diff --git a/crypto/crypto.go b/crypto/crypto.go
index 5509d394c..482a5a748 100644
--- a/crypto/crypto.go
+++ b/crypto/crypto.go
@@ -42,17 +42,17 @@ var (
 // structure. For the master key, the secret random polynomial used for content
 // defined chunking is included.
 type Key struct {
-	Sign              MACKey      `json:"sign"`
-	Encrypt           AESKey      `json:"encrypt"`
-	ChunkerPolynomial chunker.Pol `json:"chunker_polynomial,omitempty"`
+	Sign              SigningKey    `json:"sign"`
+	Encrypt           EncryptionKey `json:"encrypt"`
+	ChunkerPolynomial chunker.Pol   `json:"chunker_polynomial,omitempty"`
 }
 
-type AESKey [32]byte
-type MACKey struct {
-	K [16]byte // for AES128
-	R [16]byte // for Poly1305
+type EncryptionKey [32]byte
+type SigningKey struct {
+	K [16]byte `json:"k"` // for AES128
+	R [16]byte `json:"r"` // for Poly1305
 }
-type IV [ivSize]byte
+type iv [ivSize]byte
 
 // mask for key, (cf. http://cr.yp.to/mac/poly1305-20050329.pdf)
 var poly1305KeyMask = [16]byte{
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ var poly1305KeyMask = [16]byte{
 }
 
 // key is a [32]byte, in the form k||r
-func poly1305_sign(msg []byte, nonce []byte, key *MACKey) []byte {
+func poly1305_sign(msg []byte, nonce []byte, key *SigningKey) []byte {
 	// prepare key for low-level poly1305.Sum(): r||n
 	var k [32]byte
 
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ func poly1305_sign(msg []byte, nonce []byte, key *MACKey) []byte {
 }
 
 // mask poly1305 key
-func maskKey(k *MACKey) {
+func maskKey(k *SigningKey) {
 	if k == nil {
 		return
 	}
@@ -110,14 +110,14 @@ func maskKey(k *MACKey) {
 }
 
 // construct mac key from slice (k||r), with masking
-func macKeyFromSlice(mk *MACKey, data []byte) {
+func macKeyFromSlice(mk *SigningKey, data []byte) {
 	copy(mk.K[:], data[:16])
 	copy(mk.R[:], data[16:32])
 	maskKey(mk)
 }
 
 // key: k||r
-func poly1305_verify(msg []byte, nonce []byte, key *MACKey, mac []byte) bool {
+func poly1305_verify(msg []byte, nonce []byte, key *SigningKey, mac []byte) bool {
 	// prepare key for low-level poly1305.Sum(): r||n
 	var k [32]byte
 
@@ -141,8 +141,8 @@ func poly1305_verify(msg []byte, nonce []byte, key *MACKey, mac []byte) bool {
 	return poly1305.Verify(&m, msg, &k)
 }
 
-// GenerateKey returns new encryption and signing keys.
-func GenerateKey() (k *Key) {
+// NewKey returns new encryption and signing keys.
+func NewKey() (k *Key) {
 	k = &Key{}
 	n, err := rand.Read(k.Encrypt[:])
 	if n != aesKeySize || err != nil {
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ func GenerateKey() (k *Key) {
 	return k
 }
 
-func generateRandomIV() (iv IV) {
+func newIV() (iv iv) {
 	n, err := rand.Read(iv[:])
 	if n != ivSize || err != nil {
 		panic("unable to read enough random bytes for iv")
@@ -177,11 +177,11 @@ type jsonMACKey struct {
 	R []byte `json:"r"`
 }
 
-func (m *MACKey) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
+func (m *SigningKey) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
 	return json.Marshal(jsonMACKey{K: m.K[:], R: m.R[:]})
 }
 
