diff --git a/src/ripple/overlay/impl/ConnectAttempt.cpp b/src/ripple/overlay/impl/ConnectAttempt.cpp
index 8e4192292..0dce0f01d 100644
--- a/src/ripple/overlay/impl/ConnectAttempt.cpp
+++ b/src/ripple/overlay/impl/ConnectAttempt.cpp
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@ ConnectAttempt::onReadBody (error_code ec,
             "Cluster name: " << name;
 
     auto const result = overlay_.peerFinder().activate (
-        slot_, RipplePublicKey(publicKey), cluster);
+        slot_, publicKey.toPublicKey(), cluster);
     if (result != PeerFinder::Result::success)
         return fail("Outbound slots full");
 
@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ ConnectAttempt::processResponse (beast::http::message const& m,
             "Cluster name: " << name;
 
     auto const result = overlay_.peerFinder().activate (slot_,
-        RipplePublicKey(publicKey), clusterNode);
+        publicKey.toPublicKey(), clusterNode);
     if (result != PeerFinder::Result::success)
         return fail("Outbound slots full");
 
diff --git a/src/ripple/overlay/impl/OverlayImpl.cpp b/src/ripple/overlay/impl/OverlayImpl.cpp
index b0688c9d1..4bedcf394 100644
--- a/src/ripple/overlay/impl/OverlayImpl.cpp
+++ b/src/ripple/overlay/impl/OverlayImpl.cpp
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ OverlayImpl::onHandoff (std::unique_ptr <beast::asio::ssl_bundle>&& ssl_bundle,
         publicKey, name);
     
     auto const result = m_peerFinder->activate (slot,
-        RipplePublicKey(publicKey), cluster);
+        publicKey.toPublicKey(), cluster);
     if (result != PeerFinder::Result::success)
     {
         if (journal.trace) journal.trace <<
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ OverlayImpl::add_active (std::shared_ptr<PeerImp> const& peer)
     journal_.debug <<
         "activated " << peer->getRemoteAddress() <<
         " (" << peer->id() <<
-        ":" << RipplePublicKey(peer->getNodePublic()) << ")";
+        ":" << peer->getNodePublic().toPublicKey() << ")";
 
     // As we are not on the strand, run() must be called
     // while holding the lock, otherwise new I/O can be
@@ -569,7 +569,7 @@ OverlayImpl::activate (std::shared_ptr<PeerImp> const& peer)
     journal_.debug <<
         "activated " << peer->getRemoteAddress() <<
         " (" << peer->id() <<
-        ":" << RipplePublicKey(peer->getNodePublic()) << ")";
+        ":" << peer->getNodePublic().toPublicKey() << ")";
 
     // We just accepted this peer so we have non-zero active peers
     assert(size() != 0);
diff --git a/src/ripple/overlay/impl/PeerImp.cpp b/src/ripple/overlay/impl/PeerImp.cpp
index af575bb62..241e38a10 100644
--- a/src/ripple/overlay/impl/PeerImp.cpp
+++ b/src/ripple/overlay/impl/PeerImp.cpp
@@ -800,7 +800,7 @@ PeerImp::onMessage (std::shared_ptr <protocol::TMHello> const& m)
         hello_ = *m;
 
         auto const result = overlay_.peerFinder().activate (slot_,
-            RipplePublicKey (publicKey_), cluster);
+            publicKey_.toPublicKey(), cluster);
 
         if (result == PeerFinder::Result::success)
         {
diff --git a/src/ripple/peerfinder/impl/Counts.h b/src/ripple/peerfinder/impl/Counts.h
index 58f772ff2..099111e47 100644
--- a/src/ripple/peerfinder/impl/Counts.h
+++ b/src/ripple/peerfinder/impl/Counts.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 #include <ripple/peerfinder/Manager.h>
 #include <ripple/peerfinder/Slot.h>
+#include <random>
 
 namespace ripple {
 namespace PeerFinder {
diff --git a/src/ripple/protocol/RippleAddress.h b/src/ripple/protocol/RippleAddress.h
index 49959dccc..938d1498b 100644
--- a/src/ripple/protocol/RippleAddress.h
+++ b/src/ripple/protocol/RippleAddress.h
@@ -22,13 +22,13 @@
 
 #include <ripple/crypto/Base58Data.h>
 #include <ripple/crypto/ECDSACanonical.h>
+#include <ripple/types/RipplePublicKey.h>
 #include <ripple/types/UInt160.h>
 #include <ripple/protocol/UintTypes.h>
 #include <ripple/types/RippleAccountID.h>
 #include <ripple/types/RippleAccountPrivateKey.h>
 #include <ripple/types/RippleAccountPublicKey.h>
 #include <ripple/types/RipplePrivateKey.h>
-#include <ripple/types/RipplePublicKey.h>
 #include <ripple/types/RipplePublicKeyHash.h>
 
 namespace ripple {
@@ -69,6 +69,12 @@ public:
 
     static void clearCache ();
 
+    /** Returns the public key.
+        Precondition: version == VER_NODE_PUBLIC
+    */
+    RipplePublicKey
+    toPublicKey() const;
+
     //
     // Node Public - Also used for Validators
     //
@@ -115,15 +121,6 @@ public:
         Base58::Alphabet const& alphabet = Base58::getRippleAlphabet());
     void setAccountID (Account const& hash160In);
 
-    #if 0
-    static RippleAddress createAccountID (std::string const& strAccountID)
-    {
-        RippleAddress na;
-        na.setAccountID (strAccountID);
-        return na;
-    }
-    #endif
-
     static RippleAddress createAccountID (Account const& uiAccountID);
 
