diff --git a/src/key.js b/src/key.js
index e1e095f3..4acc880c 100644
--- a/src/key.js
+++ b/src/key.js
@@ -1272,6 +1272,9 @@ export function reformat(options) {
         options.subkeyType = secretSubkeyPacket.algorithm;
       }
     }
+    if (!secretKeyPacket) {
+      throw new Error('Key does not contain a secret key packet');
+    }
     return wrapKeyObject(secretKeyPacket, secretSubkeyPacket, options);
   });
 }
@@ -1280,7 +1283,9 @@ async function wrapKeyObject(secretKeyPacket, secretSubkeyPacket, options) {
   // set passphrase protection
   if (options.passphrase) {
     secretKeyPacket.encrypt(options.passphrase);
-    secretSubkeyPacket.encrypt(options.passphrase);
+    if (secretSubkeyPacket) {
+      secretSubkeyPacket.encrypt(options.passphrase);
+    }
   }
 
   var packetlist = new packet.List();
@@ -1336,26 +1341,30 @@ async function wrapKeyObject(secretKeyPacket, secretSubkeyPacket, options) {
     });
   });
 
-  var dataToSign = {};
-  dataToSign.key = secretKeyPacket;
-  dataToSign.bind = secretSubkeyPacket;
-  var subkeySignaturePacket = new packet.Signature();
-  subkeySignaturePacket.signatureType = enums.signature.subkey_binding;
-  subkeySignaturePacket.publicKeyAlgorithm = options.keyType;
-  subkeySignaturePacket.hashAlgorithm = getPreferredHashAlgo(secretSubkeyPacket);
-  subkeySignaturePacket.keyFlags = [enums.keyFlags.encrypt_communication | enums.keyFlags.encrypt_storage];
-  if (options.keyExpirationTime > 0) {
-    subkeySignaturePacket.keyExpirationTime = options.keyExpirationTime;
-    subkeySignaturePacket.keyNeverExpires = false;
-  }
-  await subkeySignaturePacket.sign(secretKeyPacket, dataToSign);
+  if (secretSubkeyPacket) {
+    var dataToSign = {};
+    dataToSign.key = secretKeyPacket;
+    dataToSign.bind = secretSubkeyPacket;
+    var subkeySignaturePacket = new packet.Signature();
+    subkeySignaturePacket.signatureType = enums.signature.subkey_binding;
+    subkeySignaturePacket.publicKeyAlgorithm = options.keyType;
+    subkeySignaturePacket.hashAlgorithm = getPreferredHashAlgo(secretSubkeyPacket);
+    subkeySignaturePacket.keyFlags = [enums.keyFlags.encrypt_communication | enums.keyFlags.encrypt_storage];
+    if (options.keyExpirationTime > 0) {
+      subkeySignaturePacket.keyExpirationTime = options.keyExpirationTime;
+      subkeySignaturePacket.keyNeverExpires = false;
+    }
+    await subkeySignaturePacket.sign(secretKeyPacket, dataToSign);
 
-  packetlist.push(secretSubkeyPacket);
-  packetlist.push(subkeySignaturePacket);
+    packetlist.push(secretSubkeyPacket);
+    packetlist.push(subkeySignaturePacket);
+  }
 
   if (!options.unlocked) {
     secretKeyPacket.clearPrivateParams();
-    secretSubkeyPacket.clearPrivateParams();
+    if (secretSubkeyPacket) {
+      secretSubkeyPacket.clearPrivateParams();
+    }
   }
 
   return new Key(packetlist);
diff --git a/src/openpgp.js b/src/openpgp.js
index 4f1651fb..2b38859f 100644
--- a/src/openpgp.js
+++ b/src/openpgp.js
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ export function generateKey({ userIds=[], passphrase, numBits=2048, unlocked=fal
 
 /**
  * Reformats signature packets for a key and rewraps key object.
+ * @param  {Key} privateKey          private key to reformat
  * @param  {Array<Object>} userIds   array of user IDs e.g. [{ name:'Phil Zimmermann', email:'phil@openpgp.org' }]
  * @param  {String} passphrase       (optional) The passphrase used to encrypt the resulting private key
  * @param  {Boolean} unlocked        (optional) If the returned secret part of the generated key is unlocked
diff --git a/test/general/key.js b/test/general/key.js
index 47974849..8c409f12 100644
--- a/test/general/key.js
+++ b/test/general/key.js
@@ -583,6 +583,42 @@ describe('Key', function() {
     '=yzZh',
     '-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----'].join('\n');
 
