diff --git a/web/lib/express.js b/web/lib/express.js
index f255d22..a898cb1 100644
--- a/web/lib/express.js
+++ b/web/lib/express.js
@@ -5,13 +5,8 @@ const port = process.env.PORT || 7624;
 const bodyParser = require("body-parser");
 const {
   asyncRouter,
-  writeKey,
-  nextIdentityFilename,
   reconstructKeys,
-  readKey,
   uploadPicture,
-  identityFilename,
-  ssbFolder,
   isPhone,
 } = require("./utils");
 const queries = require("./queries");
@@ -77,18 +72,15 @@ app.use(async (req, res, next) => {
   };
   res.locals.context = req.context;
   try {
-    const identities = await ssb.client().identities.list();
     const key = req.signedCookies["ssb_key"];
     if (!key) return next();
 
     const parsedKey = JSON.parse(key);
-    if (!identities.includes(parsedKey.id)) {
-      const filename = await nextIdentityFilename(ssb.client());
+    if (!parsedKey.id) return next();
 
-      writeKey(key, `/identities/${filename}`);
-      ssb.client().identities.refresh();
-    }
+    ssb.client().identities.addUnboxer(parsedKey);
     req.context.profile = await queries.getProfile(parsedKey.id);
+    req.context.profile.key = parsedKey;
 
     const isRootUser =
       req.context.profile.id == ssb.client().id ||
@@ -199,11 +191,11 @@ const doLogin = async (submittedKey, res) => {
 };
 
 router.get("/login", { public: true }, async (req, res) => {
-  const login_key =
+  const loginKey =
     req.query.key && Buffer.from(req.query.key, "base64").toString("utf8");
 
-  if (login_key) {
-    await doLogin(JSON.parse(login_key), res);
+  if (loginKey) {
+    await doLogin(loginKey, res);
   } else {
     res.render("shared/login", { mode });
   }
@@ -241,31 +233,26 @@ router.post("/signup", { public: true }, async (req, res) => {
 
   const pictureLink = picture && (await uploadPicture(ssb.client(), picture));
 
-  const filename = await nextIdentityFilename(ssb.client());
-  const profileId = await ssb.client().identities.create();
-  const key = readKey(`/identities/${filename}`);
-  if (key.id != profileId)
-    throw "profileId and key.id don't match, probably race condition, bailing out for safety";
-
-  debug("Created new user with id", profileId);
-
+  const key = await ssb.client().identities.createNewKey();
   res.cookie("ssb_key", JSON.stringify(key), cookieOptions);
-  key.private = "[removed]";
-  debug("Generated key", key);
 
   await ssb.client().identities.publishAs({
-    id: profileId,
+    key,
     private: false,
     content: {
       type: "about",
-      about: profileId,
+      about: key.id,
       name: name,
       ...(pictureLink ? { image: pictureLink } : {}),
     },
   });
-  debug("Published about", { about: profileId, name, image: pictureLink });
 
-  await queries.autofollow(profileId);
+  const debugKey = { ...key, private: "[removed]" };
+  debug("Generated key", debugKey);
+
+  debug("Published about", { about: key.id, name, image: pictureLink });
+
+  await queries.autofollow(key.id);
 
   res.redirect("/keys");
 });
@@ -273,7 +260,7 @@ router.post("/signup", { public: true }, async (req, res) => {
 router.get("/keys", (req, res) => {
   res.render("shared/keys", {
     useEmail: process.env.SENDGRID_API_KEY,
-    key: req.signedCookies["ssb_key"],
+    key: req.context.profile.key,
   });
 });
 
@@ -287,8 +274,8 @@ router.post("/keys/email", async (req, res) => {
    */
   const email = req.body.email;
   const origin = req.body.origin;
-  const ssb_key = req.signedCookies["ssb_key"];
-  const login_key = Buffer.from(JSON.stringify(ssb_key)).toString("base64");
+  const ssb_key = JSON.stringify(req.context.profile.key);
+  const login_key = Buffer.from(ssb_key).toString("base64");
 
   if (process.env.NODE_ENV == "production") {
     let html = await ejs.renderFile("views/shared/email_sign_in.ejs", {
@@ -313,17 +300,33 @@ router.post("/keys/email", async (req, res) => {
 });
 
 router.get("/keys/copy", (req, res) => {
-  res.render("shared/keys_copy", { key: req.signedCookies["ssb_key"] });
+  res.render("shared/keys_copy", {
+    key: JSON.stringify(req.context.profile.key),
+  });
 });
 
 router.get("/keys/download", async (req, res) => {
-  const identities = await ssb.client().identities.list();
-  const index = identities.indexOf(req.context.profile.id) - 1;
-  const filename = identityFilename(index);
-  const secretPath = `${ssbFolder()}/identities/${filename}`;
+  const secretFile = `
+# WARNING: Never show this to anyone.
+# WARNING: Never edit it or use it on multiple devices at once.
+#
+# This is your SECRET, it gives you magical powers. With your secret you can
+# sign your messages so that your friends can verify that the messages came
+# from you. If anyone learns your secret, they can use it to impersonate you.
+#
+# If you use this secret on more than one device you will create a fork and
+# your friends will stop replicating your content.
+#
+${JSON.stringify(req.context.profile.key)}
+#
+# The only part of this file that's safe to share is your public name:
+#
+#   ${req.context.profile.id}
+`;
 
