diff --git a/src/protocol_key.c b/src/protocol_key.c
index b409a357..dd547047 100644
--- a/src/protocol_key.c
+++ b/src/protocol_key.c
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ bool ans_key_h(connection_t *c, const char *request) {
 	cipher_close(from->outcipher);
 	digest_close(from->outdigest);
 #endif
-	from->status.validkey = false;
+	if (!from->status.sptps) from->status.validkey = false;
 
 	if(compression < 0 || compression > 11) {
 		logger(DEBUG_ALWAYS, LOG_ERR, "Node %s (%s) uses bogus compression level!", from->name, from->hostname);