diff --git a/mod/dfrn_notify.php b/mod/dfrn_notify.php
index c8dc093d17..b8c771b75a 100644
--- a/mod/dfrn_notify.php
+++ b/mod/dfrn_notify.php
@@ -183,7 +183,8 @@ function dfrn_notify_post(App $a) {
 				break;
 			case 2:
 				try {
-					$data = \Defuse\Crypto\Crypto::decrypt(hex2bin($data), $final_key);
+					$FinalKey = \Defuse\Crypto\Key::loadFromAsciiSafeString($final_key);
+					$data = \Defuse\Crypto\Crypto::decrypt(hex2bin($data), $FinalKey);
 				} catch (\Defuse\Crypto\Exception\WrongKeyOrModifiedCiphertextException $ex) { // VERY IMPORTANT
 					/*
 					 * Either:
diff --git a/src/Protocol/DFRN.php b/src/Protocol/DFRN.php
index 6ba8ed7d10..7f37f9839b 100644
--- a/src/Protocol/DFRN.php
+++ b/src/Protocol/DFRN.php
@@ -1296,13 +1296,14 @@ class DFRN
 				case 2:
 					// RINO 2 based on php-encryption
 					try {
-						$key = \Defuse\Crypto\Key::createNewRandomKey();
+						$KeyObject = \Defuse\Crypto\Key::createNewRandomKey();
 					} catch (\Defuse\Crypto\Exception\CryptoException $ex) {
 						logger('Cannot safely create a key');
 						return -4;
 					}
 					try {
-						$data = \Defuse\Crypto\Crypto::encrypt($postvars['data'], $key);
+						$data = \Defuse\Crypto\Crypto::encrypt($postvars['data'], $KeyObject);
+						$key = $KeyObject->saveToAsciiSafeString();
 					} catch (\Defuse\Crypto\Exception\CryptoException $ex) {
 						logger('Cannot safely perform encryption');
 						return -6;