diff --git a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/startup/CreateRouterInfoJob.java b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/startup/CreateRouterInfoJob.java
index 5fbce84cd6a06133c6027ad6da0c47ab0f3c0cd5..459cd0fb3ae2a8d07959a34cd208efb562cd1124 100644
--- a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/startup/CreateRouterInfoJob.java
+++ b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/startup/CreateRouterInfoJob.java
@@ -98,9 +98,9 @@ public class CreateRouterInfoJob extends JobImpl {
             
             _log.info("Router info created and stored at " + ifile.getAbsolutePath() + " with private keys stored at " + kfile.getAbsolutePath() + " [" + info + "]");
         } catch (DataFormatException dfe) {
-            _log.error("Error building the new router information", dfe);
+            _log.log(Log.CRIT, "Error building the new router information", dfe);
         } catch (IOException ioe) {
-            _log.error("Error writing out the new router information", ioe);
+            _log.log(Log.CRIT, "Error writing out the new router information", ioe);
         } finally {
             if (fos1 != null) try { fos1.close(); } catch (IOException ioe) {}
             if (fos2 != null) try { fos2.close(); } catch (IOException ioe) {}
diff --git a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/startup/LoadRouterInfoJob.java b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/startup/LoadRouterInfoJob.java
index f3428c4474886f08dc6a8b9edca93cf5fcf6f086..94b4f1d2eda8bc2227827cd91ae2299b4ba6c48a 100644
--- a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/startup/LoadRouterInfoJob.java
+++ b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/startup/LoadRouterInfoJob.java
@@ -68,11 +68,18 @@ public class LoadRouterInfoJob extends JobImpl {
         FileInputStream fis1 = null;
         FileInputStream fis2 = null;
         try {
-            if (_infoExists) {
+            // if we have a routerinfo but no keys, things go bad in a hurry:
+            // CRIT   ...rkdb.PublishLocalRouterInfoJob: Internal error - signing private key not known?  rescheduling publish for 30s
+            // CRIT      net.i2p.router.Router         : Internal error - signing private key not known?  wtf
+            // CRIT   ...sport.udp.EstablishmentManager: Error in the establisher java.lang.NullPointerException
+            // at net.i2p.router.transport.udp.PacketBuilder.buildSessionConfirmedPacket(PacketBuilder.java:574)
+            // so pretend the RI isn't there if there is no keyfile
+            if (_infoExists && _keysExist) {
                 fis1 = new FileInputStream(rif);
                 info = new RouterInfo();
                 info.readBytes(fis1);
                 _log.debug("Reading in routerInfo from " + rif.getAbsolutePath() + " and it has " + info.getAddresses().size() + " addresses");
+                _us = info;
             }
             
             if (_keysExist) {
@@ -91,17 +98,15 @@ public class LoadRouterInfoJob extends JobImpl {
                 getContext().keyManager().setPublicKey(pubkey); //info.getIdentity().getPublicKey());
                 getContext().keyManager().setSigningPublicKey(signingPubKey); // info.getIdentity().getSigningPublicKey());
             }
-            
-            _us = info;
         } catch (IOException ioe) {
-            _log.error("Error reading the router info from " + rif.getAbsolutePath() + " and the keys from " + rkf.getAbsolutePath(), ioe);
+            _log.log(Log.CRIT, "Error reading the router info from " + rif.getAbsolutePath() + " and the keys from " + rkf.getAbsolutePath(), ioe);
             _us = null;
             rif.delete();
             rkf.delete();
             _infoExists = false;
             _keysExist = false;
         } catch (DataFormatException dfe) {
-            _log.error("Corrupt router info or keys at " + rif.getAbsolutePath() + " / " + rkf.getAbsolutePath(), dfe);
+            _log.log(Log.CRIT, "Corrupt router info or keys at " + rif.getAbsolutePath() + " / " + rkf.getAbsolutePath(), dfe);
             _us = null;
             rif.delete();
             rkf.delete();
diff --git a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/startup/RebuildRouterInfoJob.java b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/startup/RebuildRouterInfoJob.java
index fda82de8e595e3a84fb3a6999406de0c7995f27a..e3daf60ea44d7fec76f55b3b11eef195c44d1936 100644
--- a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/startup/RebuildRouterInfoJob.java
+++ b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/startup/RebuildRouterInfoJob.java
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ public class RebuildRouterInfoJob extends JobImpl {
                     ident.setSigningPublicKey(signingPubKey);
                     info.setIdentity(ident);
                 } catch (Exception e) {
-                    _log.error("Error reading in the key data from " + keyFile.getAbsolutePath(), e);
+                    _log.log(Log.CRIT, "Error reading in the key data from " + keyFile.getAbsolutePath(), e);
                     if (fis != null) try { fis.close(); } catch (IOException ioe) {}
                     fis = null;
                     keyFile.delete();
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ public class RebuildRouterInfoJob extends JobImpl {
                 
                 info.sign(getContext().keyManager().getSigningPrivateKey());
             } catch (DataFormatException dfe) {
-                _log.error("Error rebuilding the new router info", dfe);
+                _log.log(Log.CRIT, "Error rebuilding the new router info", dfe);
                 return;
             }
             
@@ -138,9 +138,9 @@ public class RebuildRouterInfoJob extends JobImpl {
                 fos = new FileOutputStream(infoFile);
                 info.writeBytes(fos);
             } catch (DataFormatException dfe) {
-                _log.error("Error rebuilding the router information", dfe);
+                _log.log(Log.CRIT, "Error rebuilding the router information", dfe);
             } catch (IOException ioe) {
-                _log.error("Error writing out the rebuilt router information", ioe);
+                _log.log(Log.CRIT, "Error writing out the rebuilt router information", ioe);
             } finally {
                 if (fos != null) try { fos.close(); } catch (IOException ioe) {}
             }