-  res.attachment("secret");
-  res.sendFile(secretPath);
+  res.contentType("text/plain");
+  res.header("Content-Disposition", "attachment; filename=secret");
+  res.send(secretFile);
 });
 
 router.get(
@@ -367,7 +370,7 @@ router.post("/profile/:id(*)/add_friend", async (req, res) => {
   }
 
   await ssb.client().identities.publishAs({
-    id: req.context.profile.id,
+    key: req.context.profile.key,
     private: false,
     content: {
       type: "contact",
@@ -386,7 +389,7 @@ router.post("/profile/:id(*)/reject_friend", async (req, res) => {
   }
 
   await ssb.client().identities.publishAs({
-    id: req.context.profile.id,
+    key: req.context.profile.key,
     private: false,
     content: {
       type: "contact",
@@ -400,7 +403,7 @@ router.post("/profile/:id(*)/reject_friend", async (req, res) => {
 
 router.post("/publish", async (req, res) => {
   await ssb.client().identities.publishAs({
-    id: req.context.profile.id,
+    key: req.context.profile.key,
     private: false,
     content: {
       type: "post",
@@ -416,7 +419,7 @@ router.post("/publish_secret", async (req, res) => {
   const recipients = req.body.recipients;
 
   await ssb.client().identities.publishAs({
-    id: req.context.profile.id,
+    key: req.context.profile.key,
     private: true,
     content: {
       type: "post",
@@ -434,7 +437,7 @@ router.post("/vanish", async (req, res) => {
 
   for (const key of keys) {
     await ssb.client().identities.publishAs({
-      id: req.context.profile.id,
+      key: req.context.profile.key,
       private: false,
       content: {
         type: "delete",
@@ -450,7 +453,7 @@ router.post("/profile/:id(*)/publish", async (req, res) => {
   const id = req.params.id;
 
   await ssb.client().identities.publishAs({
-    id: req.context.profile.id,
+    key: req.context.profile.key,
     private: false,
     content: {
       type: "post",
@@ -466,7 +469,7 @@ router.post("/profile/:id(*)/publish_secret", async (req, res) => {
   const id = req.params.id;
 
   await ssb.client().identities.publishAs({
-    id: req.context.profile.id,
+    key: req.context.profile.key,
     private: true,
     content: {
       type: "post",
@@ -519,7 +522,7 @@ router.post("/about", async (req, res) => {
 
   if (update.name || update.image || update.description) {
     await ssb.client().identities.publishAs({
-      id: req.context.profile.id,
+      key: req.context.profile.key,
       private: false,
       content: update,
     });
@@ -562,7 +565,7 @@ router.post("/communities/new", async (req, res) => {
   const post = req.body.post;
 
   await ssb.client().identities.publishAs({
-    id: req.context.profile.id,
+    key: req.context.profile.key,
     private: false,
     content: {
       type: "post",
@@ -573,7 +576,7 @@ router.post("/communities/new", async (req, res) => {
   });
 
   await ssb.client().identities.publishAs({
-    id: req.context.profile.id,
+    key: req.context.profile.key,
     private: false,
     content: {
       type: "channel",
@@ -635,7 +638,7 @@ router.post("/communities/:name/new", async (req, res) => {
   const post = req.body.post;
 
   const topic = await ssb.client().identities.publishAs({
-    id: req.context.profile.id,
+    key: req.context.profile.key,
     private: false,
     content: {
       type: "post",
@@ -652,7 +655,7 @@ router.post("/communities/:name/join", async (req, res) => {
   const name = req.params.name;
 
   await ssb.client().identities.publishAs({
-    id: req.context.profile.id,
+    key: req.context.profile.key,
     private: false,
     content: {
       type: "channel",
@@ -668,7 +671,7 @@ router.post("/communities/:name/leave", async (req, res) => {
   const name = req.params.name;
 
   await ssb.client().identities.publishAs({
-    id: req.context.profile.id,
+    key: req.context.profile.key,
     private: false,
     content: {
       type: "channel",
@@ -686,7 +689,7 @@ router.post("/communities/:name/:key(*)/publish", async (req, res) => {
   const reply = req.body.reply;
 
