diff --git a/blockservice/blockservice.go b/blockservice/blockservice.go
index b8e445568..dcf15ce95 100644
--- a/blockservice/blockservice.go
+++ b/blockservice/blockservice.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func NewBlockService(d ds.Datastore, rem exchange.Interface) (*BlockService, err
 // AddBlock adds a particular block to the service, Putting it into the datastore.
 func (s *BlockService) AddBlock(b *blocks.Block) (u.Key, error) {
 	k := b.Key()
-	log.Debug("blockservice: storing [%s] in datastore", k.Pretty())
+	log.Debug("blockservice: storing [%s] in datastore", k)
 	// TODO(brian): define a block datastore with a Put method which accepts a
 	// block parameter
 	err := s.Datastore.Put(k.DsKey(), b.Data)
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ func (s *BlockService) AddBlock(b *blocks.Block) (u.Key, error) {
 // GetBlock retrieves a particular block from the service,
 // Getting it from the datastore using the key (hash).
 func (s *BlockService) GetBlock(k u.Key) (*blocks.Block, error) {
-	log.Debug("BlockService GetBlock: '%s'", k.Pretty())
+	log.Debug("BlockService GetBlock: '%s'", k)
 	datai, err := s.Datastore.Get(k.DsKey())
 	if err == nil {
 		log.Debug("Blockservice: Got data in datastore.")
diff --git a/merkledag/merkledag.go b/merkledag/merkledag.go
index 05440cd6e..d7e8148ed 100644
--- a/merkledag/merkledag.go
+++ b/merkledag/merkledag.go
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ type DAGService struct {
 // Add adds a node to the DAGService, storing the block in the BlockService
 func (n *DAGService) Add(nd *Node) (u.Key, error) {
 	k, _ := nd.Key()
-	log.Debug("DagService Add [%s]\n", k.Pretty())
+	log.Debug("DagService Add [%s]", k)
 	if n == nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("DAGService is nil")
 	}
diff --git a/util/util.go b/util/util.go
index 5a9d21e81..d82df4a6f 100644
--- a/util/util.go
+++ b/util/util.go
@@ -39,7 +39,11 @@ var ErrNotFound = ds.ErrNotFound
 // Key is a string representation of multihash for use with maps.
 type Key string
 
-// Pretty returns Key in a b58 encoded string
+// String returns Key in a b58 encoded string
+func (k Key) String() string {
+	return b58.Encode([]byte(k))
+}
+
 func (k Key) Pretty() string {
 	return b58.Encode([]byte(k))
 }