diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 8004501..460e2a0 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
     "core-js": "^3.6.5",
     "identicon.js": "^2.3.3",
     "markdown-it": "^12.3.0",
-    "nostr-tools": "^0.18.0",
+    "nostr-tools": "^0.19.0",
     "pouchdb-adapter-idb": "6",
     "pouchdb-core": "6",
     "pouchdb-mapreduce": "6",
diff --git a/src/components/Publish.vue b/src/components/Publish.vue
index b31a974..5de5442 100644
--- a/src/components/Publish.vue
+++ b/src/components/Publish.vue
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
             unelevated
             type="submit"
             color="primary"
-            :disable="!$store.state.keys.priv"
           />
         </div>
       </q-form>
@@ -48,9 +47,9 @@ export default {
     }
   },
   methods: {
-    sendPost() {
-      this.$store.dispatch('sendPost', {message: this.text})
-      this.text = ''
+    async sendPost() {
+      let ok = await this.$store.dispatch('sendPost', {message: this.text})
+      if (ok) this.text = ''
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/components/Reply.vue b/src/components/Reply.vue
index bb7ea4a..271110a 100644
--- a/src/components/Reply.vue
+++ b/src/components/Reply.vue
@@ -10,14 +10,7 @@
     </q-input>
 
     <div class="flex justify-end mt-2">
-      <q-btn
-        :disable="!$store.state.keys.priv"
-        label="Reply"
-        rounded
-        unelevated
-        type="submit"
-        color="primary"
-      />
+      <q-btn label="Reply" rounded unelevated type="submit" color="primary" />
     </div>
   </q-form>
 </template>
@@ -39,7 +32,7 @@ export default {
   },
 
   methods: {
-    sendReply() {
+    async sendReply() {
       // build tags
       let tags = []
 
@@ -69,11 +62,12 @@ export default {
       // remove ourselves
       tags = tags.filter(([_, v]) => v !== this.$store.state.keys.pub)
 
-      this.$store.dispatch('sendPost', {
+      let ok = await this.$store.dispatch('sendPost', {
         message: this.text,
         tags
       })
-      this.text = ''
+
+      if (ok) this.text = ''
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/layouts/MainLayout.vue b/src/layouts/MainLayout.vue
index 2e0a17d..769f7ef 100644
--- a/src/layouts/MainLayout.vue
+++ b/src/layouts/MainLayout.vue
@@ -221,22 +221,21 @@
           <div class="text-lg text-bold tracking-wide leading-relaxed py-2">
             Initial Key Setup
           </div>
-          <p>
-            Type your mnemonic seed from a previous Nostr account or generate a
+          <div class="mb-2">
+            Type your private key from a previous Nostr account or generate a
             new one.
-          </p>
-          <p>
-            You can also type a raw private key or just a public key for a
-            watch-only setup.
-          </p>
-        </q-card-section>
-        <q-card-section>
+          </div>
+          <div>
+            You can also type just a public key and later sign events manually
+            or using a Nostr-capable browser extension.
+          </div>
+
           <q-form @submit="proceed">
             <q-input
               v-model="key"
               autogrow
               autofocus
-              label="BIP39 Seed Words, private key or public key"
+              label="Private key or public key"
               class="text-lg"
             />
             <q-toggle
diff --git a/src/pages/Settings.vue b/src/pages/Settings.vue
index a94cc1c..3d393b9 100644
--- a/src/pages/Settings.vue
+++ b/src/pages/Settings.vue
@@ -103,23 +103,17 @@
           <div class="text-lg text-bold tracking-wide leading-relaxed py-2">
             Your keys <q-icon name="vpn_key" />
           </div>
-          <p>
-            Make sure you back up your private key! <br />
-            <small
-              >Posts are published using your private key. Others can see your
-              posts or follow you using only your public key.</small
-            >
+          <p v-if="$store.state.keys.priv">
+            Make sure you back up your private key!
           </p>
+          <p v-else>Your private key is not here!</p>
+          <div class="mt-1 text-xs">
+            Posts are published using your private key. Others can see your
+            posts or follow you using only your public key.
+          </div>
         </q-card-section>
 
         <q-card-section>
-          <p>Seed Words:</p>
-          <q-input
-            v-model="$store.state.keys.mnemonic"
-            class="mb-2"
-            readonly
-            filled
-          />
           <p>Private Key:</p>
           <q-input
             v-model="$store.state.keys.priv"
diff --git a/src/pool.js b/src/pool.js
index d781596..022cfaf 100644
--- a/src/pool.js
+++ b/src/pool.js
@@ -1,5 +1,36 @@
 import {relayPool} from 'nostr-tools'
+import {Dialog} from 'quasar'
 
 export const pool = relayPool()
 
