diff --git a/xed25519.cpp b/xed25519.cpp
index dde4ba5f..d1461a23 100644
--- a/xed25519.cpp
+++ b/xed25519.cpp
@@ -625,8 +625,7 @@ ed25519Signer::ed25519Signer(RandomNumberGenerator &rng)
 
 ed25519Signer::ed25519Signer(BufferedTransformation &params)
 {
-    ed25519PrivateKey& key = static_cast<ed25519PrivateKey&>(AccessPrivateKey());
-    key.BERDecode(params);
+    AccessPrivateKey().Load(params);
 }
 
 size_t ed25519Signer::SignAndRestart(RandomNumberGenerator &rng, PK_MessageAccumulator &messageAccumulator, byte *signature, bool restart) const
@@ -635,7 +634,7 @@ size_t ed25519Signer::SignAndRestart(RandomNumberGenerator &rng, PK_MessageAccum
 
     ed25519_MessageAccumulator& accum = static_cast<ed25519_MessageAccumulator&>(messageAccumulator);
     const ed25519PrivateKey& pk = static_cast<const ed25519PrivateKey&>(GetPrivateKey());
-    int ret = Donna::ed25519_sign(accum.data(), accum.size(), pk.m_sk, pk.m_pk, signature);
+    int ret = Donna::ed25519_sign(accum.data(), accum.size(), pk.GetPrivateKeyBytePtr(), pk.GetPublicKeyBytePtr(), signature);
     CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(ret == 0);
 
     if (restart)
@@ -796,21 +795,7 @@ ed25519Verifier::ed25519Verifier(const Integer &y)
 
 ed25519Verifier::ed25519Verifier(BufferedTransformation &params)
 {
-    // TODO: Fix the on-disk format once we determine what it is.
-    BERSequenceDecoder seq(params);
-
-      size_t read;
-      BERSequenceDecoder pk(seq, OCTET_STRING);
-
-        CRYPTOPP_ASSERT(pk.MaxRetrievable() >= PUBLIC_KEYLENGTH);
-        read = pk.Get(m_key.m_pk, PUBLIC_KEYLENGTH);
-
-      pk.MessageEnd();
-
-      if (read != PUBLIC_KEYLENGTH)
-        throw BERDecodeErr();
-
-    seq.MessageEnd();
+    AccessPublicKey().Load(params);
 }
 
 ed25519Verifier::ed25519Verifier(const ed25519Signer& signer)
@@ -823,7 +808,7 @@ bool ed25519Verifier::VerifyAndRestart(PK_MessageAccumulator &messageAccumulator
 {
     ed25519_MessageAccumulator& accum = static_cast<ed25519_MessageAccumulator&>(messageAccumulator);
     const ed25519PublicKey& pk = static_cast<const ed25519PublicKey&>(GetPublicKey());
-    int ret = Donna::ed25519_sign_open(accum.data(), accum.size(), pk.m_pk.begin(), accum.signature());
+    int ret = Donna::ed25519_sign_open(accum.data(), accum.size(), pk.GetPublicKeyBytePtr(), accum.signature());
     accum.Restart();
 
     return ret == 0;
diff --git a/xed25519.h b/xed25519.h
index 2cab0a45..cd9ffee5 100644
--- a/xed25519.h
+++ b/xed25519.h
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ struct ed25519_MessageAccumulator : public PK_MessageAccumulator
 
     /// \brief Create a message accumulator
     /// \details ed25519 does not use a RNG. You can safely use
-    ///   NullRNG() because IsProbablistic returns false;
+    ///   NullRNG() because IsProbablistic returns false.
     ed25519_MessageAccumulator(RandomNumberGenerator &rng) {
         CRYPTOPP_UNUSED(rng); Restart();
     }
@@ -358,6 +358,21 @@ struct ed25519PrivateKey : public PKCS8PrivateKey
     /// \param x private key
     bool IsClamped(const byte x[SECRET_KEYLENGTH]) const;
 
+    /// \brief Retrieve private key byte array
+    /// \returns the private key byte array
+    /// \details GetPrivateKeyBytePtr() is used by signing code to call ed25519_sign.
+    const byte* GetPrivateKeyBytePtr() const {
+        return m_sk.begin();
+    }
+
+    /// \brief Retrieve public key byte array
+    /// \returns the public key byte array
+    /// \details GetPublicKeyBytePtr() is used by signing code to call ed25519_sign.
+    const byte* GetPublicKeyBytePtr() const {
+        return m_pk.begin();
+    }
+
+protected:
     FixedSizeSecBlock<byte, SECRET_KEYLENGTH> m_sk;
     FixedSizeSecBlock<byte, PUBLIC_KEYLENGTH> m_pk;
     OID m_oid;  // preferred OID
@@ -498,6 +513,14 @@ struct ed25519PublicKey : public X509PublicKey
     void SetPublicElement(const Element &y);
     const Element& GetPublicElement() const;
 
+    /// \brief Retrieve public key byte array
+    /// \returns the public key byte array
+    /// \details GetPublicKeyBytePtr() is used by signing code to call ed25519_sign.
+    const byte* GetPublicKeyBytePtr() const {
+        return m_pk.begin();
+    }
+
+protected:
     FixedSizeSecBlock<byte, PUBLIC_KEYLENGTH> m_pk;
     OID m_oid;  // preferred OID
     mutable Integer m_y;  // for DL_PublicKey