diff --git a/app/models/account.rb b/app/models/account.rb
index 1966c5a48bfd43..068ee7ae9c6fe4 100644
--- a/app/models/account.rb
+++ b/app/models/account.rb
@@ -561,6 +561,12 @@ def emojis
   before_validation :prepare_username, on: :create
   before_destroy :clean_feed_manager
 
+  def ensure_keys!
+    return unless local? && private_key.blank? && public_key.blank?
+    generate_keys
+    save!
+  end
+
   private
 
   def prepare_contents
diff --git a/app/models/concerns/account_finder_concern.rb b/app/models/concerns/account_finder_concern.rb
index 7e165d3ab92cfe..c4f255b73b0823 100644
--- a/app/models/concerns/account_finder_concern.rb
+++ b/app/models/concerns/account_finder_concern.rb
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ def find_local_or_remote!(username, domain)
     end
 
     def representative
-      Account.find(-99)
+      Account.find(-99).tap(&:ensure_keys!)
     rescue ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound
       Account.create!(id: -99, actor_type: 'Application', locked: true, username: Rails.configuration.x.local_domain)
     end
diff --git a/db/migrate/20190715164535_add_instance_actor.rb b/db/migrate/20190715164535_add_instance_actor.rb
index 8c0301d69d8bf3..0ae53199acbd52 100644
--- a/db/migrate/20190715164535_add_instance_actor.rb
+++ b/db/migrate/20190715164535_add_instance_actor.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,14 @@ class AddInstanceActor < ActiveRecord::Migration[5.2]
   class Account < ApplicationRecord
     # Dummy class, to make migration possible across version changes
     validates :username, uniqueness: { scope: :domain, case_sensitive: false }
+
+    before_create :generate_keys
+
+    def generate_keys
+      keypair = OpenSSL::PKey::RSA.new(2048)
+      self.private_key = keypair.to_pem
+      self.public_key  = keypair.public_key.to_pem
+    end
   end
 
   def up
diff --git a/lib/tasks/tests.rake b/lib/tasks/tests.rake
index 8082f32fb4ca6b..0f3b44a7443f3d 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/tests.rake
+++ b/lib/tasks/tests.rake
@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@ namespace :tests do
         puts 'AccountConversation records not created as expected'
         exit(1)
       end
+
+      if Account.find(-99).private_key.blank?
+        puts 'Instance actor does not have a private key'
+        exit(1)
+      end
     end
 
     desc 'Populate the database with test data for 2.4.0'