diff --git a/lib/nostr.js b/lib/nostr.js
index ae2165e0b..0250eb037 100644
--- a/lib/nostr.js
+++ b/lib/nostr.js
@@ -33,14 +33,14 @@ export class Nostr {
    */
   _ndk = null
 
-  constructor ({ privKey, defaultSigner, relays, supportNip07 = true, ...ndkOptions } = {}) {
+  constructor ({ privKey, defaultSigner, relays, supportNip07 = false, ...ndkOptions } = {}) {
     this._ndk = new NDK({
       explicitRelayUrls: relays,
       blacklistRelayUrls: RELAYS_BLACKLIST,
       autoConnectUserRelays: false,
       autoFetchUserMutelist: false,
       clientName: 'stacker.news',
-      signer: defaultSigner ?? (privKey ? new NDKPrivateKeySigner(privKey) : null) ?? (supportNip07 && typeof window !== 'undefined' && window?.nostr ? new NDKNip07Signer() : undefined),
+      signer: defaultSigner ?? this.getSigner({ privKey, supportNip07 }),
       ...ndkOptions
     })
   }
@@ -52,6 +52,19 @@ export class Nostr {
     return this._ndk
   }
 
+  /**
+   *
+   * @param {args} param0
+   * @param {string} [args.privKey] - private key to use for signing
+   * @param {boolean} [args.supportNip07] - whether to use NIP-07 signer if available
+   * @returns {NDKPrivateKeySigner | NDKNip46Signer | NDKNip07Signer | null} - a signer instance
+   */
+  getSigner ({ privKey, supportNip07 = true } = {}) {
+    if (privKey) return new NDKPrivateKeySigner(privKey)
+    if (supportNip07 && typeof window !== 'undefined' && window?.nostr) return new NDKNip07Signer()
+    return null
+  }
+
   /**
    * @param {Object} rawEvent
    * @param {number} rawEvent.kind
@@ -64,14 +77,14 @@ export class Nostr {
    * @returns {Promise<NDKEvent>}
    */
   /* eslint-disable camelcase */
-  async sign ({ kind, created_at, content, tags }, { privKey, signer } = {}) {
-    const event = new NDKEvent(this._ndk)
+  async sign ({ kind, created_at, content, tags }, { signer } = {}) {
+    const event = new NDKEvent(this.ndk)
     event.kind = kind
     event.created_at = created_at
     event.content = content
     event.tags = tags
 
-    signer ??= (privKey ? new NDKPrivateKeySigner(privKey) : this.ndk.signer)
+    signer ??= this.ndk.signer
     if (!signer) throw new Error('no way to sign this event, please provide a signer or private key')
     await event.sign(signer)
     return event
@@ -91,13 +104,13 @@ export class Nostr {
    * @returns {Promise<NDKEvent>}
    */
   /* eslint-disable camelcase */
-  async publish ({ created_at, content, tags = [], kind }, { relays, privKey, signer, timeout } = {}) {
-    const event = await this.sign({ kind, created_at, content, tags }, { privKey, signer })
+  async publish ({ created_at, content, tags = [], kind }, { relays, signer, timeout } = {}) {
+    const event = await this.sign({ kind, created_at, content, tags }, { signer })
 
     const successfulRelays = []
     const failedRelays = []
 
-    const relaySet = NDKRelaySet.fromRelayUrls(relays, this._ndk, true)
+    const relaySet = NDKRelaySet.fromRelayUrls(relays, this.ndk, true)
 
     event.on('relay:publish:failed', (relay, error) => {
       failedRelays.push({ relay: relay.url, error })
@@ -115,9 +128,10 @@ export class Nostr {
   }
 
   /* eslint-disable camelcase */
-  async crosspost ({ created_at, content, tags = [], kind }, { relays = DEFAULT_CROSSPOSTING_RELAYS, privKey, signer, timeout } = {}) {
+  async crosspost ({ created_at, content, tags = [], kind }, { relays = DEFAULT_CROSSPOSTING_RELAYS, signer, timeout } = {}) {
     try {
-      const { event: signedEvent, successfulRelays, failedRelays } = await this.publish({ created_at, content, tags, kind }, { relays, privKey, signer, timeout })
+      signer ??= this.getSigner({ supportNip07: true })
+      const { event: signedEvent, successfulRelays, failedRelays } = await this.publish({ created_at, content, tags, kind }, { relays, signer, timeout })
 
       let noteId = null
       if (signedEvent.kind !== 1) {
diff --git a/worker/nostr.js b/worker/nostr.js
index 6ad15d6bd..fe2201262 100644
--- a/worker/nostr.js
+++ b/worker/nostr.js
@@ -45,9 +45,10 @@ export async function nip57 ({ data: { hash }, boss, lnd, models }) {
     }
 
     console.log('zap note', e, relays)
+    const signer = Nostr.getSigner({ privKey: process.env.NOSTR_PRIVATE_KEY })
     await Nostr.publish(e, {
       relays,
-      privKey: process.env.NOSTR_PRIVATE_KEY,
+      signer,
       timeout: 1000
     })
   } catch (e) {