diff --git a/libs/encryption/keys/src/main/kotlin/com/getcode/solana/keys/PublicKey.kt b/libs/encryption/keys/src/main/kotlin/com/getcode/solana/keys/PublicKey.kt
index 108222754f..8668741349 100644
--- a/libs/encryption/keys/src/main/kotlin/com/getcode/solana/keys/PublicKey.kt
+++ b/libs/encryption/keys/src/main/kotlin/com/getcode/solana/keys/PublicKey.kt
@@ -28,7 +28,9 @@ open class PublicKey(bytes: List<Byte>) : Key32(bytes), Parcelable {
             return PublicKey(byteString.toByteArray().toList())
         }
 
-        val ZERO: PublicKey = PublicKey(zero.bytes)
+        // Not Key32.zero: Key32's companion constructs PublicKeys, so when Key32 initializes
+        // first, this runs before Key32.zero is assigned.
+        val ZERO: PublicKey = PublicKey(ByteArray(LENGTH_32).toList())
 
         @JvmField
         val CREATOR: Parcelable.Creator<PublicKey> =
diff --git a/libs/encryption/keys/src/test/kotlin/com/getcode/solana/keys/KeyInitOrderTest.kt b/libs/encryption/keys/src/test/kotlin/com/getcode/solana/keys/KeyInitOrderTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2c37167894
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/encryption/keys/src/test/kotlin/com/getcode/solana/keys/KeyInitOrderTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+package com.getcode.solana.keys
+
+import java.io.File
+import java.net.URLClassLoader
+import kotlin.test.Test
+import kotlin.test.assertEquals
+
+class KeyInitOrderTest {
+
+    // Key32's companion builds PublicKeys, so which of the two classes the JVM
+    // initializes first matters. A fresh class loader controls that order
+    // regardless of what other tests in this JVM have already touched.
+    @Test
+    fun `Key32 initializes when it is loaded before PublicKey`() {
+        freshClassLoader().use { loader ->
+            val key32 = Class.forName("com.getcode.solana.keys.Key32", true, loader)
+            val companion = key32.getField("Companion").get(null)
+            val zero = companion.javaClass.getMethod("getZero").invoke(companion)
+
+            val publicKey = Class.forName("com.getcode.solana.keys.PublicKey", false, loader)
+            val publicKeyCompanion = publicKey.getField("Companion").get(null)
+            val publicZero = publicKeyCompanion.javaClass.getMethod("getZERO").invoke(publicKeyCompanion)
+
+            val bytes = key32.getMethod("getBytes")
+            assertEquals(bytes.invoke(zero), bytes.invoke(publicZero))
+        }
+    }
+
+    private fun freshClassLoader(): URLClassLoader {
+        val urls = System.getProperty("java.class.path")
+            .split(File.pathSeparator)
+            .map { File(it).toURI().toURL() }
+            .toTypedArray()
+        return URLClassLoader(urls, null)
+    }
+}