   await ssb.client().identities.publishAs({
-    id: req.context.profile.id,
+    key: req.context.profile.key,
     private: false,
     content: {
       type: "post",
diff --git a/web/lib/monkeypatch/ssb-identities.js b/web/lib/monkeypatch/ssb-identities.js
deleted file mode 100644
index f501bc6..0000000
--- a/web/lib/monkeypatch/ssb-identities.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,139 +0,0 @@
-// 1) Monkeypatched to include the refresh function
-// 2) Monkeypatched to allow secret messages without published in the recps
-var leftpad = require("left-pad");
-var path = require("path");
-var mkdirp = require("mkdirp");
-var fs = require("fs");
-var ssbKeys = require("ssb-keys");
-var create = require("ssb-validate").create;
-
-function toTarget(t) {
-  return "object" === typeof t ? t && t.link : t;
-}
-
-exports.name = "identities";
-exports.version = "1.0.0";
-exports.manifest = {
-  main: "sync",
-  list: "async",
-  create: "async",
-  publishAs: "async",
-  help: "sync",
-  refresh: "sync",
-};
-
-exports.init = function (sbot, config) {
-  var dir = path.join(config.path, "identities");
-  console.log("identities directory", config.path);
-  mkdirp.sync(dir);
-
-  function readKeys() {
-    return fs
-      .readdirSync(dir)
-      .filter(function (name) {
-        return /^secret_\d+\.butt$/.test(name);
-      })
-      .map(function (file) {
-        return ssbKeys.loadSync(path.join(dir, file));
-      });
-  }
-
-  var keys = readKeys();
-
-  var locks = {};
-
-  sbot.addUnboxer({
-    key: function (content) {
-      for (var i = 0; i < keys.length; i++) {
-        var key = ssbKeys.unboxKey(content, keys[i]);
-        if (key) return key;
-      }
-    },
-    value: function (content, key) {
-      return ssbKeys.unboxBody(content, key);
-    },
-  });
-
-  return {
-    main: function () {
-      return sbot.id;
-    },
-    refresh: function () {
-      keys = readKeys();
-    },
-    list: function (cb) {
-      cb(
-        null,
-        [sbot.id].concat(
-          keys.map(function (e) {
-            return e.id;
-          })
-        )
-      );
-    },
-    create: function (cb) {
-      var filename = "secret_" + leftpad(keys.length, 2, "0") + ".butt";
-      ssbKeys.create(path.join(dir, filename), function (err, newKeys) {
-        keys.push(newKeys);
-        cb(err, newKeys.id);
-      });
-    },
-    publishAs: function (opts, cb) {
-      var id = opts.id;
-      if (locks[id]) return cb(new Error("already writing"));
-      var _keys =
-        sbot.id === id
-          ? sbot.keys
-          : keys.find(function (e) {
-              return id === e.id;
-            });
-      if (!_keys) return cb(new Error("must provide id of listed identities"));
-      var content = opts.content;
-
-      var recps = [].concat(content.recps).map(toTarget);
-
-      if (content.recps && !opts.private)
-        return cb(new Error("recps set, but opts.private not set"));
-      else if (!content.recps && opts.private)
-        return cb(new Error("opts.private set, but content.recps not set"));
-      else if (!!content.recps && opts.private) {
-        if (!Array.isArray(content.recps) || !content.recps.length)
-          return cb(
-            new Error(
-              "content.recps must be an array containing at least one id, was:" +
-                JSON.stringify(recps)
-            )
-          );
-        content = ssbKeys.box(content, recps);
-      }
-
-      locks[id] = true;
-      sbot.getLatest(id, function (err, data) {
-        var state = data
-          ? {
-              id: data.key,
-              sequence: data.value.sequence,
-              timestamp: data.value.timestamp,
-              queue: [],
-            }
-          : { id: null, sequence: null, timestamp: null, queue: [] };
-        sbot.add(
-          create(
-            state,
-            _keys,
-            config.caps && config.caps.sign,
-            content,
-            Date.now()
-          ),
-          function (err, a, b) {
-            delete locks[id];
-            cb(err, a, b);
-          }
-        );
-      });
-    },
-    help: function () {
-      return require("./help");
-    },
-  };
-};
diff --git a/web/lib/plugins/memory-identities.js b/web/lib/plugins/memory-identities.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f772f3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/lib/plugins/memory-identities.js
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+// Differently from ssb-identities, this plugin only keeps keys in memory, as we don't want to save them on the server
+
+const ssbKeys = require("ssb-keys");
+const { create } = require("ssb-validate");
+
+exports.name = "identities";
+exports.version = "1.0.0";
+exports.manifest = {
+  create: "sync",
+  addUnboxer: "sync",
+  publishAs: "async",
+  createNewKey: "sync",
+};
+
+let unboxersAdded = [];
+let locks = {};
+
+const toTarget = (t) => (typeof t == "object" ? t && t.link : t);
+
+const addUnboxer = (ssb) => (key) => {
+  if (unboxersAdded.includes(key.id)) return;
+
+  ssb.addUnboxer({
+    key: (content) => {
+      const unboxKey = ssbKeys.unboxKey(content, key);
+      if (unboxKey) return unboxKey;
+    },
+    value: (content, key) => {
+      return ssbKeys.unboxBody(content, key);
+    },
+  });
+  unboxersAdded.push(key.id);
+};
+
+const publishAs = (ssb, config) => ({ key, private, content }, cb) => {
+  const id = key.id;
+  if (locks[id]) throw new Error("already writing");
+
+  const recps = [].concat(content.recps).map(toTarget);
+
+  if (content.recps && !private) {
+    return new Error("recps set, but private not set");
+  } else if (!content.recps && private) {
+    return new Error("private set, but content.recps not set");
+  } else if (!!content.recps && private) {
+    if (!Array.isArray(content.recps) || !~recps.indexOf(id))
+      return new Error(
+        "content.recps must be an array containing publisher id:" +
+          id +
+          " was:" +
+          JSON.stringify(recps) +
+          " indexOf:" +
+          recps.indexOf(id)
+      );
+    content = ssbKeys.box(content, recps);
+  }
+
+  locks[id] = true;
+  ssb.getLatest(id, (_err, data) => {
+    const state = data
+      ? {
+          id: data.key,
+          sequence: data.value.sequence,
+          timestamp: data.value.timestamp,
+          queue: [],
+        }
+      : { id: null, sequence: null, timestamp: null, queue: [] };
+
+    ssb.add(
+      create(state, key, config.caps && config.caps.sign, content, Date.now()),
+      (err, a, b) => {
+        delete locks[id];
+        cb(err, a, b);
+      }
+    );
+  });
+};
+
+exports.init = function (ssb, config) {
+  return {
+    addUnboxer: addUnboxer(ssb),
+    publishAs: publishAs(ssb, config),
+    createNewKey: ssbKeys.generate,
+  };
+};
diff --git a/web/lib/ssb.js b/web/lib/ssb.js
index 198c3e0..edcf49f 100644
--- a/web/lib/ssb.js
+++ b/web/lib/ssb.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ Server.use(require("ssb-master"))
   .use(require("./monkeypatch/ssb-friends"))
   .use(require("ssb-query"))
   .use(require("ssb-device-address"))
-  .use(require("./monkeypatch/ssb-identities"))
+  .use(require("./plugins/memory-identities"))
   .use(require("ssb-peer-invites"))
   .use(require("ssb-blobs"))
   .use(require("ssb-private"));
diff --git a/web/lib/utils.js b/web/lib/utils.js
index 21a80b3..9f8114b 100644
--- a/web/lib/utils.js
+++ b/web/lib/utils.js
@@ -69,15 +69,6 @@ module.exports.writeKey = (key, path) => {
   fs.writeFileSync(secretPath, key, { mode: 0x100, flag: "wx" });
 };
 
