diff --git a/core/java/src/net/i2p/crypto/ECConstants.java b/core/java/src/net/i2p/crypto/ECConstants.java
index 39fef89864..49f8c5d7b8 100644
--- a/core/java/src/net/i2p/crypto/ECConstants.java
+++ b/core/java/src/net/i2p/crypto/ECConstants.java
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import net.i2p.util.NativeBigInteger;
  *
  * @since 0.9.9
  */
-public class ECConstants {
+class ECConstants {
 
     private static final boolean DEBUG = true;
 
@@ -38,7 +38,10 @@ public class ECConstants {
         }
     }
 
+    private static final boolean BC_AVAILABLE;
+
     static {
+        boolean loaded;
         if (Security.getProvider("BC") == null) {
             try {
                 Class cls = Class.forName("org.bouncycastle.jce.provider.BouncyCastleProvider");
@@ -46,14 +49,19 @@ public class ECConstants {
                 Provider bc = (Provider)con.newInstance(new Object[0]);
                 Security.addProvider(bc);
                 log("Added BC provider");
+                loaded = true;
             } catch (Exception e) {
                 log("Unable to add BC provider", e);
+                loaded = false;
             }
         } else {
             log("BC provider already loaded");
+            loaded = true;
         }
+        BC_AVAILABLE = true;
     }
 
+    public static boolean isBCAvailable() { return BC_AVAILABLE; }
 
     private static class ECParms {
         public final String ps, ns, ss, bs, gxs, gys;
diff --git a/core/java/src/net/i2p/crypto/KeyGenerator.java b/core/java/src/net/i2p/crypto/KeyGenerator.java
index 53148ac509..124801a4b6 100644
--- a/core/java/src/net/i2p/crypto/KeyGenerator.java
+++ b/core/java/src/net/i2p/crypto/KeyGenerator.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import java.security.GeneralSecurityException;
 import java.security.InvalidKeyException;
 import java.security.KeyPair;
 import java.security.KeyPairGenerator;
+import java.security.ProviderException;
 import java.security.interfaces.ECPrivateKey;
 import java.security.interfaces.ECPublicKey;
 import java.security.spec.ECPoint;
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ import net.i2p.data.SessionKey;
 import net.i2p.data.SigningPrivateKey;
 import net.i2p.data.SigningPublicKey;
 import net.i2p.data.SimpleDataStructure;
+import net.i2p.util.Log;
 import net.i2p.util.NativeBigInteger;
 
 // main()
@@ -188,8 +190,41 @@ public class KeyGenerator {
         if (type == SigType.DSA_SHA1)
             return generateSigningKeys();
         KeyPairGenerator kpg = KeyPairGenerator.getInstance("EC");
-        kpg.initialize(type.getParams(), _context.random());
-        KeyPair kp = kpg.generateKeyPair();
+        KeyPair kp;
+        try {
+            kpg.initialize(type.getParams(), _context.random());
+            kp = kpg.generateKeyPair();
+        } catch (ProviderException pe) {
+            // This is a RuntimeException, thx Sun
+            // Fails for P-192 only, on Ubuntu
+            Log log = _context.logManager().getLog(KeyGenerator.class);
+            String pname = kpg.getProvider().getName();
+            if ("BC".equals(pname)) {
+                if (log.shouldLog(Log.WARN))
+                    log.warn("BC KPG failed", pe);
+                throw new GeneralSecurityException("BC KPG", pe);
+            }
+            if (!ECConstants.isBCAvailable())
+                throw new GeneralSecurityException(pname + " KPG", pe);
+            if (log.shouldLog(Log.WARN))
+                log.warn(pname + " KPG failed, trying BC", pe);
+            try {
+                kpg = KeyPairGenerator.getInstance("EC", "BC");
+                kpg.initialize(type.getParams(), _context.random());
+                kp = kpg.generateKeyPair();
+            } catch (ProviderException pe2) {
+                if (log.shouldLog(Log.WARN))
+                    log.warn("BC KPG failed too", pe2);
+                // throw original exception
+                throw new GeneralSecurityException(pname + " KPG", pe);
+            } catch (GeneralSecurityException gse) {
+                if (log.shouldLog(Log.WARN))
+                    log.warn("BC KPG failed too", gse);
+                gse.printStackTrace();
+                // throw original exception
+                throw new GeneralSecurityException(pname + " KPG", pe);
+            }
+        }
         ECPublicKey pubkey = (ECPublicKey) kp.getPublic();
         ECPrivateKey privkey = (ECPrivateKey) kp.getPrivate();
         SimpleDataStructure[] keys = new SimpleDataStructure[2];