diff --git a/lib/bcoin/keypair.js b/lib/bcoin/keypair.js
index 2456caf8..efa51da7 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/keypair.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/keypair.js
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ function KeyPair(options) {
   assert(!options.publicKey || Buffer.isBuffer(options.publicKey));
 
   this.privateKey = options.privateKey;
-  this.publicKey = options.publicKey;
+  this._publicKey = options.publicKey;
 }
 
 KeyPair.generate = function() {
@@ -48,6 +48,19 @@ KeyPair.prototype.verify = function verify(msg, sig) {
   return bcoin.ec.verify(msg, sig, this.getPublicKey());
 };
 
+KeyPair.prototype.__defineGetter__('publicKey', function() {
+  if (!this._publicKey) {
+    if (!this.privateKey)
+      return;
+
+    this._publicKey = bcoin.ec.publicKeyCreate(
+      this.privateKey, this.compressed
+    );
+  }
+
+  return this._publicKey;
+});
+
 KeyPair.prototype.getPrivateKey = function getPrivateKey(enc) {
   if (!this.privateKey)
     return;
@@ -62,15 +75,6 @@ KeyPair.prototype.getPrivateKey = function getPrivateKey(enc) {
 };
 
 KeyPair.prototype.getPublicKey = function getPublicKey(enc) {
-  if (!this.publicKey) {
-    if (!this.privateKey)
-      return;
-
-    this.publicKey = bcoin.ec.publicKeyCreate(
-      this.privateKey, this.compressed
-    );
-  }
-
   if (enc === 'base58')
     return utils.toBase58(this.publicKey);