diff --git a/lib/plugin-hub.cjs b/lib/plugin-hub.cjs
index 6c8a75b..47b757f 100644
--- a/lib/plugin-hub.cjs
+++ b/lib/plugin-hub.cjs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+const bs58 = require('bs58')
 const cat = require('pull-cat')
 const Notify = require('pull-notify')
 const pull = require('pull-stream')
@@ -81,11 +82,12 @@ module.exports = {
 
     return {
       attendants() {
-        const clientId = this.id
-        if (clientId && clientId !== sstack.id) {
-          debug('welcome %s', clientId)
-          if (!attendants.has(clientId)) {
-            attendants.set(clientId, sstack.peers[clientId][0])
+        const clientPubkey = bs58.encode(Buffer.from(this.id, 'base64'))
+        const clientRPC = sstack.peers[this.id][0]
+        if (clientPubkey && clientPubkey !== sstack.pubkey) {
+          debug('welcome %s', clientPubkey)
+          if (!attendants.has(clientPubkey)) {
+            attendants.set(clientPubkey, clientRPC)
             notifyAttendants([...attendants.keys()])
           }
         }
@@ -102,7 +104,7 @@ module.exports = {
         if (attendants.has(target)) {
           // prettier-ignore
           debug('received tunnel request for target %s from %s', target, this.id)
-          const origin = this.id
+          const origin = bs58.encode(Buffer.from(this.id, 'base64'))
           return attendants.get(target).hubClient.connect(origin, () => {})
         } else {
           // prettier-ignore