diff --git a/bramble-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/api/contact/ContactManager.java b/bramble-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/api/contact/ContactManager.java
index 72c352206..ce07140fa 100644
--- a/bramble-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/api/contact/ContactManager.java
+++ b/bramble-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/api/contact/ContactManager.java
@@ -77,7 +77,8 @@ public interface ContactManager {
 	Collection<PendingContact> getPendingContacts();
 
 	/**
-	 * Removes a {@link PendingContact} that is in state {@link FAILED}.
+	 * Removes a {@link PendingContact} that is in state
+	 * {@link PendingContactState FAILED}.
 	 */
 	void removePendingContact(PendingContact pendingContact);
 
diff --git a/bramble-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/api/contact/PendingContact.java b/bramble-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/api/contact/PendingContact.java
index 7b77cd805..4989a11cf 100644
--- a/bramble-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/api/contact/PendingContact.java
+++ b/bramble-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/api/contact/PendingContact.java
@@ -9,13 +9,15 @@ import javax.annotation.concurrent.Immutable;
 public class PendingContact {
 
 	private final PendingContactId id;
+	private final byte[] publicKey;
 	private final String alias;
 	private final PendingContactState state;
 	private final long timestamp;
 
-	public PendingContact(PendingContactId id, String alias,
-			PendingContactState state, long timestamp) {
+	public PendingContact(PendingContactId id, byte[] publicKey,
+			String alias, PendingContactState state, long timestamp) {
 		this.id = id;
+		this.publicKey = publicKey;
 		this.alias = alias;
 		this.state = state;
 		this.timestamp = timestamp;
@@ -25,6 +27,10 @@ public class PendingContact {
 		return id;
 	}
 
+	public byte[] getPublicKey() {
+		return publicKey;
+	}
+
 	public String getAlias() {
 		return alias;
 	}
@@ -47,5 +53,4 @@ public class PendingContact {
 		return o instanceof PendingContact &&
 				id.equals(((PendingContact) o).id);
 	}
-
 }
diff --git a/bramble-api/src/test/java/org/briarproject/bramble/test/TestUtils.java b/bramble-api/src/test/java/org/briarproject/bramble/test/TestUtils.java
index 4c4d77ae6..550fefbb5 100644
--- a/bramble-api/src/test/java/org/briarproject/bramble/test/TestUtils.java
+++ b/bramble-api/src/test/java/org/briarproject/bramble/test/TestUtils.java
@@ -149,8 +149,10 @@ public class TestUtils {
 
 	public static PendingContact getPendingContact(int nameLength) {
 		PendingContactId id = new PendingContactId(getRandomId());
+		byte[] publicKey = getRandomBytes(MAX_PUBLIC_KEY_LENGTH);
 		String alias = getRandomString(nameLength);
-		return new PendingContact(id, alias, WAITING_FOR_CONNECTION, timestamp);
+		return new PendingContact(id, publicKey, alias, WAITING_FOR_CONNECTION,
+				timestamp);
 	}
 