     //
@@ -287,17 +284,6 @@ operator>=(RippleAddress const& lhs, RippleAddress const& rhs)
     return !(lhs < rhs);
 }
 
-/** RipplePublicKey */
-template <>
-struct RipplePublicKeyTraits::assign <RippleAddress>
-{
-    void operator() (value_type& value, RippleAddress const& v) const
-    {
-        Blob const& b (v.getNodePublic ());
-        construct (&b.front(), &b.back()+1, value);
-    }
-};
-
 /** RipplePublicKeyHash */
 template <>
 struct RipplePublicKeyHashTraits::assign <RippleAddress>
diff --git a/src/ripple/protocol/impl/RippleAddress.cpp b/src/ripple/protocol/impl/RippleAddress.cpp
index 1a20b3630..84e142a8f 100644
--- a/src/ripple/protocol/impl/RippleAddress.cpp
+++ b/src/ripple/protocol/impl/RippleAddress.cpp
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <ripple/crypto/RFC1751.h>
 #include <ripple/protocol/RippleAddress.h>
 #include <ripple/protocol/Serializer.h>
+#include <ripple/types/RipplePublicKey.h>
 #include <beast/unit_test/suite.h>
 #include <openssl/ripemd.h>
 #include <openssl/bn.h>
@@ -137,6 +138,13 @@ RippleAddress RippleAddress::createNodePublic (std::string const& strPublic)
     return naNew;
 }
 
+RipplePublicKey
+RippleAddress::toPublicKey() const
+{
+    assert (nVersion == VER_NODE_PUBLIC);
+    return RipplePublicKey (vchData.begin(), vchData.end());
+}
+
 NodeID RippleAddress::getNodeID () const
 {
     switch (nVersion)
@@ -969,7 +977,7 @@ public:
         expect (deprecatedPublicKey.humanNodePublic () ==
             "n94a1u4jAz288pZLtw6yFWVbi89YamiC6JBXPVUj5zmExe5fTVg9",
                 deprecatedPublicKey.humanNodePublic ());
-        RipplePublicKey publicKey (deprecatedPublicKey);
+        RipplePublicKey publicKey = deprecatedPublicKey.toPublicKey();
         expect (publicKey.to_string() == deprecatedPublicKey.humanNodePublic(),
             publicKey.to_string());
 
diff --git a/src/ripple/types/RipplePublicKey.h b/src/ripple/types/RipplePublicKey.h
index b27275714..4f461abbd 100644
--- a/src/ripple/types/RipplePublicKey.h
+++ b/src/ripple/types/RipplePublicKey.h
@@ -20,26 +20,80 @@
 #ifndef RIPPLE_TYPES_RIPPLEPUBLICKEY_H_INCLUDED
 #define RIPPLE_TYPES_RIPPLEPUBLICKEY_H_INCLUDED
 
-#include <ripple/types/CryptoIdentifier.h>
-#include <ripple/types/IdentifierType.h>
+#include <ripple/types/Base58.h>
+#include <algorithm>
+#include <array>
+#include <cstdint>
+#include <iterator>
+#include <ostream>
+#include <stdexcept>
+#include <beast/cxx14/type_traits.h> // <type_traits>
 
 namespace ripple {
 
-class RipplePublicKeyTraits
-    : public CryptoIdentifier <33, 28, true>
+// Simplified public key that avoids the complexities of RippleAddress
+class RipplePublicKey
 {
+private:
+    std::array<std::uint8_t, 33> data_;
+
 public:
-    template <typename Other>
-    struct assign
+    /** Construct from a range of unsigned char. */
+    template <class FwdIt, class = std::enable_if_t<std::is_same<unsigned char,
+        typename std::iterator_traits<FwdIt>::value_type>::value>>
+    RipplePublicKey (FwdIt first, FwdIt last);
+
+    template <class = void>
+    std::string
+    to_string() const;
+
+    friend
+    bool
+    operator< (RipplePublicKey const& lhs, RipplePublicKey const& rhs)
     {
-        void operator() (value_type& value, Other const& other)
-        {
-            value = other;
-        }
-    };
+        return lhs.data_ < rhs.data_;
+    }
+
+    friend
+    bool
+    operator== (RipplePublicKey const& lhs, RipplePublicKey const& rhs)
+    {
+        return lhs.data_ == rhs.data_;
+    }
 };
 
-typedef IdentifierType <RipplePublicKeyTraits> RipplePublicKey;
+template <class FwdIt, class>
+RipplePublicKey::RipplePublicKey (FwdIt first, FwdIt last)
+{
+    assert(std::distance(first, last) == data_.size());
+    // VFALCO TODO Use 4-arg copy from C++14
+    std::copy (first, last, data_.begin());
+}
+
+template <class>
+std::string
+RipplePublicKey::to_string() const
+{
+    // The expanded form of the key is:
+    //  <type> <key> <checksum>
+    std::array <std::uint8_t, 1 + 33 + 4> e;
+    e[0] = 28; // node public key type
+    std::copy (data_.begin(), data_.end(), e.begin() + 1);
+    Base58::fourbyte_hash256 (&*(e.begin() + 34), e.data(), 34);
+    // Convert key + checksum to little endian with an extra pad byte
+    std::array <std::uint8_t, 4 + 33 + 1 + 1> le;
+    std::reverse_copy (e.begin(), e.end(), le.begin());
+    le.back() = 0; // make BIGNUM positive
+    return Base58::raw_encode (le.data(),
+        le.data() + le.size(), Base58::getRippleAlphabet(), true);
+}
+
+inline
+std::ostream&
+operator<< (std::ostream& os, RipplePublicKey const& k)
+{
+    return os << k.to_string();
+}
 
 }