diff --git a/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/keys.go b/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/keys.go
index 6c03f882831..2acb7e6123e 100644
--- a/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/keys.go
+++ b/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/keys.go
@@ -5,9 +5,11 @@
 package openpgp
 
 import (
+	"crypto"
 	"crypto/openpgp/armor"
 	"crypto/openpgp/error"
 	"crypto/openpgp/packet"
+	"crypto/rsa"
 	"io"
 	"os"
 )
@@ -297,3 +299,104 @@ func addSubkey(e *Entity, packets *packet.Reader, pub *packet.PublicKey, priv *p
 	e.Subkeys = append(e.Subkeys, subKey)
 	return nil
 }
+
+const defaultRSAKeyBits = 2048
+
+// NewEntity returns an Entity that contains a fresh RSA/RSA keypair with a
+// single identity composed of the given full name, comment and email, any of
+// which may be empty but must not contain any of "()<>\x00".
+func NewEntity(rand io.Reader, currentTimeSecs int64, name, comment, email string) (*Entity, os.Error) {
+	uid := packet.NewUserId(name, comment, email)
+	if uid == nil {
+		return nil, error.InvalidArgumentError("user id field contained invalid characters")
+	}
+	signingPriv, err := rsa.GenerateKey(rand, defaultRSAKeyBits)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	encryptingPriv, err := rsa.GenerateKey(rand, defaultRSAKeyBits)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	t := uint32(currentTimeSecs)
+
+	e := &Entity{
+		PrimaryKey: packet.NewRSAPublicKey(t, &signingPriv.PublicKey, false /* not a subkey */ ),
+		PrivateKey: packet.NewRSAPrivateKey(t, signingPriv, false /* not a subkey */ ),
+		Identities: make(map[string]*Identity),
+	}
+	isPrimaryId := true
+	e.Identities[uid.Id] = &Identity{
+		Name:   uid.Name,
+		UserId: uid,
+		SelfSignature: &packet.Signature{
+			CreationTime: t,
+			SigType:      packet.SigTypePositiveCert,
+			PubKeyAlgo:   packet.PubKeyAlgoRSA,
+			Hash:         crypto.SHA256,
+			IsPrimaryId:  &isPrimaryId,
+			FlagsValid:   true,
+			FlagSign:     true,
+			FlagCertify:  true,
+			IssuerKeyId:  &e.PrimaryKey.KeyId,
+		},
+	}
+
+	e.Subkeys = make([]Subkey, 1)
+	e.Subkeys[0] = Subkey{
+		PublicKey:  packet.NewRSAPublicKey(t, &encryptingPriv.PublicKey, true /* is a subkey */ ),
+		PrivateKey: packet.NewRSAPrivateKey(t, encryptingPriv, true /* is a subkey */ ),
+		Sig: &packet.Signature{
+			CreationTime:              t,
+			SigType:                   packet.SigTypeSubkeyBinding,
+			PubKeyAlgo:                packet.PubKeyAlgoRSA,
+			Hash:                      crypto.SHA256,
+			FlagsValid:                true,
+			FlagEncryptStorage:        true,
+			FlagEncryptCommunications: true,
+			IssuerKeyId:               &e.PrimaryKey.KeyId,
+		},
+	}
+
+	return e, nil
+}
+
+// SerializePrivate serializes an Entity, including private key material, to
+// the given Writer. For now, it must only be used on an Entity returned from
+// NewEntity.
+func (e *Entity) SerializePrivate(w io.Writer) (err os.Error) {
+	err = e.PrivateKey.Serialize(w)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	for _, ident := range e.Identities {
+		err = ident.UserId.Serialize(w)
+		if err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+		err = ident.SelfSignature.SignUserId(ident.UserId.Id, e.PrimaryKey, e.PrivateKey)
+		if err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+		err = ident.SelfSignature.Serialize(w)
+		if err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+	}
+	for _, subkey := range e.Subkeys {
+		err = subkey.PrivateKey.Serialize(w)
+		if err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+		err = subkey.Sig.SignKey(subkey.PublicKey, e.PrivateKey)
+		if err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+		err = subkey.Sig.Serialize(w)
+		if err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/packet/private_key.go b/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/packet/private_key.go
index fde2a9933d8..92e7ee42263 100644
--- a/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/packet/private_key.go
+++ b/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/packet/private_key.go
@@ -32,6 +32,13 @@ type PrivateKey struct {
 	iv            []byte
 }
 
