diff --git a/leylines/leylines/database.py b/leylines/leylines/database.py
index c722157..1ae26ed 100644
--- a/leylines/leylines/database.py
+++ b/leylines/leylines/database.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ class Node(NamedTuple):
     public_ip: Optional[ipaddress.IPv4Address]
     ip: ipaddress.IPv4Address
     seckey: str
-    ssh_key: str
+    ssh_key: Optional[str]
 
 
 class Database:
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class Database:
         self.conn.execute(
             """CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS nodes (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, name TEXT NOT NULL,
                 public_ip TEXT, ip TEXT NOT NULL, seckey TEXT NOT NULL,
-                ssh_key TEXT NOT NULL)""")
+                ssh_key TEXT)""")
         self.conn.execute(
             """CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS node_resources
                 (node INTEGER NOT NULL, resource TEXT NOT NULL, PRIMARY KEY (node, resource),
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class Database:
     def init_server(self, name: str, public_ip: ipaddress.IPv4Address) -> None:
         if self.get_node(SERVER_NODE_ID) is not None:
             raise Exception("there is already a server node defined")
-        self.add_node(name, public_ip, "lol no")
+        self.add_node(name, public_ip, None)
 
     def get_subnet(self) -> ipaddress.IPv4Interface:
         cur = self.conn.cursor()
@@ -69,7 +69,8 @@ class Database:
             raise Exception("no more ips left to allocate!")
         return next(subnets[0].hosts())
 
-    def add_node(self, name: str, public_ip: Optional[ipaddress.IPv4Address], ssh_key: str) -> None:
+    def add_node(self, name: str, public_ip: Optional[ipaddress.IPv4Address],
+                 ssh_key: Optional[str]) -> None:
         cur = self.conn.cursor()
         ip = self._get_free_ip()