diff --git a/src/cli/commands/key/gen.js b/src/cli/commands/key/gen.js
index a3f108eeaa..20ab31a915 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/key/gen.js
+++ b/src/cli/commands/key/gen.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ module.exports = {
       if (err) {
         throw err
       }
-      print(`generated ${key.id} ${key.name}`)
+      print(key.id)
     })
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/key/list.js b/src/cli/commands/key/list.js
index d50db99697..205befda56 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/key/list.js
+++ b/src/cli/commands/key/list.js
@@ -7,14 +7,25 @@ module.exports = {
 
   describe: 'List all local keys',
 
-  builder: {},
+  builder: {
+    long: {
+      alias: 'l',
+      describe: 'Show extra information about keys',
+      default: false
+    }
+  },
 
   handler (argv) {
     argv.ipfs.key.list((err, keys) => {
       if (err) {
         throw err
       }
-      keys.forEach((ki) => print(`${ki.id} ${ki.name}`))
+
+      if (argv.long) {
+        keys.forEach((ki) => print(`${ki.id} ${ki.name}`))
+      } else {
+        keys.forEach((ki) => print(ki.name))
+      }
     })
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/core/components/init.js b/src/core/components/init.js
index eb91a09979..11ee38f61b 100644
--- a/src/core/components/init.js
+++ b/src/core/components/init.js
@@ -83,9 +83,9 @@ module.exports = function init (self) {
           PrivKey: peerId.privKey.bytes.toString('base64')
         }
         privateKey = peerId.privKey
-        if (opts.pass) {
-          config.Keychain = Keychain.generateOptions()
-        }
+
+        config.Keychain = Keychain.generateOptions()
+
         opts.log('done')
         opts.log('peer identity: ' + config.Identity.PeerID)
 
@@ -94,14 +94,10 @@ module.exports = function init (self) {
       (_, cb) => self._repo.open(cb),
       (cb) => {
         self.log('repo opened')
-        if (opts.pass) {
-          self.log('creating keychain')
-          const keychainOptions = Object.assign({passPhrase: opts.pass}, config.Keychain)
-          self._keychain = new Keychain(self._repo.keys, keychainOptions)
-          self._keychain.importPeer('self', { privKey: privateKey }, cb)
-        } else {
-          cb(null, true)
-        }
+        self.log('creating keychain')
+        const keychainOptions = Object.assign({passPhrase: opts.pass}, config.Keychain)
+        self._keychain = new Keychain(self._repo.keys, keychainOptions)
+        self._keychain.importPeer('self', { privKey: privateKey }, cb)
       },
       // add empty unixfs dir object (go-ipfs assumes this exists)
       (_, cb) => {
diff --git a/src/core/components/no-keychain.js b/src/core/components/no-keychain.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 6f07f4068e..0000000000
--- a/src/core/components/no-keychain.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,24 +0,0 @@
-'use strict'
-
-function fail () {
-  throw new Error('Key management requires \'--pass ...\' option')
-}
-
-class NoKeychain {
-  static get options () { fail() }
-  static generateOptions () { fail() }
-
-  createKey () { fail() }
-  listKeys () { fail() }
-  findKeyById () { fail() }
-  findKeyByName () { fail() }
-  renameKey () { fail() }
-  removeKey () { fail() }
-  exportKey () { fail() }
-  importKey () { fail() }
-  importPeer () { fail() }
-
-  get cms () { fail() }
-}
-
-module.exports = NoKeychain
diff --git a/src/core/components/pre-start.js b/src/core/components/pre-start.js
index ed30190a0a..766dd8505b 100644
--- a/src/core/components/pre-start.js
+++ b/src/core/components/pre-start.js
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ const multiaddr = require('multiaddr')
 const waterfall = require('async/waterfall')
 const Keychain = require('libp2p-keychain')
 const extend = require('deep-extend')
-const NoKeychain = require('./no-keychain')
 /*
  * Load stuff from Repo into memory
  */
@@ -45,15 +44,10 @@ module.exports = function preStart (self) {
       },
       (config, cb) => {
         // Construct the keychain
-        if (self._keychain) {
-          // most likely an init or upgrade has happened
-        } else if (pass) {
+        if (!self._keychain) {
           const keychainOptions = Object.assign({passPhrase: pass}, config.Keychain)
           self._keychain = new Keychain(self._repo.keys, keychainOptions)
           self.log('keychain constructed')
-        } else {
-          self._keychain = new NoKeychain()
-          self.log('no keychain, use --pass')
         }
         cb(null, config)
       },
diff --git a/test/cli/key.js b/test/cli/key.js
index 8a39c4919c..b365905c0c 100644
--- a/test/cli/key.js
+++ b/test/cli/key.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ const expect = require('chai').expect
 const runOnAndOff = require('../utils/on-and-off')
 const hat = require('hat')
 
-describe('key', () => runOnAndOff.off((thing) => {
+describe.only('key', () => runOnAndOff.off((thing) => {
   const name = 'test-key-' + hat()
   const newName = 'test-key-' + hat()
   const pass = '--pass ' + hat()
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ describe('key', () => runOnAndOff.off((thing) => {
     this.timeout(40 * 1000)
 
     return ipfs(`${pass} key gen ${name} --type rsa --size 2048`)
+      .then(() => ipfs(`${pass} key list -l`))
       .then((out) => {
         expect(out).to.include(name)
       })
@@ -33,6 +34,15 @@ describe('key', () => runOnAndOff.off((thing) => {
       })
   })
 
+  it('list without password', function () {
+    this.timeout(20 * 1000)
+
+    return ipfs(`key list`)
+      .then((out) => {
+        expect(out).to.include(name)
+      })
+  })
+
   it('rename', function () {
     this.timeout(20 * 1000)