diff --git a/include/Makefile.am b/include/Makefile.am
index c70bb0c..dc1e040 100644
--- a/include/Makefile.am
+++ b/include/Makefile.am
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ PCPEXPORT = pcp.h \
             pcp/ed.h \
 	    pcp/base85.h \
             pcp/buffer.h \
-            pcp/mgmt.h
+            pcp/mgmt.h \
+            pcp/keysig.h
 
 nobase_include_HEADERS = $(PCPEXPORT)
diff --git a/include/pcp/keysig.h b/include/pcp/keysig.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..525c6b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/pcp/keysig.h
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+/*
+    This file is part of Pretty Curved Privacy (pcp1).
+
+    Copyright (C) 2013-2014 T.v.Dein.
+
+    This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+    it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+    the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+    (at your option) any later version.
+
+    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+    GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+    along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+    You can contact me by mail: <tom AT vondein DOT org>.
+*/
+
+
+#ifndef _HAVE_PCP_KEYSIG_H
+#define _HAVE_PCP_KEYSIG_H
+
+#include <string.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+#include "defines.h"
+#include "platform.h"
+#include "mem.h"
+#include "buffer.h"
+#include "key.h"
+
+#define PCP_RAW_KEYSIGSIZE sizeof(pcp_keysig_t) - sizeof(UT_hash_handle)
+
+/* holds a public key signature */
+struct _pcp_keysig_t {
+  uint8_t type;
+  uint32_t size;
+  char belongs[17];
+  byte checksum[32];
+  byte *blob;
+  UT_hash_handle hh;
+};
+
+typedef struct _pcp_keysig_t pcp_keysig_t;
+
+pcp_keysig_t *keysig2be(pcp_keysig_t *s);
+pcp_keysig_t *keysig2native(pcp_keysig_t *s);
+
+/* put a keysig into a buffer, convert to big endian while at it */
+Buffer *pcp_keysig2blob(pcp_keysig_t *s);
+
+/* fetch a keysig from a buffer, usually loaded from vault */
+pcp_keysig_t *pcp_keysig_new(Buffer *blob);
+
+
+#endif /*  _HAVE_PCP_KEYSIG_H */
diff --git a/libpcp/Makefile.am b/libpcp/Makefile.am
index fbaeefc..2a687f6 100644
--- a/libpcp/Makefile.am
+++ b/libpcp/Makefile.am
@@ -30,6 +30,6 @@ libpcp1_la_SOURCES = mac.c mem.c pad.c version.c \
 		    vault.c fatal.c jenhash.c digital_crc32.c \
                     crypto.c ed.c keyhash.c scrypt.c \
 		    scrypt/crypto/sha256.c scrypt/crypto/crypto_scrypt-nosse.c \
-		    base85.c util.c buffer.c mgmt.c
+		    base85.c util.c buffer.c mgmt.c keysig.c
 
 include_HEADERS      = ../include/pcp.h
diff --git a/libpcp/keysig.c b/libpcp/keysig.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..489e349
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libpcp/keysig.c
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+/*
+    This file is part of Pretty Curved Privacy (pcp1).
+
+    Copyright (C) 2013-2014 T.v.Dein.
+
+    This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+    it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+    the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+    (at your option) any later version.
+
+    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+    GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+    along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+    You can contact me by mail: <tom AT vondein DOT org>.
+*/
+
+
+#include "keysig.h"
+
+pcp_keysig_t * keysig2be(pcp_keysig_t *s) {
+#ifdef __CPU_IS_BIG_ENDIAN
+  return s;
+#else
+  uint32_t size = s->size;
+  unsigned char* p = (unsigned char*)&size;
+  if(p[0] != 0) {
+    s->size = htobe32(s->size);
+  }
+  return s;
+#endif
+}
+
+pcp_keysig_t *keysig2native(pcp_keysig_t *s) {
+#ifdef __CPU_IS_BIG_ENDIAN
+  return s;
+#else
+  s->size = be32toh(s->size);
+  return s;
+#endif
+}
+
+Buffer *pcp_keysig2blob(pcp_keysig_t *s) {
+  Buffer *b = buffer_new(256, "keysig2blob");
+  buffer_add8(b, s->type);
+  buffer_add32be(b, s->size);
+  buffer_add(b, s->belongs, 17);
+  buffer_add(b, s->checksum, 32);
+  buffer_add(b, s->blob, s->size);
+  return b;
+}
+
+pcp_keysig_t *pcp_keysig_new(Buffer *blob) {
+  pcp_keysig_t *sk = ucmalloc(sizeof(pcp_keysig_t));
+
+  uint8_t type = buffer_get8(blob);
+  uint32_t size = buffer_get32na(blob);
+  
+  byte *checksum = ucmalloc(32);
+  buffer_get_chunk(blob, checksum, 32);
+  
+  sk->blob = ucmalloc(size);
+  buffer_get_chunk(blob, sk->blob, size);
+
+  sk->size = size;
+  sk->type = type;
+  memcpy(sk->checksum, checksum, 32);
+
+  ucfree(checksum, 32);
+
+  return sk;
+}