 	public static double getMedian(Collection<? extends Number> samples) {
diff --git a/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/contact/ContactManagerImpl.java b/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/contact/ContactManagerImpl.java
index 3d9c0790f..a0f0c4351 100644
--- a/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/contact/ContactManagerImpl.java
+++ b/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/contact/ContactManagerImpl.java
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import javax.inject.Inject;
 import static java.util.Collections.emptyList;
 import static org.briarproject.bramble.api.contact.PendingContactState.WAITING_FOR_CONNECTION;
 import static org.briarproject.bramble.api.identity.AuthorConstants.MAX_AUTHOR_NAME_LENGTH;
+import static org.briarproject.bramble.api.identity.AuthorConstants.MAX_PUBLIC_KEY_LENGTH;
 import static org.briarproject.bramble.api.identity.AuthorInfo.Status.OURSELVES;
 import static org.briarproject.bramble.api.identity.AuthorInfo.Status.UNKNOWN;
 import static org.briarproject.bramble.api.identity.AuthorInfo.Status.UNVERIFIED;
@@ -123,8 +124,8 @@ class ContactManagerImpl implements ContactManager {
 	public PendingContact addRemoteContactRequest(String link, String alias) {
 		// TODO replace with real implementation
 		PendingContactId id = new PendingContactId(link.getBytes());
-		return new PendingContact(id, alias, WAITING_FOR_CONNECTION,
-				System.currentTimeMillis());
+		return new PendingContact(id, new byte[MAX_PUBLIC_KEY_LENGTH], alias,
+				WAITING_FOR_CONNECTION, System.currentTimeMillis());
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/db/JdbcDatabase.java b/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/db/JdbcDatabase.java
index 6b51253a3..1f532b39d 100644
--- a/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/db/JdbcDatabase.java
+++ b/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/db/JdbcDatabase.java
@@ -291,6 +291,7 @@ abstract class JdbcDatabase implements Database<Connection> {
 	private static final String CREATE_PENDING_CONTACTS =
 			"CREATE TABLE pendingContacts"
 					+ " (pendingContactId _HASH NOT NULL,"
+					+ " publicKey _BINARY NOT NULL,"
 					+ " alias _STRING NOT NULL,"
 					+ " state INT NOT NULL,"
 					+ " timestamp BIGINT NOT NULL,"
@@ -1057,13 +1058,14 @@ abstract class JdbcDatabase implements Database<Connection> {
 		PreparedStatement ps = null;
 		try {
 			String sql = "INSERT INTO pendingContacts (pendingContactId,"
-					+ " alias, state, timestamp)"
-					+ " VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?)";
+					+ " publicKey, alias, state, timestamp)"
+					+ " VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?)";
 			ps = txn.prepareStatement(sql);
 			ps.setBytes(1, p.getId().getBytes());
-			ps.setString(2, p.getAlias());
-			ps.setInt(3, p.getState().getValue());
-			ps.setLong(4, p.getTimestamp());
+			ps.setBytes(2, p.getPublicKey());
+			ps.setString(3, p.getAlias());
+			ps.setInt(4, p.getState().getValue());
+			ps.setLong(5, p.getTimestamp());
 			int affected = ps.executeUpdate();
 			if (affected != 1) throw new DbStateException();
 			ps.close();
@@ -2372,19 +2374,21 @@ abstract class JdbcDatabase implements Database<Connection> {
 		Statement s = null;
 		ResultSet rs = null;
 		try {
-			String sql = "SELECT pendingContactId, alias, state, timestamp"
+			String sql = "SELECT pendingContactId, publicKey, alias, state,"
+					+ " timestamp"
 					+ " FROM pendingContacts";
 			s = txn.createStatement();
 			rs = s.executeQuery(sql);
 			List<PendingContact> pendingContacts = new ArrayList<>();
 			while (rs.next()) {
 				PendingContactId id = new PendingContactId(rs.getBytes(1));
-				String alias = rs.getString(2);
+				byte[] publicKey = rs.getBytes(2);
+				String alias = rs.getString(3);
 				PendingContactState state =
-						PendingContactState.fromValue(rs.getInt(3));
-				long timestamp = rs.getLong(4);
-				pendingContacts.add(new PendingContact(id, alias, state,
-						timestamp));
+						PendingContactState.fromValue(rs.getInt(4));
+				long timestamp = rs.getLong(5);
+				pendingContacts.add(new PendingContact(id, publicKey, alias,
+						state, timestamp));
 			}
 			rs.close();
 			s.close();
diff --git a/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/db/Migration41_42.java b/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/db/Migration41_42.java
index 62d4c0705..9a9f01633 100644
--- a/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/db/Migration41_42.java
+++ b/bramble-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/bramble/db/Migration41_42.java
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ class Migration41_42 implements Migration<Connection> {
 					+ " DROP COLUMN contactId");
 			s.execute(dbTypes.replaceTypes("CREATE TABLE pendingContacts"
 					+ " (pendingContactId _HASH NOT NULL,"
+					+ " publicKey _BINARY NOT NULL,"
 					+ " alias _STRING NOT NULL,"
 					+ " state INT NOT NULL,"
 					+ " timestamp BIGINT NOT NULL,"