-func (m *MACKey) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
+func (m *SigningKey) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
 	j := jsonMACKey{}
 	err := json.Unmarshal(data, &j)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -193,11 +193,11 @@ func (m *MACKey) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (k *AESKey) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
+func (k *EncryptionKey) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
 	return json.Marshal(k[:])
 }
 
-func (k *AESKey) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
+func (k *EncryptionKey) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
 	d := make([]byte, aesKeySize)
 	err := json.Unmarshal(data, &d)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ func Encrypt(ks *Key, ciphertext, plaintext []byte) (int, error) {
 		return 0, ErrBufferTooSmall
 	}
 
-	iv := generateRandomIV()
+	iv := newIV()
 	copy(ciphertext, iv[:])
 
 	c, err := aes.NewCipher(ks.Encrypt[:])
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ func KDF(N, R, P int, salt []byte, password string) (*Key, error) {
 }
 
 type encryptWriter struct {
-	iv      IV
+	iv      iv
 	wroteIV bool
 	data    *bytes.Buffer
 	key     *Key
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ func (e *encryptWriter) Write(p []byte) (int, error) {
 // is called, the data is encrypted an written to the underlying writer.
 func EncryptTo(ks *Key, wr io.Writer) io.WriteCloser {
 	ew := &encryptWriter{
-		iv:     generateRandomIV(),
+		iv:     newIV(),
 		data:   bytes.NewBuffer(getBuffer()[:0]),
 		key:    ks,
 		origWr: wr,
diff --git a/crypto/crypto_int_test.go b/crypto/crypto_int_test.go
index 5c5351303..8998085b4 100644
--- a/crypto/crypto_int_test.go
+++ b/crypto/crypto_int_test.go
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ var poly1305_tests = []struct {
 
 func TestPoly1305(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, test := range poly1305_tests {
-		key := &MACKey{}
+		key := &SigningKey{}
 		copy(key.K[:], test.k)
 		copy(key.R[:], test.r)
 		mac := poly1305_sign(test.msg, test.nonce, key)
@@ -61,16 +61,16 @@ func TestPoly1305(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 var test_values = []struct {
-	ekey         AESKey
-	skey         MACKey
+	ekey         EncryptionKey
+	skey         SigningKey
 	ciphertext   []byte
 	plaintext    []byte
 	should_panic bool
 }{
 	{
-		ekey: AESKey([...]byte{0x30, 0x3e, 0x86, 0x87, 0xb1, 0xd7, 0xdb, 0x18, 0x42, 0x1b, 0xdc, 0x6b, 0xb8, 0x58, 0x8c, 0xca,
+		ekey: EncryptionKey([...]byte{0x30, 0x3e, 0x86, 0x87, 0xb1, 0xd7, 0xdb, 0x18, 0x42, 0x1b, 0xdc, 0x6b, 0xb8, 0x58, 0x8c, 0xca,
 			0xda, 0xc4, 0xd5, 0x9e, 0xe8, 0x7b, 0x8f, 0xf7, 0x0c, 0x44, 0xe6, 0x35, 0x79, 0x0c, 0xaf, 0xef}),
-		skey: MACKey{
+		skey: SigningKey{
 			K: [...]byte{0xef, 0x4d, 0x88, 0x24, 0xcb, 0x80, 0xb2, 0xbc, 0xc5, 0xfb, 0xff, 0x8a, 0x9b, 0x12, 0xa4, 0x2c},
 			R: [...]byte{0xcc, 0x8d, 0x4b, 0x94, 0x8e, 0xe0, 0xeb, 0xfe, 0x1d, 0x41, 0x5d, 0xe9, 0x21, 0xd1, 0x03, 0x53},
 		},
diff --git a/crypto/crypto_test.go b/crypto/crypto_test.go
index ec39211e9..a44133454 100644
--- a/crypto/crypto_test.go
+++ b/crypto/crypto_test.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import (
 var testLargeCrypto = flag.Bool("test.largecrypto", false, "also test crypto functions with large payloads")
 
 func TestEncryptDecrypt(t *testing.T) {
-	k := crypto.GenerateKey()
+	k := crypto.NewKey()
 
 	tests := []int{5, 23, 2<<18 + 23, 1 << 20}
 	if *testLargeCrypto {
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func TestEncryptDecrypt(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestSmallBuffer(t *testing.T) {
-	k := crypto.GenerateKey()
+	k := crypto.NewKey()
 
 	size := 600
 	data := make([]byte, size)
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func TestLargeEncrypt(t *testing.T) {
 		t.SkipNow()
 	}
 
