diff --git a/internal/client/client.go b/internal/client/client.go
index da33501..1bc5c48 100644
--- a/internal/client/client.go
+++ b/internal/client/client.go
@@ -3,8 +3,11 @@ package client
 import (
 	"context"
 	"crypto/ed25519"
+	"crypto/rand"
 	"encoding/base64"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"log/slog"
 	"net"
 
@@ -19,16 +22,12 @@ import (
 const (
 	// DefaultConfigDir is the default directory for the dsfxctl configuration.
 	DefaultConfigDir = "/etc/dsfxctl"
-	// DefaultHost is the default host for the dsfxctl application.
-	DefaultHost = "0.0.0.0"
 )
 
 // Conf holds the configuration for the dsfxctl application.
 type Conf struct {
 	// Directories
 	ConfigDir string
-	// Networking
-	Host string
 }
 
 func loadConfigFromSystem(sys system.System) Conf {
@@ -39,11 +38,6 @@ func loadConfigFromSystem(sys system.System) Conf {
 		c.ConfigDir = DefaultConfigDir
 	}
 
-	c.Host = sys.GetEnv("DSFXCTL_HOST")
-	if c.Host == "" {
-		c.Host = DefaultHost
-	}
-
 	return c
 }
 
@@ -81,10 +75,16 @@ func (a *Client) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 
 	opts := &slog.HandlerOptions{
 		AddSource: false,
-		Level:     slog.LevelDebug,
+		Level:     slog.LevelInfo,
 	}
 	logger := slog.New(slog.NewTextHandler(a.system.Stdout(), opts))
 
+	err := a.disk.MkdirAll(a.conf.ConfigDir, 0755)
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.ErrorContext(ctx, "failed to create config directory", slog.Any("error", err))
+		return err
+	}
+
 	// Everything in the application will attempt to use the logger in stored in
 	// the context, but we also set the default with slog as a fallback. In cases
 	// where the context is not available, or the context is not a child of the
@@ -92,43 +92,11 @@ func (a *Client) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 	slog.SetDefault(logger)
 	ctx = logging.WithContext(ctx, logger)
 
-	keyFile, err := a.configScope.Open("key")
+	id, err := a.loadIdentity()
 	if err != nil {
-		logger.WarnContext(ctx, "key file is missing, reinitializing")
-		logger.WarnContext(ctx, "if this is your first time running dsfxctl, you can ignore this")
-	}
-	if keyFile == nil {
-		logger.InfoContext(ctx, "generating new key")
-		keyFile, err = a.configScope.Create("key")
-		if err != nil {
-			logger.ErrorContext(ctx, "failed to create key file", slog.Any("error", err))
-			return err
-		}
-		privkey, err := identity.Generate()
-		if err != nil {
-			logger.ErrorContext(ctx, "failed to generate key", slog.Any("error", err))
-			return err
-		}
-
-		_, err = keyFile.Write([]byte(base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(privkey)))
-		if err != nil {
-			logger.ErrorContext(ctx, "failed to write key", slog.Any("error", err))
-			return err
-		}
-	}
-	defer keyFile.Close()
-
-	keyRaw := make([]byte, ed25519.PrivateKeySize)
-	n, err := keyFile.Read(keyRaw)
-	if err != nil {
-		logger.ErrorContext(ctx, "failed to read key file", slog.Any("error", err))
+		logger.ErrorContext(ctx, "failed to load identity", slog.Any("error", err))
 		return err
 	}
-	if n != ed25519.PrivateKeySize {
-		logger.ErrorContext(ctx, "key file is not the correct size", slog.Int("size", n))
-		return err
-	}
-	id := ed25519.PrivateKey(keyRaw)
 
 	laddr := network.NewAddr(
 		net.ParseIP("0.0.0.0"),
@@ -171,3 +139,75 @@ func testConnection(ctx context.Context, id ed25519.PrivateKey, laddr *network.A
 	}
 	defer conn.Close()
 }
+
+// loadIdentity ...
+func (c *Client) loadIdentity() (ed25519.PrivateKey, error) {
+	hasKeyFile, err := c.hasKeyFile()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to check for admins file: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if !hasKeyFile {
+		if err := c.createKeyFile(); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create admins file: %w", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return c.readKeyFile()
+}
+
+// hasKeyFile ...
+func (c *Client) hasKeyFile() (bool, error) {
+	f, err := c.configScope.Open("ed25519.key")
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+
+	return true, nil
+}
+
+// createKeyFile ...
+func (c *Client) createKeyFile() error {
+	f, err := c.configScope.Create("ed25519.key")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+
+	_, privateKey, err := ed25519.GenerateKey(rand.Reader)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	_, err = f.Write([]byte(base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(privateKey)))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// readKeyFile ...
+func (c *Client) readKeyFile() (ed25519.PrivateKey, error) {
+	f, err := c.configScope.Open("ed25519.key")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+
+	keyRawBase64, err := io.ReadAll(f)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	keyRaw, err := base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(string(keyRawBase64))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to decode key: %w", err)
+	}
+	if len(keyRaw) != ed25519.PrivateKeySize {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("key file is not the correct size: %d", len(keyRaw))
+	}
+
+	return ed25519.PrivateKey(keyRaw), nil
+}