diff --git a/lix/libstore/local-store.cc b/lix/libstore/local-store.cc
index efb85ad60..82e2e8a9a 100644
--- a/lix/libstore/local-store.cc
+++ b/lix/libstore/local-store.cc
@@ -173,6 +173,7 @@ void migrateCASchema(SQLite& db, Path schemaPath, AutoCloseFD& lockFd)
 LocalStore::LocalStore(LocalStoreConfig config)
     : Store(config)
     , config_(std::move(config))
+    , publicKeys(getDefaultPublicKeys())
     , dbDir(config_.stateDir + "/db")
     , linksDir(config_.realStoreDir + "/.links")
     , reservedSpacePath(dbDir + "/reserved")
@@ -1181,22 +1182,14 @@ void LocalStore::invalidatePath(State & state, const StorePath & path)
     }
 }
 
-const PublicKeys & LocalStore::getPublicKeys()
-{
-    auto state(_state.lock());
-    if (!state->publicKeys)
-        state->publicKeys = std::make_unique<PublicKeys>(getDefaultPublicKeys());
-    return *state->publicKeys;
-}
-
 bool LocalStore::pathInfoIsUntrusted(const ValidPathInfo & info)
 {
-    return config_.requireSigs && !info.checkSignatures(*this, getPublicKeys());
+    return config_.requireSigs && !info.checkSignatures(*this, publicKeys);
 }
 
 bool LocalStore::realisationIsUntrusted(const Realisation & realisation)
 {
-    return config_.requireSigs && !realisation.checkSignatures(getPublicKeys());
+    return config_.requireSigs && !realisation.checkSignatures(publicKeys);
 }
 
 void LocalStore::addToStore(const ValidPathInfo & info, Source & source,
diff --git a/lix/libstore/local-store.hh b/lix/libstore/local-store.hh
index 0b8df601c..13b1f8b06 100644
--- a/lix/libstore/local-store.hh
+++ b/lix/libstore/local-store.hh
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ private:
      */
     AutoCloseFD globalLock;
 
+    const PublicKeys publicKeys;
+
     struct State
     {
         /**
@@ -110,8 +112,6 @@ private:
          * point in starting a new GC.
          */
         uint64_t availAfterGC = std::numeric_limits<uint64_t>::max();
-
-        std::unique_ptr<PublicKeys> publicKeys;
     };
 
     Sync<State> _state;
@@ -129,10 +129,6 @@ public:
     LocalStoreConfig & config() override { return config_; }
     const LocalStoreConfig & config() const override { return config_; }
 
-private:
-
-    const PublicKeys & getPublicKeys();
-
 protected:
 
     /**