diff --git a/Keyczar/Keyczar/KeySet/IKeySet.cs b/Keyczar/Keyczar/KeySet/IKeySet.cs
index 3fe546bb..ef95cf27 100644
--- a/Keyczar/Keyczar/KeySet/IKeySet.cs
+++ b/Keyczar/Keyczar/KeySet/IKeySet.cs
@@ -41,6 +41,19 @@ public static Key GetKey(this IKeySet keySet, int version)
             return key;
         }
 
+        private static Key GetPrimaryKey(this IKeySet keySet)
+        {
+            var version = keySet.Metadata.GetPrimaryKeyVersion();
+            return version == null 
+                ? null 
+                : keySet.GetKey(version.VersionNumber);
+        }
+        
+        public static KeyVersion GetPrimaryKeyVersion(this KeyMetadata metadata)
+        {
+            return metadata.Versions.SingleOrDefault(it => it.Status == KeyStatus.Primary);
+        }
+
         public static KeyczarConfig GetConfig(this IKeySet keySet)
         {
             return keySet.Config ?? KeyczarDefaults.DefaultConfig;
diff --git a/Keyczar/Keyczar/KeyczarBase.cs b/Keyczar/Keyczar/KeyczarBase.cs
index bcecc827..3d2100b3 100644
--- a/Keyczar/Keyczar/KeyczarBase.cs
+++ b/Keyczar/Keyczar/KeyczarBase.cs
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ protected KeyczarBase(IKeySet keySet)
                             })
                 .ToList();
 
-            _primaryVersion = metadata.Versions.SingleOrDefault(it => it.Status == KeyStatus.Primary);
+            _primaryVersion = metadata.GetPrimaryKeyVersion();
 
             _versions = versions.ToDictionary(k => k.Item2.VersionNumber, v => v.Item3);