+func NewRSAPrivateKey(currentTimeSecs uint32, priv *rsa.PrivateKey, isSubkey bool) *PrivateKey {
+	pk := new(PrivateKey)
+	pk.PublicKey = *NewRSAPublicKey(currentTimeSecs, &priv.PublicKey, isSubkey)
+	pk.PrivateKey = priv
+	return pk
+}
+
 func (pk *PrivateKey) parse(r io.Reader) (err os.Error) {
 	err = (&pk.PublicKey).parse(r)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -91,6 +98,83 @@ func (pk *PrivateKey) parse(r io.Reader) (err os.Error) {
 	return
 }
 
+func mod64kHash(d []byte) uint16 {
+	h := uint16(0)
+	for i := 0; i < len(d); i += 2 {
+		v := uint16(d[i]) << 8
+		if i+1 < len(d) {
+			v += uint16(d[i+1])
+		}
+		h += v
+	}
+	return h
+}
+
+func (pk *PrivateKey) Serialize(w io.Writer) (err os.Error) {
+	// TODO(agl): support encrypted private keys
+	buf := bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
+	err = pk.PublicKey.serializeWithoutHeaders(buf)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	buf.WriteByte(0 /* no encryption */ )
+
+	privateKeyBuf := bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
+
+	switch priv := pk.PrivateKey.(type) {
+	case *rsa.PrivateKey:
+		err = serializeRSAPrivateKey(privateKeyBuf, priv)
+	default:
+		err = error.InvalidArgumentError("non-RSA private key")
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	ptype := packetTypePrivateKey
+	contents := buf.Bytes()
+	privateKeyBytes := privateKeyBuf.Bytes()
+	if pk.IsSubkey {
+		ptype = packetTypePrivateSubkey
+	}
+	err = serializeHeader(w, ptype, len(contents)+len(privateKeyBytes)+2)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	_, err = w.Write(contents)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	_, err = w.Write(privateKeyBytes)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	checksum := mod64kHash(privateKeyBytes)
+	var checksumBytes [2]byte
+	checksumBytes[0] = byte(checksum >> 8)
+	checksumBytes[1] = byte(checksum)
+	_, err = w.Write(checksumBytes[:])
+
+	return
+}
+
+func serializeRSAPrivateKey(w io.Writer, priv *rsa.PrivateKey) os.Error {
+	err := writeBig(w, priv.D)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	err = writeBig(w, priv.Primes[1])
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	err = writeBig(w, priv.Primes[0])
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return writeBig(w, priv.Precomputed.Qinv)
+}
+
 // Decrypt decrypts an encrypted private key using a passphrase.
 func (pk *PrivateKey) Decrypt(passphrase []byte) os.Error {
 	if !pk.Encrypted {
diff --git a/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/packet/public_key.go b/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/packet/public_key.go
index b0ecfe39475..46d365b2a94 100644
--- a/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/packet/public_key.go
+++ b/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/packet/public_key.go
@@ -30,6 +30,28 @@ type PublicKey struct {
 	n, e, p, q, g, y parsedMPI
 }
 
+func fromBig(n *big.Int) parsedMPI {
+	return parsedMPI{
+		bytes:     n.Bytes(),
+		bitLength: uint16(n.BitLen()),
+	}
+}
+
+// NewRSAPublicKey returns a PublicKey that wraps the given rsa.PublicKey.
+func NewRSAPublicKey(creationTimeSecs uint32, pub *rsa.PublicKey, isSubkey bool) *PublicKey {
+	pk := &PublicKey{
+		CreationTime: creationTimeSecs,
+		PubKeyAlgo:   PubKeyAlgoRSA,
+		PublicKey:    pub,
+		IsSubkey:     isSubkey,
+		n:            fromBig(pub.N),
+		e:            fromBig(big.NewInt(int64(pub.E))),
+	}
+
+	pk.setFingerPrintAndKeyId()
+	return pk
+}
+
 func (pk *PublicKey) parse(r io.Reader) (err os.Error) {
 	// RFC 4880, section 5.5.2
 	var buf [6]byte
@@ -54,14 +76,17 @@ func (pk *PublicKey) parse(r io.Reader) (err os.Error) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	pk.setFingerPrintAndKeyId()
+	return
+}
+
+func (pk *PublicKey) setFingerPrintAndKeyId() {
 	// RFC 4880, section 12.2
 	fingerPrint := sha1.New()
 	pk.SerializeSignaturePrefix(fingerPrint)
 	pk.serializeWithoutHeaders(fingerPrint)
 	copy(pk.Fingerprint[:], fingerPrint.Sum())
 	pk.KeyId = binary.BigEndian.Uint64(pk.Fingerprint[12:20])
-
-	return
 }
 
