diff --git a/src/keys.c b/src/keys.c
index 9fb76efd..479f41f7 100644
--- a/src/keys.c
+++ b/src/keys.c
@@ -264,239 +264,6 @@ error:
   return NULL;
 }
 
-#ifdef HAVE_LIBGCRYPT
-static int dsa_public_to_string(gcry_sexp_t key, ssh_buffer buffer) {
-#elif defined HAVE_LIBCRYPTO
-static int dsa_public_to_string(DSA *key, ssh_buffer buffer) {
-#endif
-  ssh_string p = NULL;
-  ssh_string q = NULL;
-  ssh_string g = NULL;
-  ssh_string n = NULL;
-
-  int rc = -1;
-
-#ifdef HAVE_LIBGCRYPT
-  const char *tmp = NULL;
-  size_t size;
-  gcry_sexp_t sexp;
-
-  sexp = gcry_sexp_find_token(key, "p", 0);
-  if (sexp == NULL) {
-    goto error;
-  }
-  tmp = gcry_sexp_nth_data(sexp, 1, &size);
-  p = ssh_string_new(size);
-  if (p == NULL) {
-    goto error;
-  }
-  ssh_string_fill(p, (char *) tmp, size);
-  gcry_sexp_release(sexp);
-
-  sexp = gcry_sexp_find_token(key, "q", 0);
-  if (sexp == NULL) {
-    goto error;
-  }
-  tmp = gcry_sexp_nth_data(sexp, 1, &size);
-  q = ssh_string_new(size);
-  if (q == NULL) {
-    goto error;
-  }
-  ssh_string_fill(q, (char *) tmp, size);
-  gcry_sexp_release(sexp);
-
-  sexp = gcry_sexp_find_token(key, "g", 0);
-  if (sexp == NULL) {
-    goto error;
-  }
-  tmp = gcry_sexp_nth_data(sexp, 1, &size);
-  g = ssh_string_new(size);
-  if (g == NULL) {
-    goto error;
-  }
-  ssh_string_fill(g, (char *) tmp, size);
-  gcry_sexp_release(sexp);
-
-  sexp = gcry_sexp_find_token(key, "y", 0);
-  if (sexp == NULL) {
-    goto error;
-  }
-  tmp = gcry_sexp_nth_data(sexp, 1, &size);
-  n = ssh_string_new(size);
-  if (n == NULL) {
-    goto error;
-  }
-  ssh_string_fill(n, (char *) tmp, size);
-
-#elif defined HAVE_LIBCRYPTO
-  p = make_bignum_string(key->p);
-  q = make_bignum_string(key->q);
-  g = make_bignum_string(key->g);
-  n = make_bignum_string(key->pub_key);
-  if (p == NULL || q == NULL || g == NULL || n == NULL) {
-    goto error;
-  }
-#endif /* HAVE_LIBCRYPTO */
-  if (buffer_add_ssh_string(buffer, p) < 0) {
-    goto error;
-  }
-  if (buffer_add_ssh_string(buffer, q) < 0) {
-    goto error;
-  }
-  if (buffer_add_ssh_string(buffer, g) < 0) {
-    goto error;
-  }
-  if (buffer_add_ssh_string(buffer, n) < 0) {
-    goto error;
-  }
-
-  rc = 0;
-error:
-#ifdef HAVE_LIBGCRYPT
-  gcry_sexp_release(sexp);
-#endif
-
-  ssh_string_burn(p);
-  ssh_string_free(p);
-  ssh_string_burn(q);
-  ssh_string_free(q);
-  ssh_string_burn(g);
-  ssh_string_free(g);
-  ssh_string_burn(n);
-  ssh_string_free(n);
-
-  return rc;
-#if defined(HAVE_LIBGCRYPT) || defined(HAVE_LIBCRYPTO)
-}
-#endif
-
-#ifdef HAVE_LIBGCRYPT
-static int rsa_public_to_string(gcry_sexp_t key, ssh_buffer buffer) {
-#elif defined HAVE_LIBCRYPTO
-static int rsa_public_to_string(RSA *key, ssh_buffer buffer) {
-#endif
-
-  ssh_string e = NULL;
-  ssh_string n = NULL;
-
-  int rc = -1;
-
-#ifdef HAVE_LIBGCRYPT
-  const char *tmp;
-  size_t size;
-  gcry_sexp_t sexp;
-
-  sexp = gcry_sexp_find_token(key, "n", 0);
-  if (sexp == NULL) {
-    goto error;
-  }
-  tmp = gcry_sexp_nth_data(sexp, 1, &size);
-  n = ssh_string_new(size);
-  if (n == NULL) {
-    goto error;
-  }
