diff --git a/src/mesh/Router.cpp b/src/mesh/Router.cpp
index 015c2c809..a96773042 100644
--- a/src/mesh/Router.cpp
+++ b/src/mesh/Router.cpp
@@ -472,8 +472,10 @@ meshtastic_Routing_Error perhapsEncode(meshtastic_MeshPacket *p)
             LOG_DEBUG("Using PKI!\n");
             if (numbytes + 8 > MAX_RHPACKETLEN)
                 return meshtastic_Routing_Error_TOO_LARGE;
-            if (memcmp(p->public_key.bytes, node->user.public_key.bytes, 32) != 0) {
-                LOG_WARN("Client public key for client differs from requested!\n");
+            if (p->pki_encrypted && !memfll(p->public_key.bytes, 0, 32) &&
+                memcmp(p->public_key.bytes, node->user.public_key.bytes, 32) != 0) {
+                LOG_WARN("Client public key for client differs from requested! Requested 0x%02x, but stored key begins 0x%02x\n",
+                         *p->public_key.bytes, *node->user.public_key.bytes);
                 return meshtastic_Routing_Error_PKI_FAILED;
             }
             crypto->encryptCurve25519(p->to, getFrom(p), p->id, numbytes, bytes, ScratchEncrypted);
diff --git a/src/meshUtils.cpp b/src/meshUtils.cpp
index 86d237129..99fcd2a57 100644
--- a/src/meshUtils.cpp
+++ b/src/meshUtils.cpp
@@ -64,4 +64,13 @@ void printBytes(const char *label, const uint8_t *p, size_t numbytes)
     for (size_t i = 0; i < numbytes; i++)
         LOG_DEBUG("%02x ", p[i]);
     LOG_DEBUG("\n");
+}
+
+bool memfll(const uint8_t *mem, uint8_t find, size_t numbytes)
+{
+    for (int i = 0; i < numbytes; i++) {
+        if (mem[i] != find)
+            return false;
+    }
+    return true;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/meshUtils.h b/src/meshUtils.h
index e2d4188d7..ce063cb6a 100644
--- a/src/meshUtils.h
+++ b/src/meshUtils.h
@@ -14,4 +14,7 @@ template <class T> constexpr const T &clamp(const T &v, const T &lo, const T &hi
 char *strnstr(const char *s, const char *find, size_t slen);
 #endif
 
-void printBytes(const char *label, const uint8_t *p, size_t numbytes);
\ No newline at end of file
+void printBytes(const char *label, const uint8_t *p, size_t numbytes);
+
+// is the memory region filled with a single character?
+bool memfll(const uint8_t *mem, uint8_t find, size_t numbytes);
\ No newline at end of file