diff --git a/zssh.funcs.zsh b/zssh.funcs.zsh
index ddd4897..db4d9de 100644
--- a/zssh.funcs.zsh
+++ b/zssh.funcs.zsh
@@ -133,9 +133,9 @@ function zssh_mail_pubkey2()
 {
   [[ -n $zssh_host ]] || return 63
   ssh_node="$1"
-  ztools_ensure -d $(zssh_node_info ${ssh_node} -K)
   if ! [[ $(zssh_node_info ${ssh_node} -k) -ot "$(zssh_node_info ${ssh_node} -K)/$zssh_host.key.pub" ]]
   then 
+    ztools_ensure -d $(zssh_node_info ${ssh_node} -K)
     zbootstrap_message zssh "sending '$(zssh_node_info ${ssh_node} -k) to '$(zssh_node_info ${ssh_node} -K ${zssh_host})'"
     cp $(zssh_node_info ${ssh_node} -k) (zssh_node_info ${ssh_node} -K ${zssh_host})
   else