 // parseRSA parses RSA public key material from the given Reader. See RFC 4880,
@@ -232,12 +257,12 @@ func (pk *PublicKey) VerifySignature(signed hash.Hash, sig *Signature) (err os.E
 	panic("unreachable")
 }
 
-// VerifyKeySignature returns nil iff sig is a valid signature, make by this
-// public key, of the public key in signed.
-func (pk *PublicKey) VerifyKeySignature(signed *PublicKey, sig *Signature) (err os.Error) {
-	h := sig.Hash.New()
+// keySignatureHash returns a Hash of the message that needs to be signed for
+// pk to assert a subkey relationship to signed.
+func keySignatureHash(pk, signed *PublicKey, sig *Signature) (h hash.Hash, err os.Error) {
+	h = sig.Hash.New()
 	if h == nil {
-		return error.UnsupportedError("hash function")
+		return nil, error.UnsupportedError("hash function")
 	}
 
 	// RFC 4880, section 5.2.4
@@ -245,16 +270,25 @@ func (pk *PublicKey) VerifyKeySignature(signed *PublicKey, sig *Signature) (err
 	pk.serializeWithoutHeaders(h)
 	signed.SerializeSignaturePrefix(h)
 	signed.serializeWithoutHeaders(h)
+	return
+}
 
+// VerifyKeySignature returns nil iff sig is a valid signature, made by this
+// public key, of signed.
+func (pk *PublicKey) VerifyKeySignature(signed *PublicKey, sig *Signature) (err os.Error) {
+	h, err := keySignatureHash(pk, signed, sig)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	return pk.VerifySignature(h, sig)
 }
 
-// VerifyUserIdSignature returns nil iff sig is a valid signature, make by this
-// public key, of the given user id.
-func (pk *PublicKey) VerifyUserIdSignature(id string, sig *Signature) (err os.Error) {
-	h := sig.Hash.New()
+// userIdSignatureHash returns a Hash of the message that needs to be signed
+// to assert that pk is a valid key for id.
+func userIdSignatureHash(id string, pk *PublicKey, sig *Signature) (h hash.Hash, err os.Error) {
+	h = sig.Hash.New()
 	if h == nil {
-		return error.UnsupportedError("hash function")
+		return nil, error.UnsupportedError("hash function")
 	}
 
 	// RFC 4880, section 5.2.4
@@ -270,6 +304,16 @@ func (pk *PublicKey) VerifyUserIdSignature(id string, sig *Signature) (err os.Er
 	h.Write(buf[:])
 	h.Write([]byte(id))
 
+	return
+}
+
+// VerifyUserIdSignature returns nil iff sig is a valid signature, made by this
+// public key, of id.
+func (pk *PublicKey) VerifyUserIdSignature(id string, sig *Signature) (err os.Error) {
+	h, err := userIdSignatureHash(id, pk, sig)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	return pk.VerifySignature(h, sig)
 }
 
diff --git a/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/packet/signature.go b/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/packet/signature.go
index 0dee47c6fb9..3169bac1e6d 100644
--- a/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/packet/signature.go
+++ b/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/packet/signature.go
@@ -420,28 +420,46 @@ func (sig *Signature) signPrepareHash(h hash.Hash) (digest []byte, err os.Error)
 	return
 }
 
-// SignRSA signs a message with an RSA private key. The hash, h, must contain
+// Sign signs a message with a private key. The hash, h, must contain
 // the hash of the message to be signed and will be mutated by this function.
 // On success, the signature is stored in sig. Call Serialize to write it out.
-func (sig *Signature) SignRSA(h hash.Hash, priv *rsa.PrivateKey) (err os.Error) {
+func (sig *Signature) Sign(h hash.Hash, priv *PrivateKey) (err os.Error) {
 	digest, err := sig.signPrepareHash(h)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
-	sig.RSASignature, err = rsa.SignPKCS1v15(rand.Reader, priv, sig.Hash, digest)
+
+	switch priv.PubKeyAlgo {
+	case PubKeyAlgoRSA, PubKeyAlgoRSASignOnly:
+		sig.RSASignature, err = rsa.SignPKCS1v15(rand.Reader, priv.PrivateKey.(*rsa.PrivateKey), sig.Hash, digest)
+	case PubKeyAlgoDSA:
+		sig.DSASigR, sig.DSASigS, err = dsa.Sign(rand.Reader, priv.PrivateKey.(*dsa.PrivateKey), digest)
+	default:
+		err = error.UnsupportedError("public key algorithm: " + strconv.Itoa(int(sig.PubKeyAlgo)))
+	}
+
 	return
 }
 
