diff --git a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/common/Buffer.java b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/common/Buffer.java
index 55a2dd42..b3b8c9e5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/common/Buffer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/common/Buffer.java
@@ -426,8 +426,18 @@ public class Buffer<T extends Buffer<T>> {
     public PublicKey readPublicKey()
             throws BufferException {
         try {
-            final String type = readString();
-            return KeyType.fromString(type).readPubKeyFromBuffer(type, this);
+            final KeyType type = KeyType.fromString(readString());
+            switch(type) {
+              case RSA:
+              case DSA:
+                return type.readPubKeyFromBuffer(this);
+              default:
+                if (SecurityUtils.isBouncyCastleRegistered()) {
+                    return type.readPubKeyFromBuffer(this);
+                } else {
+                    throw new BufferException("BouncyCastle is required to read a key of type " + type);
+                }
+            }
         } catch (GeneralSecurityException e) {
             throw new SSHRuntimeException(e);
         }
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/common/KeyType.java b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/common/KeyType.java
index a2458323..e30ecb96 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/common/KeyType.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/common/KeyType.java
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ public enum KeyType {
     /** SSH identifier for RSA keys */
     RSA("ssh-rsa") {
         @Override
-        public PublicKey readPubKeyFromBuffer(String type, Buffer<?> buf)
+        public PublicKey readPubKeyFromBuffer(Buffer<?> buf)
                 throws GeneralSecurityException {
             final BigInteger e, n;
             try {
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ public enum KeyType {
     /** SSH identifier for DSA keys */
     DSA("ssh-dss") {
         @Override
-        public PublicKey readPubKeyFromBuffer(String type, Buffer<?> buf)
+        public PublicKey readPubKeyFromBuffer(Buffer<?> buf)
                 throws GeneralSecurityException {
             BigInteger p, q, g, y;
             try {
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ public enum KeyType {
         private final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(getClass());
 
         @Override
-        public PublicKey readPubKeyFromBuffer(String type, Buffer<?> buf)
+        public PublicKey readPubKeyFromBuffer(Buffer<?> buf)
                 throws GeneralSecurityException {
             try {
                 // final String algo = buf.readString();  it has been already read
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ public enum KeyType {
                 buf.readRawBytes(y);
                 if(log.isDebugEnabled()) {
                     log.debug(String.format("Key algo: %s, Key curve: %s, Key Len: %s, 0x04: %s\nx: %s\ny: %s",
-                            type,
+                            sType,
                             curveName,
                             keyLen,
                             x04,
@@ -176,14 +176,14 @@ public enum KeyType {
     ED25519("ssh-ed25519") {
         private final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(KeyType.class);
         @Override
-        public PublicKey readPubKeyFromBuffer(String type, Buffer<?> buf) throws GeneralSecurityException {
+        public PublicKey readPubKeyFromBuffer(Buffer<?> buf) throws GeneralSecurityException {
             try {
                 final int keyLen = buf.readUInt32AsInt();
                 final byte[] p = new byte[keyLen];
                 buf.readRawBytes(p);
                 if (log.isDebugEnabled()) {
                     log.debug(String.format("Key algo: %s, Key curve: 25519, Key Len: %s\np: %s",
-                            type,
+                            sType,
                             keyLen,
                             Arrays.toString(p))
                     );
@@ -213,9 +213,9 @@ public enum KeyType {
     /** Unrecognized */
     UNKNOWN("unknown") {
         @Override
-        public PublicKey readPubKeyFromBuffer(String type, Buffer<?> buf)
+        public PublicKey readPubKeyFromBuffer(Buffer<?> buf)
                 throws GeneralSecurityException {
-            throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Don't know how to decode key:" + type);
+            throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Don't know how to decode key:" + sType);
         }
 
         @Override
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ public enum KeyType {
         this.sType = type;
     }
 
-    public abstract PublicKey readPubKeyFromBuffer(String type, Buffer<?> buf)
+    public abstract PublicKey readPubKeyFromBuffer(Buffer<?> buf)
             throws GeneralSecurityException;
 
     public abstract void putPubKeyIntoBuffer(PublicKey pk, Buffer<?> buf);
@@ -263,5 +263,4 @@ public enum KeyType {
     public String toString() {
         return sType;
     }
-
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/transport/verification/OpenSSHKnownHosts.java b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/transport/verification/OpenSSHKnownHosts.java
index dbd23aff..ee6eca16 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/transport/verification/OpenSSHKnownHosts.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/transport/verification/OpenSSHKnownHosts.java
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ public class OpenSSHKnownHosts
 
             if (type != KeyType.UNKNOWN) {
                 final String sKey = split[i++];
-                key = getKey(sKey);
+                key = new Buffer.PlainBuffer(Base64.decode(sKey)).readPublicKey();
             } else if (isBits(sType)) {
                 type = KeyType.RSA;
                 // int bits = Integer.valueOf(sType);
@@ -232,11 +232,6 @@ public class OpenSSHKnownHosts
             }
         }
 
-        private PublicKey getKey(String sKey)
-                throws IOException {
-            return new Buffer.PlainBuffer(Base64.decode(sKey)).readPublicKey();
-        }
-
         private boolean isBits(String type) {
             try {
                 Integer.parseInt(type);