diff --git a/llarp/crypto/types.hpp b/llarp/crypto/types.hpp
index e62c0476a..0092adcfb 100644
--- a/llarp/crypto/types.hpp
+++ b/llarp/crypto/types.hpp
@@ -32,9 +32,11 @@ namespace llarp
     std::string
     ToString() const;
 
+    // FIXME: this is deceptively named: it should be "from_hex" since that's what it does.
     bool
     FromString(const std::string& str);
 
+    // FIXME: this is deceptively named: it should be "from_hex" since that's what it does.
     static PubKey
     from_string(const std::string& s);
 
diff --git a/llarp/router_contact.cpp b/llarp/router_contact.cpp
index 7f1280f7a..11aa3341f 100644
--- a/llarp/router_contact.cpp
+++ b/llarp/router_contact.cpp
@@ -61,7 +61,11 @@ namespace llarp
           "Invalid RC netid: expected {}, got {}; this is an RC for a different network!"_format(
               ACTIVE_NETID, netid)};
 
-    _router_id.from_string(data.require<std::string_view>("p"));
+    auto pubkey = data.require<std::string_view>("p");
+    if (pubkey.size() != 32)
+        throw std::runtime_error{
+            "Invalid RC pubkey: expected 32 bytes, got {}"_format(pubkey.size())};
+    std::memcpy(_router_id.data(), pubkey.data(), 32);
 
     // auto pk = data.require<std::string_view>("p");
 
diff --git a/llarp/router_id.hpp b/llarp/router_id.hpp
index 6a25ff9d4..d587f8365 100644
--- a/llarp/router_id.hpp
+++ b/llarp/router_id.hpp
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ namespace llarp
     std::string
     ShortString() const;
 
+    // FIXME: this is deceptively named: it parses something base32z formatted with .snode on the
+    // end, so should probably be called "from_snode_address" or "from_base32z" or something that
+    // doesn't sound exactly like the other (different) from_strings of its base classes.
     bool
     from_string(std::string_view str);