diff --git a/app/models/invitation.rb b/app/models/invitation.rb
index 2e5c787d8..2ce287e6b 100644
--- a/app/models/invitation.rb
+++ b/app/models/invitation.rb
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class Invitation < ActiveRecord::Base
     invitee.invites = opts[:invites] || 5
     if invitee.new_record?
       invitee.errors.clear
-      invitee.serialized_private_key ||= User.generate_key
+      invitee.serialized_private_key = User.generate_key if invitee.serialized_private_key.blank?
       invitee.send(:generate_invitation_token)
     elsif invitee.invitation_token.nil?
       return invitee
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 0f850180b..22caf2766 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ class User < ActiveRecord::Base
     self.person.url = AppConfig[:pod_url]
 
 
-    self.serialized_private_key ||= User.generate_key
+    self.serialized_private_key = User.generate_key if self.serialized_private_key.blank?
     self.person.serialized_public_key = OpenSSL::PKey::RSA.new(self.serialized_private_key).public_key
 
     self