-module.exports.identityFilename = (index) => {
-  return "secret_" + leftpad(index, 2, "0") + ".butt";
-};
-
-module.exports.nextIdentityFilename = async (ssbClient) => {
-  const identities = await ssbClient.identities.list();
-  return module.exports.identityFilename(identities.length - 1);
-};
-
 // From ssb-keys
 module.exports.reconstructKeys = (keyfile) => {
   var privateKey = keyfile
@@ -93,13 +84,6 @@ module.exports.reconstructKeys = (keyfile) => {
   return keys;
 };
 
-module.exports.readKey = (path) => {
-  let secretPath = `${ssbFolder()}${path}`;
-
-  let keyfile = fs.readFileSync(secretPath, "utf8");
-  return module.exports.reconstructKeys(keyfile);
-};
-
 module.exports.uploadPicture = async (ssbClient, picture) => {
   const maxSize = 5 * 1024 * 1024; // 5 MB
   if (picture.size > maxSize) throw "Max size exceeded";
diff --git a/web/package.json b/web/package.json
index c6c64b6..ed3d79f 100644
--- a/web/package.json
+++ b/web/package.json
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@
     "ssb-device-address": "^1.1.6",
     "ssb-friends": "^4.1.4",
     "ssb-gossip": "^1.1.1",
-    "ssb-identities": "^2.1.1",
     "ssb-invite": "^2.1.4",
     "ssb-keys": "^7.2.2",
     "ssb-master": "^1.0.3",
@@ -57,4 +56,4 @@
   "devDependencies": {
     "electron": "^8.2.0"
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file