-// SignDSA signs a message with a DSA private key. The hash, h, must contain
-// the hash of the message to be signed and will be mutated by this function.
-// On success, the signature is stored in sig. Call Serialize to write it out.
-func (sig *Signature) SignDSA(h hash.Hash, priv *dsa.PrivateKey) (err os.Error) {
-	digest, err := sig.signPrepareHash(h)
+// SignUserId computes a signature from priv, asserting that pub is a valid
+// key for the identity id.  On success, the signature is stored in sig. Call
+// Serialize to write it out.
+func (sig *Signature) SignUserId(id string, pub *PublicKey, priv *PrivateKey) os.Error {
+	h, err := userIdSignatureHash(id, pub, sig)
 	if err != nil {
-		return
+		return nil
 	}
-	sig.DSASigR, sig.DSASigS, err = dsa.Sign(rand.Reader, priv, digest)
-	return
+	return sig.Sign(h, priv)
+}
+
+// SignKey computes a signature from priv, asserting that pub is a subkey.  On
+// success, the signature is stored in sig. Call Serialize to write it out.
+func (sig *Signature) SignKey(pub *PublicKey, priv *PrivateKey) os.Error {
+	h, err := keySignatureHash(&priv.PublicKey, pub, sig)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return sig.Sign(h, priv)
 }
 
 // Serialize marshals sig to w. SignRSA or SignDSA must have been called first.
diff --git a/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/packet/userid.go b/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/packet/userid.go
index ed2ad777486..0580ba3edc0 100644
--- a/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/packet/userid.go
+++ b/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/packet/userid.go
@@ -20,6 +20,51 @@ type UserId struct {
 	Name, Comment, Email string
 }
 
+func hasInvalidCharacters(s string) bool {
+	for _, c := range s {
+		switch c {
+		case '(', ')', '<', '>', 0:
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+// NewUserId returns a UserId or nil if any of the arguments contain invalid
+// characters. The invalid characters are '\x00', '(', ')', '<' and '>'
+func NewUserId(name, comment, email string) *UserId {
+	// RFC 4880 doesn't deal with the structure of userid strings; the
+	// name, comment and email form is just a convention. However, there's
+	// no convention about escaping the metacharacters and GPG just refuses
+	// to create user ids where, say, the name contains a '('. We mirror
+	// this behaviour.
+
+	if hasInvalidCharacters(name) || hasInvalidCharacters(comment) || hasInvalidCharacters(email) {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	uid := new(UserId)
+	uid.Name, uid.Comment, uid.Email = name, comment, email
+	uid.Id = name
+	if len(comment) > 0 {
+		if len(uid.Id) > 0 {
+			uid.Id += " "
+		}
+		uid.Id += "("
+		uid.Id += comment
+		uid.Id += ")"
+	}
+	if len(email) > 0 {
+		if len(uid.Id) > 0 {
+			uid.Id += " "
+		}
+		uid.Id += "<"
+		uid.Id += email
+		uid.Id += ">"
+	}
+	return uid
+}
+
 func (uid *UserId) parse(r io.Reader) (err os.Error) {
 	// RFC 4880, section 5.11
 	b, err := ioutil.ReadAll(r)
@@ -31,6 +76,17 @@ func (uid *UserId) parse(r io.Reader) (err os.Error) {
 	return
 }
 
