diff --git a/ipn/ipnlocal/local.go b/ipn/ipnlocal/local.go
index a1c6342c0..1ead7a756 100644
--- a/ipn/ipnlocal/local.go
+++ b/ipn/ipnlocal/local.go
@@ -1569,7 +1569,7 @@ func (b *LocalBackend) parseWgStatusLocked(s *wgengine.Status) (ret ipn.EngineSt
 			fmt.Fprintf(&peerKeys, "%s ", p.NodeKey.ShortString())
 
 			ret.NumLive++
-			ret.LivePeers[p.NodeKey] = p
+			ret.LivePeers[p.NodeKey.AsNodeKey()] = p
 
 		}
 		ret.RBytes += p.RxBytes
diff --git a/ipn/ipnlocal/loglines_test.go b/ipn/ipnlocal/loglines_test.go
index 3943a308b..e5bcbf42d 100644
--- a/ipn/ipnlocal/loglines_test.go
+++ b/ipn/ipnlocal/loglines_test.go
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func TestLocalLogLines(t *testing.T) {
 			TxBytes:       10,
 			RxBytes:       10,
 			LastHandshake: time.Now(),
-			NodeKey:       key.NewNode().Public().AsNodeKey(),
+			NodeKey:       key.NewNode().Public(),
 		}},
 	})
 	lb.mu.Unlock()
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ func TestLocalLogLines(t *testing.T) {
 			TxBytes:       11,
 			RxBytes:       12,
 			LastHandshake: time.Now(),
-			NodeKey:       key.NewNode().Public().AsNodeKey(),
+			NodeKey:       key.NewNode().Public(),
 		}},
 	})
 	lb.mu.Unlock()
diff --git a/ipn/ipnstate/ipnstate.go b/ipn/ipnstate/ipnstate.go
index 73c7467b6..0664c4a2b 100644
--- a/ipn/ipnstate/ipnstate.go
+++ b/ipn/ipnstate/ipnstate.go
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func (s *Status) Peers() []key.NodePublic {
 type PeerStatusLite struct {
 	TxBytes, RxBytes int64
 	LastHandshake    time.Time
-	NodeKey          tailcfg.NodeKey
+	NodeKey          key.NodePublic
 }
 
 type PeerStatus struct {
diff --git a/wgengine/pendopen.go b/wgengine/pendopen.go
index 0f4fcd72b..e78cec17f 100644
--- a/wgengine/pendopen.go
+++ b/wgengine/pendopen.go
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ func (e *userspaceEngine) onOpenTimeout(flow flowtrack.Tuple) {
 	var ps *ipnstate.PeerStatusLite
 	if st, err := e.getStatus(); err == nil {
 		for _, v := range st.Peers {
-			if v.NodeKey == n.Key {
+			if v.NodeKey == n.Key.AsNodePublic() {
 				v := v // copy
 				ps = &v
 			}
diff --git a/wgengine/userspace.go b/wgengine/userspace.go
index db8eb4cc2..15aa2cd0d 100644
--- a/wgengine/userspace.go
+++ b/wgengine/userspace.go
@@ -1011,9 +1011,9 @@ func (e *userspaceEngine) getStatus() (*Status, error) {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("IpcGetOperation: invalid key in line %q", line)
 			}
 			if !p.NodeKey.IsZero() {
-				pp[p.NodeKey.AsNodePublic()] = p
+				pp[p.NodeKey] = p
 			}
-			p = ipnstate.PeerStatusLite{NodeKey: pk.AsNodeKey()}
+			p = ipnstate.PeerStatusLite{NodeKey: pk}
 		case "rx_bytes":
 			n, err = mem.ParseInt(v, 10, 64)
 			p.RxBytes = n
@@ -1042,7 +1042,7 @@ func (e *userspaceEngine) getStatus() (*Status, error) {
 		}
 	}
 	if !p.NodeKey.IsZero() {
-		pp[p.NodeKey.AsNodePublic()] = p
+		pp[p.NodeKey] = p
 	}
 	if err := <-errc; err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("IpcGetOperation: %v", err)
@@ -1241,7 +1241,7 @@ func (e *userspaceEngine) UpdateStatus(sb *ipnstate.StatusBuilder) {
 		return
 	}
 	for _, ps := range st.Peers {
-		sb.AddPeer(key.NodePublicFromRaw32(mem.B(ps.NodeKey[:])), &ipnstate.PeerStatus{
+		sb.AddPeer(ps.NodeKey, &ipnstate.PeerStatus{
 			RxBytes:       int64(ps.RxBytes),
 			TxBytes:       int64(ps.TxBytes),
 			LastHandshake: ps.LastHandshake,