VARIANT_TYPE_BYTE, key, key_len, sizeof(guchar));
-                }
+              secret_key = g_variant_new_string (keyid);
               if (!ostree_sign_set_sk (sign, secret_key, error))
                   goto out;
 
diff --git a/src/ostree/ot-builtin-sign.c b/src/ostree/ot-builtin-sign.c
index b1c9a73b..f673631d 100644
--- a/src/ostree/ot-builtin-sign.c
+++ b/src/ostree/ot-builtin-sign.c
@@ -72,11 +72,6 @@ ostree_builtin_sign (int argc, char **argv, OstreeCommandInvocation *invocation,
   char **key_ids;
   int n_key_ids, ii;
   gboolean ret = FALSE;
-#if defined(HAVE_LIBSODIUM)
-  g_autoptr (GVariant) ed25519_sk = NULL;
-  g_autoptr (GVariant) ed25519_pk = NULL;
-#endif
-
 
   context = g_option_context_new ("COMMIT KEY-ID...");
 
@@ -119,25 +114,14 @@ ostree_builtin_sign (int argc, char **argv, OstreeCommandInvocation *invocation,
     {
       g_autoptr (GVariant) sk = NULL;
       g_autoptr (GVariant) pk = NULL;
-      g_autofree guchar *key = NULL;
 
-      if (!g_strcmp0(ostree_sign_get_name(sign), "dummy"))
-        {
-          // Just use the string as signature
-          sk = g_variant_new_string(key_ids[ii]);
-          pk = g_variant_new_string(key_ids[ii]);
-        }
       if (opt_verify)
         {
           g_autoptr (GError) local_error = NULL;
 
 
-          if (!g_strcmp0(ostree_sign_get_name(sign), "ed25519"))
-            {
-              gsize key_len = 0;
-              g_autofree guchar *key = g_base64_decode (key_ids[ii], &key_len);
-              pk = g_variant_new_fixed_array (G_VARIANT_TYPE_BYTE, key, key_len, sizeof(guchar));
-            }
+          // Pass the key as a string
+          pk = g_variant_new_string(key_ids[ii]);
 
           if (!ostree_sign_set_pk (sign, pk, &local_error))
             continue;
@@ -151,13 +135,8 @@ ostree_builtin_sign (int argc, char **argv, OstreeCommandInvocation *invocation,
         }
       else
         {
-          if (!g_strcmp0(ostree_sign_get_name(sign), "ed25519"))
-            {
-              gsize key_len = 0;
-              g_autofree guchar *key = g_base64_decode (key_ids[ii], &key_len);
-              sk = g_variant_new_fixed_array (G_VARIANT_TYPE_BYTE, key, key_len, sizeof(guchar));
-            }
-
+          // Pass the key as a string
+          sk = g_variant_new_string(key_ids[ii]);
           if (!ostree_sign_set_sk (sign, sk, error))
             {
               ret = FALSE;
@@ -238,20 +217,8 @@ ostree_builtin_sign (int argc, char **argv, OstreeCommandInvocation *invocation,
                 break;
 
 
-              if (!g_strcmp0(ostree_sign_get_name(sign), "dummy"))
-                {
-                  // Just use the string as signature
-                  sk = g_variant_new_string(line);
-                }
-
-
-              if (!g_strcmp0(ostree_sign_get_name(sign), "ed25519"))
-                {
-                  gsize key_len = 0;
-                  g_autofree guchar *key = g_base64_decode (line, &key_len);
-                  sk = g_variant_new_fixed_array (G_VARIANT_TYPE_BYTE, key, key_len, sizeof(guchar));
-                }
-
+              // Pass the key as a string
+              sk = g_variant_new_string(line);
               if (!ostree_sign_set_sk (sign, sk, error))
                 {
                   ret = FALSE;