-	k := crypto.GenerateKey()
+	k := crypto.NewKey()
 
 	for _, size := range []int{chunker.MaxSize, chunker.MaxSize + 1, chunker.MaxSize + 1<<20} {
 		data := make([]byte, size)
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func BenchmarkEncryptWriter(b *testing.B) {
 	size := 8 << 20 // 8MiB
 	rd := RandomReader(23, size)
 
-	k := crypto.GenerateKey()
+	k := crypto.NewKey()
 
 	b.ResetTimer()
 	b.SetBytes(int64(size))
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ func BenchmarkEncrypt(b *testing.B) {
 	size := 8 << 20 // 8MiB
 	data := make([]byte, size)
 
-	k := crypto.GenerateKey()
+	k := crypto.NewKey()
 	buf := make([]byte, len(data)+crypto.Extension)
 
 	b.ResetTimer()
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ func BenchmarkEncrypt(b *testing.B) {
 func BenchmarkDecryptReader(b *testing.B) {
 	size := 8 << 20 // 8MiB
 	buf := Random(23, size)
-	k := crypto.GenerateKey()
+	k := crypto.NewKey()
 
 	ciphertext := make([]byte, len(buf)+crypto.Extension)
 	_, err := crypto.Encrypt(k, ciphertext, buf)
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ func BenchmarkDecryptReader(b *testing.B) {
 }
 
 func BenchmarkEncryptDecryptReader(b *testing.B) {
-	k := crypto.GenerateKey()
+	k := crypto.NewKey()
 
 	size := 8 << 20 // 8MiB
 	rd := RandomReader(23, size)
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ func BenchmarkDecrypt(b *testing.B) {
 	size := 8 << 20 // 8MiB
 	data := make([]byte, size)
 
-	k := crypto.GenerateKey()
+	k := crypto.NewKey()
 
 	ciphertext := restic.GetChunkBuf("BenchmarkDecrypt")
 	defer restic.FreeChunkBuf("BenchmarkDecrypt", ciphertext)
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ func BenchmarkDecrypt(b *testing.B) {
 }
 
 func TestEncryptStreamWriter(t *testing.T) {
-	k := crypto.GenerateKey()
+	k := crypto.NewKey()
 
 	tests := []int{5, 23, 2<<18 + 23, 1 << 20}
 	if *testLargeCrypto {
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ func TestEncryptStreamWriter(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestDecryptStreamReader(t *testing.T) {
-	k := crypto.GenerateKey()
+	k := crypto.NewKey()
 
 	tests := []int{5, 23, 2<<18 + 23, 1 << 20}
 	if *testLargeCrypto {
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ func TestDecryptStreamReader(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestEncryptWriter(t *testing.T) {
-	k := crypto.GenerateKey()
+	k := crypto.NewKey()
 
 	tests := []int{5, 23, 2<<18 + 23, 1 << 20}
 	if *testLargeCrypto {
diff --git a/key.go b/key.go
index e7a62ce41..095cd2223 100644
--- a/key.go
+++ b/key.go
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ func AddKey(s Server, password string, template *Key) (*Key, error) {
 
 	if template == nil {
 		// generate new random master keys
-		newkey.master = crypto.GenerateKey()
+		newkey.master = crypto.NewKey()
 		// generate random polynomial for cdc
 		p, err := chunker.RandomPolynomial()
 		if err != nil {