diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/kontalk/client/NumberValidator.java b/app/src/main/java/org/kontalk/client/NumberValidator.java
index d8b760bc4..e12be91fa 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/kontalk/client/NumberValidator.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/kontalk/client/NumberValidator.java
@@ -414,7 +414,16 @@ private void initConnection() throws XMPPException, SmackException,
 
         if (!mConnector.isConnected() || mConnector.isServerDirty()) {
             mConnector.setListener(this);
-            mConnector.connectOnce(mKey != null ? mKey.copy(mBridgeCert) : null);
+            PersonalKey key = null;
+            if (mImportedPrivateKey != null && mImportedPublicKey != null) {
+                PGPKeyPairRing ring = PGPKeyPairRing.load(mImportedPrivateKey, mImportedPublicKey);
+                key = PersonalKey.load(ring.secretKey, ring.publicKey, mPassphrase, mBridgeCert);
+            }
+            else if (mKey != null) {
+                key = mKey.copy(mBridgeCert);
+            }
+
+            mConnector.connectOnce(key);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/kontalk/crypto/PersonalKey.java b/app/src/main/java/org/kontalk/crypto/PersonalKey.java
index 3de6cc67f..19ecf8d02 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/kontalk/crypto/PersonalKey.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/kontalk/crypto/PersonalKey.java
@@ -286,6 +286,17 @@ public static PersonalKey load(byte[] privateKeyData, byte[] publicKeyData, Stri
         return load(secRing, pubRing, passphrase, bridgeCert);
     }
 
+    /** Creates a {@link PersonalKey} from private and public key byte buffers. */
+    public static PersonalKey load(byte[] privateKeyData, byte[] publicKeyData, String passphrase, X509Certificate bridgeCert)
+        throws PGPException, IOException, CertificateException, NoSuchProviderException {
+
+        KeyFingerPrintCalculator fpr = new BcKeyFingerprintCalculator();
+        PGPSecretKeyRing secRing = new PGPSecretKeyRing(privateKeyData, fpr);
+        PGPPublicKeyRing pubRing = new PGPPublicKeyRing(publicKeyData, fpr);
+
+        return load(secRing, pubRing, passphrase, bridgeCert);
+    }
+
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     public static PersonalKey load(PGPSecretKeyRing secRing, PGPPublicKeyRing pubRing, String passphrase, X509Certificate bridgeCert)
             throws PGPException, IOException, CertificateException, NoSuchProviderException {