diff --git a/include/fc/exception/exception.hpp b/include/fc/exception/exception.hpp
index 968d9d0..805ceaa 100644
--- a/include/fc/exception/exception.hpp
+++ b/include/fc/exception/exception.hpp
@@ -48,12 +48,12 @@ namespace fc
           *   and other information that is generally only useful for
           *   developers.
           */
-         string to_detail_string( log_level ll = log_level::all )const;
+         std::string to_detail_string( log_level ll = log_level::all )const;
 
          /**
           *   Generates a user-friendly error report.
           */
-         string to_string( log_level ll = log_level::info  )const;
+         std::string to_string( log_level ll = log_level::info  )const;
 
          /**
           *  Throw this exception as its most derived type. 
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ namespace fc
   FC_DECLARE_EXCEPTION( assert_exception, "Assert Exception" );
   FC_DECLARE_EXCEPTION( eof_exception, "End Of File" );
 
-  fc::string except_str();
+  std::string except_str();
 
 
 } // namespace fc
diff --git a/src/crypto/elliptic.cpp b/src/crypto/elliptic.cpp
index 704f5cb..68f7ad6 100644
--- a/src/crypto/elliptic.cpp
+++ b/src/crypto/elliptic.cpp
@@ -389,11 +389,15 @@ namespace fc { namespace ecc {
     public_key::public_key( const public_key_data& dat )
     {
       const char* front = &dat.data[0];
-      my->_key = EC_KEY_new_by_curve_name( NID_secp256k1 );
-      my->_key = o2i_ECPublicKey( &my->_key, (const unsigned char**)&front, sizeof(public_key_data) );
-      if( !my->_key ) 
+      if( *front == 0 ){}
+      else
       {
-        FC_THROW_EXCEPTION( exception, "error decoding public key", ("s", ERR_error_string( ERR_get_error(), nullptr) ) );
+         my->_key = EC_KEY_new_by_curve_name( NID_secp256k1 );
+         my->_key = o2i_ECPublicKey( &my->_key, (const unsigned char**)&front, sizeof(public_key_data) );
+         if( !my->_key ) 
+         {
+           FC_THROW_EXCEPTION( exception, "error decoding public key", ("s", ERR_error_string( ERR_get_error(), nullptr) ) );
+         }
       }
     }