-  ssh_string_fill(n, (char *) tmp, size);
-  gcry_sexp_release(sexp);
-
-  sexp = gcry_sexp_find_token(key, "e", 0);
-  if (sexp == NULL) {
-    goto error;
-  }
-  tmp = gcry_sexp_nth_data(sexp, 1, &size);
-  e = ssh_string_new(size);
-  if (e == NULL) {
-    goto error;
-  }
-  ssh_string_fill(e, (char *) tmp, size);
-
-#elif defined HAVE_LIBCRYPTO
-  e = make_bignum_string(key->e);
-  n = make_bignum_string(key->n);
-  if (e == NULL || n == NULL) {
-    goto error;
-  }
-#endif
-
-  if (buffer_add_ssh_string(buffer, e) < 0) {
-    goto error;
-  }
-  if (buffer_add_ssh_string(buffer, n) < 0) {
-    goto error;
-  }
-
-  rc = 0;
-error:
-#ifdef HAVE_LIBGCRYPT
-  gcry_sexp_release(sexp);
-#endif
-
-  ssh_string_burn(e);
-  ssh_string_free(e);
-  ssh_string_burn(n);
-  ssh_string_free(n);
-
-  return rc;
-#if defined(HAVE_LIBGCRYPT) || defined(HAVE_LIBCRYPTO)
-}
-#endif
-
-/**
- * @brief Convert a public_key object into a a SSH string.
- *
- * @param[in]  key      The public key to convert.
- *
- * @returns             An allocated SSH String containing the public key, NULL
- *                      on error.
- *
- * @see string_free()
- */
-ssh_string publickey_to_string(ssh_public_key key) {
-  ssh_string type = NULL;
-  ssh_string ret = NULL;
-  ssh_buffer buf = NULL;
-
-  buf = ssh_buffer_new();
-  if (buf == NULL) {
-    return NULL;
-  }
-
-  type = ssh_string_from_char(key->type_c);
-  if (type == NULL) {
-    goto error;
-  }
-
-  if (buffer_add_ssh_string(buf, type) < 0) {
-    goto error;
-  }
-
-  switch (key->type) {
-    case SSH_KEYTYPE_DSS:
-      if (dsa_public_to_string(key->dsa_pub, buf) < 0) {
-        goto error;
-      }
-      break;
-    case SSH_KEYTYPE_RSA:
-    case SSH_KEYTYPE_RSA1:
-      if (rsa_public_to_string(key->rsa_pub, buf) < 0) {
-        goto error;
-      }
-      break;
-  }
-
-  ret = ssh_string_new(buffer_get_rest_len(buf));
-  if (ret == NULL) {
-    goto error;
-  }
-
-  ssh_string_fill(ret, buffer_get_rest(buf), buffer_get_rest_len(buf));
-error:
-  ssh_buffer_free(buf);
-  if(type != NULL)
-  	ssh_string_free(type);
-
-  return ret;
-}
-
 /* Signature decoding functions */
 ssh_string signature_to_string(SIGNATURE *sign) {
   unsigned char buffer[40] = {0};
diff --git a/src/legacy.c b/src/legacy.c
index c021a4b5..ac9ace14 100644
--- a/src/legacy.c
+++ b/src/legacy.c
@@ -381,6 +381,29 @@ ssh_public_key publickey_from_string(ssh_session session, ssh_string pubkey_s) {
     return pubkey;
 }
 
+ssh_string publickey_to_string(ssh_public_key pubkey) {
+    ssh_key key;
+    ssh_string key_blob;
+
+    key = ssh_key_new();
+    if (key == NULL) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    key->type = pubkey->type;
+    key->type_c = pubkey->type_c;
+
+    key->dsa = pubkey->dsa_pub;
+    key->rsa = pubkey->rsa_pub;
+
+    key_blob = ssh_pki_publickey_to_blob(key);
+
+    key->dsa = NULL;
+    key->rsa = NULL;
+    ssh_key_free(key);
+
+    return key_blob;
+}
 /****************************************************************************
  * SERVER SUPPORT
  ****************************************************************************/