diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f2996fe..321a4b4 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ build: deps dist/setup-config
 	ln -sf dist/build/propellor/propellor
 
 deps:
-	@if [ $$(whoami) = root ]; then apt-get -y install gnupg ghc cabal-install libghc-missingh-dev libghc-ansi-terminal-dev libghc-ifelse-dev libghc-unix-compat-dev libghc-hslogger-dev; fi || true
+	@if [ $$(whoami) = root ]; then apt-get -y install gnupg ghc cabal-install libghc-missingh-dev libghc-ansi-terminal-dev libghc-ifelse-dev libghc-unix-compat-dev libghc-hslogger-dev libghc-dataenc-dev; fi || true
 
 dist/setup-config: propellor.cabal
 	cabal configure
diff --git a/Propellor/CmdLine.hs b/Propellor/CmdLine.hs
index 9217f89..838f85d 100644
--- a/Propellor/CmdLine.hs
+++ b/Propellor/CmdLine.hs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import System.Exit
 import Propellor
 import Utility.FileMode
 import Utility.SafeCommand
+import Utility.Base64
 
 data CmdLine
 	= Run HostName
@@ -67,27 +68,17 @@ spin host = do
 	void $ boolSystem "git" [Param "push"]
 	privdata <- gpgDecrypt (privDataFile host)
 	withBothHandles createProcessSuccess (proc "ssh" [user, bootstrapcmd url]) $ \(toh, fromh) -> do
-		hPutStrLn stderr "PRE-STATUS"
-		hFlush stderr
 		status <- getstatus fromh `catchIO` error "protocol error"
-		hPutStrLn stderr "POST-STATUS"
-		hFlush stderr
 		case status of
 			NeedKeyRing -> do
-				hPutStrLn stderr "SEND-KEYRING"
-				hFlush stderr
-				s <- readProcess "gpg" $ gpgopts ++ ["--export", "-a"]
+				s <- toB64 readFile keyring
 				hPutStrLn toh $ toMarked keyringMarker s
 			HaveKeyRing -> noop
-		hPutStrLn stderr "POST-KEYRING"
-		hFlush stderr
 		hPutStrLn toh $ toMarked privDataMarker privdata
-		hPutStrLn stderr "POST-PRIVDATA"
-		hFlush stderr
 		hFlush toh
 		hClose toh
 
-		-- Propigate remaining output.
+		-- Display remaining output.
 		void $ tryIO $ forever $
 			putStrLn =<< hGetLine fromh
 		hClose fromh
@@ -140,29 +131,13 @@ boot props = do
 	havering <- doesFileExist keyring
 	putStrLn $ toMarked statusMarker $ show $ if havering then HaveKeyRing else NeedKeyRing
 	hFlush stdout
-	hPutStrLn stderr "SENT STATUS"
-	hFlush stderr
 	reply <- getContents
-	hPutStrLn stderr $ "GOT >>" ++ reply ++ "<<"
-	hFlush stderr
 	makePrivDataDir
-	hPutStrLn stderr $ "DEBUG 1"
-	hFlush stderr
 	writeFileProtected privDataLocal $ fromMarked privDataMarker reply
-	hPutStrLn stderr $ "DEBUG 2"
-	hFlush stderr
-	let keyringarmored = fromMarked keyringMarker reply
-	hPutStrLn stderr $ "DEBUG 3"
-	hFlush stderr
-	unless (null keyringarmored) $ do
-		hPutStrLn stderr $ "DEBUG 4"
-		hFlush stderr
-		withHandle StdinHandle createProcessSuccess
-			(proc "gpg" $ gpgopts ++ ["--import", "-a"]) $ \h -> do
-				hPutStr h keyringarmored
-				hFlush h
-	hPutStrLn stderr $ "READY"
-	hFlush stderr
+	let keyringb64 = fromMarked keyringMarker reply
+	case fromB64Maybe keyringb64 of
+		Nothing -> noop
+		Just s -> writeFileProtected keyring s
 	ensureProperties props
 
 addKey :: String -> IO ()
diff --git a/Utility/Base64.hs b/Utility/Base64.hs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0c6c867
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Utility/Base64.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+{- Simple Base64 access
+ -
+ - Copyright 2011 Joey Hess <joey@kitenet.net>
+ -
+ - Licensed under the GNU GPL version 3 or higher.
+ -}
+
+module Utility.Base64 (toB64, fromB64Maybe, fromB64) where
+
+import "dataenc" Codec.Binary.Base64
+import Data.Bits.Utils
+import Control.Applicative
+import Data.Maybe
+
+toB64 :: String -> String		
+toB64 = encode . s2w8
+
+fromB64Maybe :: String -> Maybe String
+fromB64Maybe s = w82s <$> decode s
+
+fromB64 :: String -> String
+fromB64 = fromMaybe bad . fromB64Maybe
+  where
+	bad = error "bad base64 encoded data"
diff --git a/propellor.cabal b/propellor.cabal
index 0abc7d7..0b551c8 100644
--- a/propellor.cabal
+++ b/propellor.cabal
@@ -25,19 +25,19 @@ Description:
 
 Executable propellor
   Main-Is: config.hs
-  GHC-Options: -Wall
+  GHC-Options: -Wall -XPackageImports
   Build-Depends: MissingH, directory, filepath, base >= 4.5, base < 5, 
    IfElse, process, bytestring, hslogger, unix-compat, ansi-terminal,
-   containers
+   containers, dataenc
 
   if (! os(windows))
     Build-Depends: unix
 
 Library
-  GHC-Options: -Wall
+  GHC-Options: -Wall -XPackageImports
   Build-Depends: MissingH, directory, filepath, base >= 4.5, base < 5, 
    IfElse, process, bytestring, hslogger, unix-compat, ansi-terminal,
-   containers
+   containers, dataenc
 
   if (! os(windows))
     Build-Depends: unix
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ Library
     Propellor.Types
   Other-Modules:
     Utility.Applicative
+    Utility.Base64
     Utility.Data
     Utility.Directory
     Utility.Env