diff --git a/llarp/link/link_manager.cpp b/llarp/link/link_manager.cpp
index 38369a332..6bb9cf94a 100644
--- a/llarp/link/link_manager.cpp
+++ b/llarp/link/link_manager.cpp
@@ -656,7 +656,7 @@ namespace llarp
       btdc.required("local");
       auto rc_dict = btdc.consume_dict_data();
       log::critical(logcat, "incoming dict data: {}", oxenc::to_hex(rc_dict));
-      remote = RemoteRC{oxenc::bt_dict_consumer{rc_dict}};
+      remote = RemoteRC{rc_dict};
       quantity = btdc.require<size_t>("quantity");
     }
     catch (const std::exception& e)
@@ -808,10 +808,10 @@ namespace llarp
     {
       auto btlp = btdp.append_list("routers");
 
-      const auto& known_rcs = node_db->get_known_rcs();
+      const auto& known_rids = node_db->get_known_rids();
 
-      for (const auto& rc : known_rcs)
-        btlp.append_encoded(rc.view());
+      for (const auto& rid : known_rids)
+        btlp.append(rid.ToView());
     }
 
     btdp.append_signature("signature", [this](ustring_view to_sign) {
diff --git a/llarp/router_contact.cpp b/llarp/router_contact.cpp
index 585e72f99..7f1280f7a 100644
--- a/llarp/router_contact.cpp
+++ b/llarp/router_contact.cpp
@@ -61,12 +61,14 @@ namespace llarp
           "Invalid RC netid: expected {}, got {}; this is an RC for a different network!"_format(
               ACTIVE_NETID, netid)};
 
-    auto pk = data.require<std::string_view>("p");
+    _router_id.from_string(data.require<std::string_view>("p"));
 
-    if (pk.size() != RouterID::SIZE)
-      throw std::runtime_error{"Invalid RC: router id has invalid size {}"_format(pk.size())};
+    // auto pk = data.require<std::string_view>("p");
 
-    std::memcpy(_router_id.data(), pk.data(), RouterID::SIZE);
+    // if (pk.size() != RouterID::SIZE)
+    //   throw std::runtime_error{"Invalid RC: router id has invalid size {}"_format(pk.size())};
+
+    // std::memcpy(_router_id.data(), pk.data(), RouterID::SIZE);
 
     _timestamp = rc_time{std::chrono::seconds{data.require<int64_t>("t")}};