diff --git a/autopilot/graph.go b/autopilot/graph.go
index 61515a79..7f9cd4d4 100644
--- a/autopilot/graph.go
+++ b/autopilot/graph.go
@@ -59,12 +59,12 @@ type dbNode struct {
 var _ Node = (*dbNode)(nil)
 
 // PubKey is the identity public key of the node. This will be used to attempt
-// to target a node for channel opening by the main autopilot agent.
+// to target a node for channel opening by the main autopilot agent. The key
+// will be returned in serialized compressed format.
 //
 // NOTE: Part of the autopilot.Node interface.
-func (d dbNode) PubKey() *btcec.PublicKey {
-	pubKey, _ := d.node.PubKey()
-	return pubKey
+func (d dbNode) PubKey() [33]byte {
+	return d.node.PubKeyBytes
 }
 
 // Addrs returns a slice of publicly reachable public TCP addresses that the
@@ -406,8 +406,11 @@ var _ Node = (*memNode)(nil)
 // to target a node for channel opening by the main autopilot agent.
 //
 // NOTE: Part of the autopilot.Node interface.
-func (m memNode) PubKey() *btcec.PublicKey {
-	return m.pub
+func (m memNode) PubKey() [33]byte {
+	var n [33]byte
+	copy(n[:], m.pub.SerializeCompressed())
+
+	return n
 }
 
 // Addrs returns a slice of publicly reachable public TCP addresses that the
diff --git a/autopilot/interface.go b/autopilot/interface.go
index 2c7c5191..7f632d89 100644
--- a/autopilot/interface.go
+++ b/autopilot/interface.go
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ import (
 type Node interface {
 	// PubKey is the identity public key of the node. This will be used to
 	// attempt to target a node for channel opening by the main autopilot
-	// agent.
-	PubKey() *btcec.PublicKey
+	// agent. The key will be returned in serialized compressed format.
+	PubKey() [33]byte
 
 	// Addrs returns a slice of publicly reachable public TCP addresses
 	// that the peer is known to be listening on.
diff --git a/autopilot/prefattach.go b/autopilot/prefattach.go
index 6dfc82b2..fd1913ed 100644
--- a/autopilot/prefattach.go
+++ b/autopilot/prefattach.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package autopilot
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
 	prand "math/rand"
 	"time"
@@ -153,6 +154,8 @@ func (p *ConstrainedPrefAttachment) Select(self *btcec.PublicKey, g ChannelGraph
 		return directives, nil
 	}
 
+	selfPubBytes := self.SerializeCompressed()
+
 	// We'll continue our attachment loop until we've exhausted the current
 	// amount of available funds.
 	visited := make(map[NodeID]struct{})
@@ -174,7 +177,7 @@ func (p *ConstrainedPrefAttachment) Select(self *btcec.PublicKey, g ChannelGraph
 		//
 		// TODO(roasbeef): add noise to make adversarially resistant?
 		if err := g.ForEachNode(func(node Node) error {
-			nID := NewNodeID(node.PubKey())
+			nID := NodeID(node.PubKey())
 
 			// Once a node has already been attached to, we'll
 			// ensure that it isn't factored into any further
@@ -186,7 +189,7 @@ func (p *ConstrainedPrefAttachment) Select(self *btcec.PublicKey, g ChannelGraph
 			// If we come across ourselves, them we'll continue in
 			// order to avoid attempting to make a channel with
 			// ourselves.
-			if node.PubKey().IsEqual(self) {
+			if bytes.Equal(nID[:], selfPubBytes) {
 				return nil
 			}
 
@@ -235,7 +238,11 @@ func (p *ConstrainedPrefAttachment) Select(self *btcec.PublicKey, g ChannelGraph
 
 		// With the node selected, we'll add this (node, amount) tuple
 		// to out set of recommended directives.
-		pub := selectedNode.PubKey()
+		pubBytes := selectedNode.PubKey()
+		pub, err := btcec.ParsePubKey(pubBytes[:], btcec.S256())
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 		directives = append(directives, AttachmentDirective{
 			// TODO(roasbeef): need curve?
 			PeerKey: &btcec.PublicKey{
@@ -247,7 +254,7 @@ func (p *ConstrainedPrefAttachment) Select(self *btcec.PublicKey, g ChannelGraph
 
 		// With the node selected, we'll add it to the set of visited
 		// nodes to avoid attaching to it again.
-		visited[NewNodeID(selectedNode.PubKey())] = struct{}{}
+		visited[NodeID(pubBytes)] = struct{}{}
 	}
 
 	numSelectedNodes := int64(len(directives))
diff --git a/autopilot/prefattach_test.go b/autopilot/prefattach_test.go
index e4a7fcf2..b05bdd52 100644
--- a/autopilot/prefattach_test.go
+++ b/autopilot/prefattach_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package autopilot
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"testing"
@@ -344,11 +345,14 @@ func TestConstrainedPrefAttachmentSelectTwoVertexes(t *testing.T) {
 			// The node attached to should be amongst the two edges
 			// created above.
 			for _, directive := range directives {
+				edge1Pub := edge1.Peer.PubKey()
+				edge2Pub := edge2.Peer.PubKey()
+
 				switch {
-				case directive.PeerKey.IsEqual(edge1.Peer.PubKey()):
-				case directive.PeerKey.IsEqual(edge2.Peer.PubKey()):
+				case bytes.Equal(directive.PeerKey.SerializeCompressed(), edge1Pub[:]):
+				case bytes.Equal(directive.PeerKey.SerializeCompressed(), edge2Pub[:]):
 				default:
-					t1.Fatalf("attache to unknown node: %x",
+					t1.Fatalf("attached to unknown node: %x",
 						directive.PeerKey.SerializeCompressed())
 				}
 
@@ -472,8 +476,15 @@ func TestConstrainedPrefAttachmentSelectGreedyAllocation(t *testing.T) {
 			if err != nil {
 				t1.Fatalf("unable to create channel: %v", err)
 			}
+			peerPubBytes := edge1.Peer.PubKey()
+			peerPub, err := btcec.ParsePubKey(
+				peerPubBytes[:], btcec.S256(),
+			)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("unable to parse pubkey: %v", err)
+			}
 			_, _, err = graph.addRandChannel(
-				edge1.Peer.PubKey(), nil, chanCapacity,
+				peerPub, nil, chanCapacity,
 			)
 			if err != nil {
 				t1.Fatalf("unable to create channel: %v", err)