diff --git a/core/commands/keystore.go b/core/commands/keystore.go
index ae90e4301..a71ca3a26 100644
--- a/core/commands/keystore.go
+++ b/core/commands/keystore.go
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ var keyExportCmd = &cmds.Command{
 		name := req.Arguments[0]
 
 		if name == "self" {
-			return fmt.Errorf("exporting key 'self' is not allowed")
+			return fmt.Errorf("cannot export key with name 'self'")
 		}
 
 		cfgRoot, err := cmdenv.GetConfigRoot(env)
@@ -290,6 +290,11 @@ var keyImportCmd = &cmds.Command{
 	},
 	Run: func(req *cmds.Request, res cmds.ResponseEmitter, env cmds.Environment) error {
 		name := req.Arguments[0]
+
+		if name == "self" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("cannot import key with name 'self'")
+		}
+
 		encoded := req.Arguments[1]
 
 		data, err := base58.Decode(encoded)
diff --git a/test/sharness/lib/test-lib.sh b/test/sharness/lib/test-lib.sh
index e0a6e7b4a..9cbc95979 100644
--- a/test/sharness/lib/test-lib.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/lib/test-lib.sh
@@ -484,19 +484,19 @@ test_check_ed25519_b36cid_peerid() {
 }
 
 test_check_rsa2048_sk() {
-  peeridlen=$(echo "$1" | tr -dC "[:alnum:]" | wc -c | tr -d " ") &&
-  test "$sklen" = "300" || {
+  sklen=$(echo "$1" | tr -dC "[:alnum:]" | wc -c | tr -d " ") &&
+  if (($sklen < 1600)); then
     echo "Bad RSA2048 sk '$1' with len '$sklen'"
     return 1
-  }
+  fi
 }
 
 test_check_ed25519_sk() {
   sklen=$(echo "$1" | tr -dC "[:alnum:]" | wc -c | tr -d " ") &&
-  test "$sklen" = "300" || {
+  if (($sklen < 1600)); then
     echo "Bad ED25519 sk '$1' with len '$sklen'"
     return 1
-  }
+  fi
 }
 
 convert_tcp_maddr() {
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0165-keystore.sh b/test/sharness/t0165-keystore.sh
index 82afa66c5..444353edf 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0165-keystore.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0165-keystore.sh
@@ -11,15 +11,31 @@ test_description="Test keystore commands"
 test_init_ipfs
 
 test_key_cmd() {
+  test_expect_success "export with no store doesn't store" '
+    ipfs key gen -n -e && echo self > list_exp &&
+    ipfs key list > list_out &&
+    test_sort_cmp list_exp list_out
+  '
+
+  test_expect_success "no store without export is an error" '
+    test_must_fail ipfs key gen -n 2>&1 | tee key_gen_out &&
+    grep -q "you must export key" key_gen_out
+  '
+
+  test_expect_success "key gen without name is an error" '
+    test_must_fail ipfs key gen 2>&1 | tee key_gen_out &&
+    grep -q "you must specify a key name" key_gen_out
+  '
+
 # test key output format
 test_expect_success "create an RSA key and test B58MH multihash output" '
 PEERID=$(ipfs key gen -f=b58mh --type=rsa --size=2048 key_rsa) &&
 test_check_rsa2048_b58mh_peerid $PEERID
 '
 
-test_expect_success "test RSA key B36CID sk export format" '
-PEERID=$(ipfs key export key_rsa) &&
-test_check_rsa2048_sk $PEERID
+test_expect_success "test RSA key sk export format" '
+SK=$(ipfs key export key_rsa) &&
+test_check_rsa2048_sk $SK
 '
 
 test_expect_success "test RSA key B36CID multihash format" '
@@ -33,9 +49,10 @@ PEERID=$(ipfs key gen -f=b36cid --type=ed25519 key_ed25519) &&
 test_check_ed25519_b36cid_peerid $PEERID
 '
 
-test_expect_success "test RSA key ED25519 sk export format" '
-PEERID=$(ipfs key export key_ed25519) &&
-test_check_ed25519_sk $PEERID
+test_expect_success "create and export an ED25519 key" '
+SK=$(ipfs key gen -e key_ed25519_2) &&
+test_check_ed25519_sk $SK &&
+ipfs key rm key_ed25519_2
 '
 
 test_expect_success "test ED25519 key B36CID multihash format" '
@@ -63,7 +80,7 @@ ipfs key rm key_ed25519
     test $imphash = $gothash
   '
   
-  test_expect_success "key import can't export self" '
+  test_expect_success "key export can't export self" '
     test_must_fail ipfs key export self 2>&1 | tee key_exp_out &&
     grep -q "Error: cannot export key with name" key_exp_out
   '
@@ -77,10 +94,9 @@ ipfs key rm key_ed25519
     echo bazed > list_exp &&
     echo foobarsa >> list_exp &&
     echo quxel >> list_exp &&
-    echo self >> list_exp &&
-    sort -o list_exp list_exp
-    ipfs key list -f=b58mh | sort > list_out &&
-    test_cmp list_exp list_out
+    echo self >> list_exp
+    ipfs key list -f=b58mh > list_out &&
+    test_sort_cmp list_exp list_out
   '
 
   test_expect_success "key hashes show up in long list output" '
@@ -96,9 +112,10 @@ ipfs key rm key_ed25519
   test_expect_success "key rm remove a key" '
     ipfs key rm foobarsa
     echo bazed > list_exp &&
+    echo quxel >> list_exp &&
     echo self >> list_exp
-    ipfs key list -f=b58mh | sort > list_out &&
-    test_cmp list_exp list_out
+    ipfs key list -f=b58mh > list_out &&
+    test_sort_cmp list_exp list_out
   '
 
   test_expect_success "key rm can't remove self" '
@@ -109,9 +126,10 @@ ipfs key rm key_ed25519
   test_expect_success "key rename rename a key" '
     ipfs key rename bazed fooed
     echo fooed > list_exp &&
+    echo quxel >> list_exp &&
     echo self >> list_exp
-    ipfs key list -f=b58mh | sort > list_out &&
-    test_cmp list_exp list_out
+    ipfs key list -f=b58mh > list_out &&
+    test_sort_cmp list_exp list_out
   '
 
   test_expect_success "key rename rename key output succeeds" '