diff --git a/lib/archive_validator/author_private_key_validator.rb b/lib/archive_validator/author_private_key_validator.rb
index 5d72d6f16..a751f1afd 100644
--- a/lib/archive_validator/author_private_key_validator.rb
+++ b/lib/archive_validator/author_private_key_validator.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ class ArchiveValidator
 
     def validate
       return if person.nil?
-      return if person.serialized_public_key == private_key.public_key.export
+      return if person.public_key.export == private_key.public_key.export
 
       messages.push("Private key in the archive doesn't match the known key of #{person.diaspora_handle}")
     rescue DiasporaFederation::Discovery::DiscoveryError
diff --git a/spec/lib/archive_validator/author_private_key_validator_spec.rb b/spec/lib/archive_validator/author_private_key_validator_spec.rb
index 5cf14468a..2c93f7520 100644
--- a/spec/lib/archive_validator/author_private_key_validator_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/archive_validator/author_private_key_validator_spec.rb
@@ -15,9 +15,39 @@ describe ArchiveValidator::AuthorPrivateKeyValidator do
   end
 
   context "when private key matches the key in the archive" do
-    let(:author) { FactoryGirl.create(:person, serialized_public_key: author_pkey.public_key.export) }
+    context "with the default key format" do
+      let(:author_pkey) { OpenSSL::PKey::RSA.generate(512) }
+      let(:archive_private_key) { author_pkey.export }
 
-    include_examples "validation result is valid"
+      let(:author) { FactoryGirl.create(:person, serialized_public_key: author_pkey.public_key.export) }
+
+      include_examples "validation result is valid"
+    end
+
+    context "when key is serialized in pub1 in the DB" do
+      let(:archive_private_key) { <<~RSA }
+        -----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
+        MIIBOgIBAAJBANswwmiaCy9vleC5L5StCe8+urb/UKQwYpheWA+BFSKf9VLBTbgL
+        wWMcgoGUqLaS6RrhcGVxml6vKe20lLFpxOECAwEAAQJBAM6RdjXkLvRmgeZGP/wq
+        03kAMjDyDsqdut2D1BPQf92fCUCh8N000rsiWqZLKf6qz2X6qVeRRnU4JdpHrC03
+        2z0CIQD3x6hhwGWUjnqEQm/pBtRNrrat0h/LpTNx55wn4JhNswIhAOJ2TCzb5GX0
+        mQQooR1WJ2OqoUxM66C/XdJRL5r/lKEbAiB0Er8Jk+TCNACm5qygQEfCYF9JjE7C
+        ypAQAwz/DVKrywIgL0//wi9+nD5p6ZCDeJmTSSNQ55v6bm8Mru//Pia/apkCID3y
+        m/nJS0EGyGd2SV0gfnawS5llnX9psqIKvBa8mOQ/
+        -----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
+      RSA
+
+      let(:author) {
+        FactoryGirl.create(:person, serialized_public_key: <<~RSA)
+          -----BEGIN RSA PUBLIC KEY-----
+          MEgCQQDbMMJomgsvb5XguS+UrQnvPrq2/1CkMGKYXlgPgRUin/VSwU24C8FjHIKB
+          lKi2kuka4XBlcZperynttJSxacThAgMBAAE=
+          -----END RSA PUBLIC KEY-----
+        RSA
+      }
+
+      include_examples "validation result is valid"
+    end
   end
 
   context "with non-fetchable author" do
diff --git a/spec/lib/archive_validator/shared.rb b/spec/lib/archive_validator/shared.rb
index 8479e4a45..b5ea74635 100644
--- a/spec/lib/archive_validator/shared.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/archive_validator/shared.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ require "integration/federation/federation_helper"
 
 shared_context "validators shared context" do
   let(:author_id) { author.diaspora_handle }
-  let(:author_pkey) { OpenSSL::PKey::RSA.generate(512) }
+  let(:archive_private_key) { OpenSSL::PKey::RSA.generate(512).export }
   let(:archive_hash) { base_archive_hash }
   let(:validator) { described_class.new(input_hash) }
 
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ shared_context "validators shared context" do
         },
         username: "aaaa",
         email: "aaaa@aa.com",
-        private_key: author_pkey.export,
+        private_key: archive_private_key,
         contacts: [], contact_groups: [], posts: [], relayables: [], followed_tags: [], post_subscriptions: []
       },
       others_data: {relayables: []},