+// Serialize marshals uid to w in the form of an OpenPGP packet, including
+// header.
+func (uid *UserId) Serialize(w io.Writer) os.Error {
+	err := serializeHeader(w, packetTypeUserId, len(uid.Id))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	_, err = w.Write([]byte(uid.Id))
+	return err
+}
+
 // parseUserId extracts the name, comment and email from a user id string that
 // is formatted as "Full Name (Comment) <email@example.com>".
 func parseUserId(id string) (name, comment, email string) {
diff --git a/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/packet/userid_test.go b/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/packet/userid_test.go
index 394873dc38c..29681938938 100644
--- a/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/packet/userid_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/packet/userid_test.go
@@ -40,3 +40,48 @@ func TestParseUserId(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+var newUserIdTests = []struct {
+	name, comment, email, id string
+}{
+	{"foo", "", "", "foo"},
+	{"", "bar", "", "(bar)"},
+	{"", "", "baz", "<baz>"},
+	{"foo", "bar", "", "foo (bar)"},
+	{"foo", "", "baz", "foo <baz>"},
+	{"", "bar", "baz", "(bar) <baz>"},
+	{"foo", "bar", "baz", "foo (bar) <baz>"},
+}
+
+func TestNewUserId(t *testing.T) {
+	for i, test := range newUserIdTests {
+		uid := NewUserId(test.name, test.comment, test.email)
+		if uid == nil {
+			t.Errorf("#%d: returned nil", i)
+			continue
+		}
+		if uid.Id != test.id {
+			t.Errorf("#%d: got '%s', want '%s'", i, uid.Id, test.id)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+var invalidNewUserIdTests = []struct {
+	name, comment, email string
+}{
+	{"foo(", "", ""},
+	{"foo<", "", ""},
+	{"", "bar)", ""},
+	{"", "bar<", ""},
+	{"", "", "baz>"},
+	{"", "", "baz)"},
+	{"", "", "baz\x00"},
+}
+
+func TestNewUserIdWithInvalidInput(t *testing.T) {
+	for i, test := range invalidNewUserIdTests {
+		if uid := NewUserId(test.name, test.comment, test.email); uid != nil {
+			t.Errorf("#%d: returned non-nil value: %#v", i, uid)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/write.go b/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/write.go
index ef7b11230a9..a1ede564e2e 100644
--- a/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/write.go
+++ b/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/write.go
@@ -6,15 +6,12 @@ package openpgp
 
 import (
 	"crypto"
-	"crypto/dsa"
 	"crypto/openpgp/armor"
 	"crypto/openpgp/error"
 	"crypto/openpgp/packet"
-	"crypto/rsa"
 	_ "crypto/sha256"
 	"io"
 	"os"
-	"strconv"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -77,17 +74,7 @@ func detachSign(w io.Writer, signer *Entity, message io.Reader, sigType packet.S
 	}
 	io.Copy(wrappedHash, message)
 
-	switch signer.PrivateKey.PubKeyAlgo {
-	case packet.PubKeyAlgoRSA, packet.PubKeyAlgoRSASignOnly:
-		priv := signer.PrivateKey.PrivateKey.(*rsa.PrivateKey)
-		err = sig.SignRSA(h, priv)
-	case packet.PubKeyAlgoDSA:
-		priv := signer.PrivateKey.PrivateKey.(*dsa.PrivateKey)
-		err = sig.SignDSA(h, priv)
-	default:
-		err = error.UnsupportedError("public key algorithm: " + strconv.Itoa(int(sig.PubKeyAlgo)))
-	}
-
+	err = sig.Sign(h, signer.PrivateKey)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/write_test.go b/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/write_test.go
index 42cd0d27f85..a74a84b2b7b 100644
--- a/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/write_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/crypto/openpgp/write_test.go
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ package openpgp
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"crypto/rand"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 )
 
 func TestSignDetached(t *testing.T) {
@@ -44,3 +46,42 @@ func TestSignDetachedDSA(t *testing.T) {
 
 	testDetachedSignature(t, kring, out, signedInput, "check", testKey3KeyId)
 }
+
+func TestNewEntity(t *testing.T) {
+	if testing.Short() {
+		return
+	}
+
+	e, err := NewEntity(rand.Reader, time.Seconds(), "Test User", "test", "test@example.com")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("failed to create entity: %s", err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	w := bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
+	if err := e.SerializePrivate(w); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("failed to serialize entity: %s", err)
+		return
+	}
+	serialized := w.Bytes()
+
+	el, err := ReadKeyRing(w)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("failed to reparse entity: %s", err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	if len(el) != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("wrong number of entities found, got %d, want 1", len(el))
+	}
+
+	w = bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
+	if err := e.SerializePrivate(w); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("failed to serialize entity second time: %s", err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	if !bytes.Equal(w.Bytes(), serialized) {
+		t.Errorf("results differed")
+	}
+}