diff --git a/core/signer/src/config.rs b/core/signer/src/config.rs
index 73bddd827..8c8aa0c11 100644
--- a/core/signer/src/config.rs
+++ b/core/signer/src/config.rs
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct Config {
-    node_key_path: PathBuf,
-    network_key_path: PathBuf,
+    pub node_key_path: PathBuf,
+    pub network_key_path: PathBuf,
 }
 
 impl Default for Config {
diff --git a/core/signer/src/lib.rs b/core/signer/src/lib.rs
index 8baf2bc46..799ba8336 100644
--- a/core/signer/src/lib.rs
+++ b/core/signer/src/lib.rs
@@ -192,11 +192,25 @@ struct SignerInner {
 }
 
 impl SignerInner {
-    fn new(_config: Config) -> Self {
+    fn new(config: Config) -> Self {
         // TODO: load private keys from file if they exist
-        let node_secret_key = NodeSecretKey::generate();
+        let node_secret_key =
+            match NodeSecretKey::decode_pem(config.node_key_path.to_str().unwrap()) {
+                Some(node_secret_key) => node_secret_key,
+                None => {
+                    NodeSecretKey::generate()
+                    // TODO(matthias): save file to disk
+                },
+            };
         let node_public_key = node_secret_key.to_pk();
-        let network_secret_key = NodeNetworkingSecretKey::generate();
+        let network_secret_key =
+            match NodeNetworkingSecretKey::decode_pem(config.network_key_path.to_str().unwrap()) {
+                Some(network_secret_key) => network_secret_key,
+                None => {
+                    NodeNetworkingSecretKey::generate()
+                    // TODO(matthias): save file to disk
+                },
+            };
         let network_public_key = network_secret_key.to_pk();
         Self {
             node_secret_key,