diff --git a/sshkey.c b/sshkey.c
index 5497497cd..10b9e4676 100644
--- a/sshkey.c
+++ b/sshkey.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* $OpenBSD: sshkey.c,v 1.109 2020/06/22 05:58:35 djm Exp $ */
+/* $OpenBSD: sshkey.c,v 1.110 2020/06/24 15:07:33 markus Exp $ */
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2000, 2001 Markus Friedl.  All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2008 Alexander von Gernler.  All rights reserved.
@@ -3600,10 +3600,12 @@ sshkey_private_deserialize(struct sshbuf *buf, struct sshkey **kp)
 	case KEY_XMSS:
 	case KEY_XMSS_CERT:
 		if ((r = sshbuf_get_cstring(buf, &xmss_name, NULL)) != 0 ||
-		    (r = sshkey_xmss_init(k, xmss_name)) != 0 ||
 		    (r = sshbuf_get_string(buf, &xmss_pk, &pklen)) != 0 ||
 		    (r = sshbuf_get_string(buf, &xmss_sk, &sklen)) != 0)
 			goto out;
+		if (type == KEY_XMSS &&
+		    (r = sshkey_xmss_init(k, xmss_name)) != 0)
+			goto out;
 		if (pklen != sshkey_xmss_pklen(k) ||
 		    sklen != sshkey_xmss_sklen(k)) {
 			r = SSH_ERR_INVALID_FORMAT;