diff --git a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/networkdb/kademlia/PersistentDataStore.java b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/networkdb/kademlia/PersistentDataStore.java
index c3c413930ad068245f516647d11af620b4311828..90a51740c8801d76df8c70c622dd135edd0b7bf6 100644
--- a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/networkdb/kademlia/PersistentDataStore.java
+++ b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/networkdb/kademlia/PersistentDataStore.java
@@ -44,8 +44,10 @@ import net.i2p.util.SecureFileOutputStream;
  * Write out keys to disk when we get them and periodically read ones we don't know
  * about into memory, with newly read routers are also added to the routing table.
  *
+ * Public only for access to static methods by startup classes
+ *
  */
-class PersistentDataStore extends TransientDataStore {
+public class PersistentDataStore extends TransientDataStore {
     private final File _dbDir;
     private final KademliaNetworkDatabaseFacade _facade;
     private final Writer _writer;
@@ -630,8 +632,23 @@ class PersistentDataStore extends TransientDataStore {
             return ROUTERINFO_PREFIX + b64 + ROUTERINFO_SUFFIX;
         return DIR_PREFIX + b64.charAt(0) + File.separatorChar + ROUTERINFO_PREFIX + b64 + ROUTERINFO_SUFFIX;
     }
+
+    /**
+     *  The persistent RI file for a hash.
+     *  This is available before the netdb subsystem is running, so we can delete our old RI.
+     *
+     *  @return non-null, should be absolute, does not necessarily exist
+     *  @since 0.9.23
+     */
+    public static File getRouterInfoFile(RouterContext ctx, Hash hash) {
+        String b64 = hash.toBase64();
+        File dir = new File(ctx.getRouterDir(), ctx.getProperty(KademliaNetworkDatabaseFacade.PROP_DB_DIR, KademliaNetworkDatabaseFacade.DEFAULT_DB_DIR));
+        if (ctx.getBooleanProperty(PROP_FLAT))
+            return new File(dir, ROUTERINFO_PREFIX + b64 + ROUTERINFO_SUFFIX);
+        return new File(dir, DIR_PREFIX + b64.charAt(0) + File.separatorChar + ROUTERINFO_PREFIX + b64 + ROUTERINFO_SUFFIX);
+    }
     
-    static Hash getRouterInfoHash(String filename) {
+    private static Hash getRouterInfoHash(String filename) {
         return getHash(filename, ROUTERINFO_PREFIX, ROUTERINFO_SUFFIX);
     }
     
diff --git a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/startup/LoadRouterInfoJob.java b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/startup/LoadRouterInfoJob.java
index f58a1002c18559d8673a6ab1e5a115c4faf2e49d..1ddce12b9874e8c92322453ad3058caa7fd3216a 100644
--- a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/startup/LoadRouterInfoJob.java
+++ b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/startup/LoadRouterInfoJob.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import net.i2p.crypto.SigType;
 import net.i2p.data.Certificate;
 import net.i2p.data.DataFormatException;
 import net.i2p.data.DataHelper;
+import net.i2p.data.Hash;
 import net.i2p.data.PrivateKey;
 import net.i2p.data.PublicKey;
 import net.i2p.data.SigningPrivateKey;
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ import net.i2p.data.router.RouterPrivateKeyFile;
 import net.i2p.router.JobImpl;
 import net.i2p.router.Router;
 import net.i2p.router.RouterContext;
+import net.i2p.router.networkdb.kademlia.PersistentDataStore;
 import net.i2p.util.Log;
 
 /**
@@ -122,9 +124,18 @@ class LoadRouterInfoJob extends JobImpl {
                 }
 
                 if (sigTypeChanged || shouldRebuild(privkey)) {
+                    if (_us != null) {
+                        Hash h = _us.getIdentity().getHash();
+                        _log.logAlways(Log.WARN, "Deleting old router identity " + h.toBase64());
+                        // the netdb hasn't started yet, but we want to delete the RI
+                        File f = PersistentDataStore.getRouterInfoFile(getContext(), h);
+                        f.delete();
+                        // the banlist can be called at any time
+                        getContext().banlist().banlistRouterForever(h, "Our previous identity");
+                        _us = null;
+                    }
                     if (sigTypeChanged)
                         _log.logAlways(Log.WARN, "Rebuilding RouterInfo with new signature type " + cstype);
-                    _us = null;
                     // windows... close before deleting
                     if (fis1 != null) {
                         try { fis1.close(); } catch (IOException ioe) {}