 pool.setPolicy('randomChoice', 3)
+
+// this will try to sign either with window.nostr or using a manual prompt
+export async function signAsynchronously(event) {
+  if (window.nostr) {
+    return window.nostr.signEvent(event)
+  } else {
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+      Dialog.create({
+        class: 'px-6 py-1 overflow-hidden',
+        title: 'Sign this event manually',
+        message: `<pre class="font-mono">${JSON.stringify(
+          event,
+          null,
+          2
+        )}</pre>`,
+        html: true,
+        prompt: {
+          model: '',
+          type: 'text',
+          isValid: val => !!val.toLowerCase().match(/^[a-z0-9]{128}$/),
+          attrs: {autocomplete: 'off'},
+          label: 'Paste the signature here (as hex)'
+        }
+      })
+        .onOk(resolve)
+        .onCancel(() => reject('Canceled.'))
+        .onDismiss(() => reject('Canceled.'))
+    })
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/store/actions.js b/src/store/actions.js
index ce175a8..9e1b89e 100644
--- a/src/store/actions.js
+++ b/src/store/actions.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import {encrypt} from 'nostr-tools/nip04'
 import {Notify, LocalStorage} from 'quasar'
 
-import {pool} from '../pool'
+import {pool, signAsynchronously} from '../pool'
 import {dbSave, dbGetProfile, dbGetContactList} from '../db'
 
 export function initKeys(store, keys) {
@@ -19,9 +19,11 @@ export async function launch(store) {
     store.commit('haveReadNotifications')
   }
 
-  // now we already have a key
+  // if we have already have a private key
   if (store.state.keys.priv) {
     pool.setPrivateKey(store.state.keys.priv)
+  } else {
+    pool.registerSigningFunction(signAsynchronously)
   }
 
   // translate localStorage into a kind3 event -- or load relays and following from event
@@ -138,15 +140,31 @@ export function restartMainSubscription(store) {
 export async function sendPost(store, {message, tags = [], kind = 1}) {
   if (message.length === 0) return
 
-  let event = await pool.publish({
-    pubkey: store.state.keys.pub,
-    created_at: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000),
-    kind,
-    tags,
-    content: message
-  })
+  let event
+  try {
+    event = await pool.publish({
+      pubkey: store.state.keys.pub,
+      created_at: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000),
+      kind,
+      tags,
+      content: message
+    })
+  } catch (err) {
+    Notify.create({
+      message: `Did not publish: ${err}`,
+      color: 'red'
+    })
+    return
+  }
+
+  if (!event) {
+    // aborted
+    return
+  }
 
   store.dispatch('addEvent', {event})
+
+  return true
 }
 
 export async function setMetadata(store, metadata) {
diff --git a/src/store/mutations.js b/src/store/mutations.js
index 4bbea54..717560a 100644
--- a/src/store/mutations.js
+++ b/src/store/mutations.js
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export function setKeys(state, {mnemonic, priv, pub} = {}) {
     pub = getPublicKey(priv)
   }
 
-  state.keys = {mnemonic, priv, pub}
+  state.keys = {priv, pub}
 }
 
 export function setRelays(state, relays) {
diff --git a/src/store/state.js b/src/store/state.js
index efe3331..1a747ce 100644
--- a/src/store/state.js
+++ b/src/store/state.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import {LocalStorage} from 'quasar'
 export default function () {
   return {
     keys: LocalStorage.getItem('keys') || {pub: '00'}, // { mnemonic, priv, pub }
+
     relays: {
       // 'wss://nostr.rocks': {read: true, write: true},
       'wss://relayer.fiatjaf.com': {read: true, write: true},
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 34c7919..7642f2a 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -4769,10 +4769,10 @@ normalize-url@^6.0.1:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/normalize-url/-/normalize-url-6.1.0.tgz#40d0885b535deffe3f3147bec877d05fe4c5668a"
   integrity sha512-DlL+XwOy3NxAQ8xuC0okPgK46iuVNAK01YN7RueYBqqFeGsBjV9XmCAzAdgt+667bCl5kPh9EqKKDwnaPG1I7A==
 
-nostr-tools@^0.18.0:
-  version "0.18.0"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/nostr-tools/-/nostr-tools-0.18.0.tgz#d5c76ecd2ea6728a772de5daa5ab5d8110f3425c"
-  integrity sha512-NOAC7JhNrAtFnEsr4vEG3PzSzhAcChzXr0SCcfrlFbXcwIFKHcrBGZ4K6qmhJPGpVvhuXwquixG3KlfMIoqc5g==
+nostr-tools@^0.19.0:
+  version "0.19.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/nostr-tools/-/nostr-tools-0.19.0.tgz#3e086f4a1715607d8917912f56a16866a115efec"
+  integrity sha512-kn7+gy+Ncrf7WkIN/OTuNu/EZtfK2hVLQZw9CQOVcngeF5nlqMRVrgMQBo2CkrkFFV5G5tS71lH4imtiklh13g==
   dependencies:
     "@noble/hashes" "^0.5.7"
     "@noble/secp256k1" "^1.3.0"