+  var key_without_subkey = [
+    '-----BEGIN PGP PRIVATE KEY BLOCK-----',
+    'Version: OpenPGP.js v2.6.2',
+    'Comment: https://openpgpjs.org',
+    '',
+    'xcLYBFp9nCsBCACXTmLI9bJzaAanrD7r6j7gNDS7PsebJr0e182hgHVnGkr3',
+    '8XCsCdWSllUNfBRln4MI8GfWVO5Bhhx5en6ntCptJVeSsohAHfBzmdoauSGW',
+    'y+M+3dlSGeVqgqmDukQSxuNgKBC/ELDhKvAb8uKWnS/MUOapk/6aF8mf9Vqm',
+    'eG/1RHrIvxfeOsRCEFH0OqB2tOeCWPXohxpzv2AvFxWviwzpedwNGDhN/XjZ',
+    'JzI4LyBKlorHJvwe4KLKtaLuOq0jmNkT6AcsniyhvqN8QRP4OK7084Uc/7Yd',
+    '6Qrcnw/6plqMB5J2PyYkB6eTptp28bwIxUGzfGQ6qfDyHHQBIbAVt3m5ABEB',
+    'AAEAB/9uDdjynSvon5C/oxy9Ukvbnn2AeOCNLLdA2O07/Ijoroo7IIW4zQpo',
+    'rio9PbREWqrf9KVCk9IdHORXQ88eQoDdlNzG2k8ae+xq2Ux4RZJ18eVf09P/',
+    '0NA7EcElDHX5RmsahOnxX72YejfdzGQd80VSEsJENF5rTMQeMkN2dIHS3pFM',
+    '9ar2nJe9dc/L9ND0P79X8twZvvfh287Tm23fs384nRedcUwELm43kNV7Us3t',
+    'ub1ORmAzHhVCa8dWev7Zca7FqiZxa0u3X/QHvVMMpr0ewTBulr/mEjaglfYf',
+    'dNp1PxduWYPWU54/XLG3G4nqLUS++qjd3O46VhMMCIigGf01BACgrkPwdrTJ',
+    'EGCfgIq48IGoMU//wS1P0g7EIzplwGAzGAJQw6LhGqKrDONcyKGqHzRgn8oz',
+    'dF8iezGjlVq7oiyrrB4ez1gDG4RRDC+6+PTn/TXBTZ21krUgPUrB0jcqV7SQ',
+    'IIWZost7zNcbEqiPI91SPAMwYJZbJrSL4pTnDVLfewQA8RB1y3IzuK/rT+gs',
+    'JfcSHqZ12G+sUIgpK6yv4pN7hQDhWC3+qe8ULnLLXYv+FQslnRW7tTkAbCRl',
+    'kJvbibRqrYj+fQS2d3Hau5HYcGKcv9KPgOhB49yRkQpWCT+fqsQwJByyeZ47',
+    'iiJRR8t0X92nr0zbf0f+LalmK4cQnQ6LS1sEAN2R8RiamrNcbsdmre0v6QVL',
+    'WUOIwRWABRWFOm9QbSr80ji1q9pHlS5WbIw4LVeiO8V6H21QTL2fqDA9yWOK',
+    'mNsOgIi+1PMkC4lwPu60VR7yBtLFWFF2SuuqPuDG8TFA2PBQFisrxcq63E38',
+    'kroxpqxNCXXuB3E0uNL2fO6dqWbaRPzNF2dpYm9saW5AcHJvdG9ubWFpbC5i',
+    'bHVlwsBcBBABAgAGBQJafZwrAAoJEFu1JX+Hv3FrMWEH/jE6HN5MayB6RHe7',
+    'FTrfMlMEh54BqsiugmAIgtKYcxUcNsPw/hC53lJ6tDzo3/zk/2shvfItafh5',
+    'ldUsERj1y5e7OMR+2GgfgMdddLddBuV8sXv2HwQgMtykeXOIPuH+7CZDwV7F',
+    'lUyrykwpIjGGPkK+fG64fVt0cfWprdEsqcGZmHf/lHtoGprG8syfF+Ao3beI',
+    'g6HJ61NHIBy4ewueKMBZ58/9VF2MQ7YgBQCtQNAnQKKrDFmxjZw3J4zBl83i',
+    '3LrYpnYepvMUitQ/Y2pBAYygUExZ0dPC2uGFdPISbDGLg3DhGcyy1MvbLuNh',
+    'EyjB8RncAfSIwK4dSGVh+PD5dkc=',
+    '=w6Dj',
+    '-----END PGP PRIVATE KEY BLOCK-----'].join('\n');
+
   it('Parsing armored text with RSA key and ECC subkey', function(done) {
     openpgp.config.tolerant = true;
     var pubKeys = openpgp.key.readArmored(rsa_ecc_pub);
@@ -1135,6 +1171,7 @@ describe('Key', function() {
       });
     });
   });
+
   it('Reformat key without passphrase', function() {
     var userId1 = 'test1 <a@b.com>';
     var userId2 = 'test2 <b@a.com>';
@@ -1156,6 +1193,37 @@ describe('Key', function() {
     });
   });
 
+  it('Reformat key with no subkey with passphrase', function() {
+    var userId = 'test1 <a@b.com>';
+    var keys = openpgp.key.readArmored(key_without_subkey).keys;
+    var opt = {privateKey: keys[0], userIds: [userId], passphrase: "test"}
+    return openpgp.reformatKey(opt).then(function(newKey) {
+      newKey = newKey.key;
+      expect(newKey.users.length).to.equal(1);
+      expect(newKey.users[0].userId.userid).to.equal(userId);
+      expect(newKey.primaryKey.isDecrypted).to.be.false;
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('Reformat key with no subkey without passphrase', function() {
+    var userId = 'test1 <a@b.com>';
+    var keys = openpgp.key.readArmored(key_without_subkey).keys;
+    var opt = {privateKey: keys[0], userIds: [userId]}
+    return openpgp.reformatKey(opt).then(function(newKey) {
+      newKey = newKey.key;
+      expect(newKey.users.length).to.equal(1);
+      expect(newKey.users[0].userId.userid).to.equal(userId);
+      expect(newKey.primaryKey.isDecrypted).to.be.true;
+      return openpgp.sign({data: 'hello', privateKeys: newKey, armor: true}).then(function(signed) {
+        return openpgp.verify({message: openpgp.cleartext.readArmored(signed.data), publicKeys: newKey.toPublic()}).then(function(verified) {
+          expect(verified.signatures[0].valid).to.be.true;
+          expect(verified.signatures[0].keyid.toHex()).to.equal(newKey.getSigningKeyPacket().getKeyId().toHex());
+          expect(verified.signatures[0].signature.packets.length).to.equal(1);
+        });
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
   it('Reformat and encrypt key', function() {
     var userId1 = 'test1 <a@b.com>';
     var userId2 = 'test2 <b@c.com>';