diff --git a/keyer/bunker.go b/keyer/bunker.go
index f62c719..683e257 100644
--- a/keyer/bunker.go
+++ b/keyer/bunker.go
@@ -17,11 +17,14 @@ func NewBunkerSignerFromBunkerClient(bc *nip46.BunkerClient) BunkerSigner {
 	return BunkerSigner{bc}
 }
 
-func (bs BunkerSigner) GetPublicKey(ctx context.Context) string {
+func (bs BunkerSigner) GetPublicKey(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, time.Second*30)
 	defer cancel()
-	pk, _ := bs.bunker.GetPublicKey(ctx)
-	return pk
+	pk, err := bs.bunker.GetPublicKey(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return pk, nil
 }
 
 func (bs BunkerSigner) SignEvent(ctx context.Context, evt *nostr.Event) error {
diff --git a/keyer/encrypted.go b/keyer/encrypted.go
index 3ce5ec7..1e875d1 100644
--- a/keyer/encrypted.go
+++ b/keyer/encrypted.go
@@ -16,18 +16,21 @@ type EncryptedKeySigner struct {
 	callback  func(context.Context) string
 }
 
-func (es *EncryptedKeySigner) GetPublicKey(ctx context.Context) string {
+func (es *EncryptedKeySigner) GetPublicKey(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
 	if es.pk != "" {
-		return es.pk
+		return es.pk, nil
 	}
 	password := es.callback(ctx)
 	key, err := nip49.Decrypt(es.ncryptsec, password)
 	if err != nil {
-		return ""
+		return "", err
+	}
+	pk, err := nostr.GetPublicKey(key)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
 	}
-	pk, _ := nostr.GetPublicKey(key)
 	es.pk = pk
-	return pk
+	return pk, nil
 }
 
 func (es *EncryptedKeySigner) SignEvent(ctx context.Context, evt *nostr.Event) error {
diff --git a/keyer/lib.go b/keyer/lib.go
index 1a147ed..46e3bae 100644
--- a/keyer/lib.go
+++ b/keyer/lib.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ type Keyer interface {
 
 // A Signer provides basic public key signing methods.
 type Signer interface {
-	GetPublicKey(context.Context) string
+	GetPublicKey(context.Context) (string, error)
 	SignEvent(context.Context, *nostr.Event) error
 }
 
diff --git a/keyer/manual.go b/keyer/manual.go
index c518006..e6e1e0d 100644
--- a/keyer/manual.go
+++ b/keyer/manual.go
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import (
 // It can be used when an app for some reason wants to ask the user to manually provide a signed event
 // by copy-and-paste, for example.
 type ManualSigner struct {
-	ManualGetPublicKey func(context.Context) string
+	ManualGetPublicKey func(context.Context) (string, error)
 	ManualSignEvent    func(context.Context, *nostr.Event) error
 	ManualEncrypt      func(ctx context.Context, plaintext string, recipientPublicKey string) (base64ciphertext string, err error)
 	ManualDecrypt      func(ctx context.Context, base64ciphertext string, senderPublicKey string) (plaintext string, err error)
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ func (ms ManualSigner) SignEvent(ctx context.Context, evt *nostr.Event) error {
 	return ms.ManualSignEvent(ctx, evt)
 }
 
-func (ms ManualSigner) GetPublicKey(ctx context.Context) string {
+func (ms ManualSigner) GetPublicKey(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
 	return ms.ManualGetPublicKey(ctx)
 }
 
diff --git a/keyer/plain.go b/keyer/plain.go
index 62d07f0..ffab64d 100644
--- a/keyer/plain.go
+++ b/keyer/plain.go
@@ -16,13 +16,16 @@ type KeySigner struct {
 	conversationKeys *xsync.MapOf[string, [32]byte]
 }
 
-func NewPlainKeySigner(sec string) KeySigner {
-	pk, _ := nostr.GetPublicKey(sec)
-	return KeySigner{sec, pk, xsync.NewMapOf[string, [32]byte]()}
+func NewPlainKeySigner(sec string) (KeySigner, error) {
+	pk, err := nostr.GetPublicKey(sec)
+	if err != nil {
+		return KeySigner{}, err
+	}
+	return KeySigner{sec, pk, xsync.NewMapOf[string, [32]byte]()}, nil
 }
 
 func (ks KeySigner) SignEvent(ctx context.Context, evt *nostr.Event) error { return evt.Sign(ks.sk) }
-func (ks KeySigner) GetPublicKey(ctx context.Context) string               { return ks.pk }
+func (ks KeySigner) GetPublicKey(ctx context.Context) (string, error)      { return ks.pk, nil }
 
 func (ks KeySigner) Encrypt(ctx context.Context, plaintext string, recipient string) (string, error) {
 	ck, ok := ks.conversationKeys.Load(recipient)
diff --git a/nip17/nip17.go b/nip17/nip17.go
index d7f55ae..de2a938 100644
--- a/nip17/nip17.go
+++ b/nip17/nip17.go
@@ -38,7 +38,10 @@ func PrepareMessage(
 	recipientPubKey string,
 	modify func(*nostr.Event),
 ) (toUs nostr.Event, toThem nostr.Event, err error) {
-	ourPubkey := kr.GetPublicKey(ctx)
+	ourPubkey, err := kr.GetPublicKey(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nostr.Event{}, nostr.Event{}, err
+	}
 
 	rumor := nostr.Event{
 		Kind:      14,
@@ -87,10 +90,16 @@ func ListenForMessages(
 	go func() {
 		defer close(ch)
 
+		pk, err := kr.GetPublicKey(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			nostr.InfoLogger.Printf("[nip17] failed to get public key from Keyer: %s\n", err)
+			return
+		}
+
 		for ie := range pool.SubMany(ctx, ourRelays, nostr.Filters{
 			{
 				Kinds: []int{1059},
-				Tags:  nostr.TagMap{"p": []string{kr.GetPublicKey(ctx)}},
+				Tags:  nostr.TagMap{"p": []string{pk}},
 				Since: &since,
 			},
 		}) {