diff --git a/whisper/envelope.go b/whisper/envelope.go
index 683e881283..dc8d3cda4d 100644
--- a/whisper/envelope.go
+++ b/whisper/envelope.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/ethutil"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rlp"
+	"github.com/obscuren/ecies"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -76,7 +77,10 @@ func (self *Envelope) Open(prv *ecdsa.PrivateKey) (msg *Message, err error) {
 	message.Payload = data[dataStart:]
 	if prv != nil {
 		message.Payload, err = crypto.Decrypt(prv, message.Payload)
-		if err != nil {
+		switch err {
+		case ecies.ErrInvalidPublicKey: // Payload isn't encrypted
+			return &message, err
+		default:
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to open envelope. Decrypt failed: %v", err)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/whisper/whisper.go b/whisper/whisper.go
index f91b61d9ac..b16ccd1e9a 100644
--- a/whisper/whisper.go
+++ b/whisper/whisper.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/event/filter"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/logger"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/p2p"
+	"github.com/obscuren/ecies"
 	"gopkg.in/fatih/set.v0"
 )
 
@@ -229,7 +230,7 @@ func (self *Whisper) envelopes() (envelopes []*Envelope) {
 
 func (self *Whisper) postEvent(envelope *Envelope) {
 	for _, key := range self.keys {
-		if message, err := envelope.Open(key); err == nil {
+		if message, err := envelope.Open(key); err == nil || (err != nil && err == ecies.ErrInvalidPublicKey) {
 			// Create a custom filter?
 			self.filters.Notify(filter.Generic{
 				Str1: string(crypto.FromECDSA(key)), Str2: string(crypto.FromECDSAPub(message.Recover())),