diff --git a/cmd/testall.go b/cmd/testall.go
index 995cc99cb..8a40ca46d 100644
--- a/cmd/testall.go
+++ b/cmd/testall.go
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ func newTestAllCmd(runFunc func(context.Context, io.Writer, testAllConfig) error
 	bindTestInfraFlags(cmd, &config.Infra, "infra-")
 
 	bindP2PFlags(cmd, &config.Peers.P2P)
-	bindDataDirFlag(cmd.Flags(), &config.Peers.DataDir)
 	bindTestLogFlags(cmd.Flags(), &config.Peers.Log)
 
 	wrapPreRunE(cmd, func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
diff --git a/cmd/testpeers.go b/cmd/testpeers.go
index 1ce351dfa..adcd57008 100644
--- a/cmd/testpeers.go
+++ b/cmd/testpeers.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/sync/errgroup"
 
 	"github.com/obolnetwork/charon/app/errors"
+	"github.com/obolnetwork/charon/app/k1util"
 	"github.com/obolnetwork/charon/app/log"
 	"github.com/obolnetwork/charon/app/z"
 	"github.com/obolnetwork/charon/cluster"
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ type testPeersConfig struct {
 	ENRs                    []string
 	P2P                     p2p.Config
 	Log                     log.Config
-	DataDir                 string
+	PrivateKeyFile          string
 	KeepAlive               time.Duration
 	LoadTestDuration        time.Duration
 	DirectConnectionTimeout time.Duration
@@ -84,7 +85,6 @@ func newTestPeersCmd(runFunc func(context.Context, io.Writer, testPeersConfig) (
 	bindTestFlags(cmd, &config.testConfig)
 	bindTestPeersFlags(cmd, &config, "")
 	bindP2PFlags(cmd, &config.P2P)
-	bindDataDirFlag(cmd.Flags(), &config.DataDir)
 	bindTestLogFlags(cmd.Flags(), &config.Log)
 
 	wrapPreRunE(cmd, func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ func bindTestPeersFlags(cmd *cobra.Command, config *testPeersConfig, flagsPrefix
 	cmd.Flags().DurationVar(&config.LoadTestDuration, flagsPrefix+"load-test-duration", 30*time.Second, "Time to keep running the load tests in seconds. For each second a new continuous ping instance is spawned.")
 	cmd.Flags().DurationVar(&config.DirectConnectionTimeout, flagsPrefix+"direct-connection-timeout", 2*time.Minute, "Time to keep trying to establish direct connection to peer.")
 	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&config.LockFile, flagsPrefix+"lock-file", "", "The path to the cluster lock file defining the distributed validator cluster.")
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&config.PrivateKeyFile, flagsPrefix+"private-key-file", ".charon/charon-enr-private-key", "The path to the charon enr private key file.")
 	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&config.DefinitionFile, flagsPrefix+"definition-file", "", "The path to the cluster definition file or an HTTP URL.")
 }
 
@@ -737,7 +738,7 @@ func startTCPNode(ctx context.Context, conf testPeersConfig) (host.Host, func(),
 		peers = append(peers, p2pPeer)
 	}
 
-	p2pPrivKey, err := p2p.LoadPrivKey(conf.DataDir)
+	p2pPrivKey, err := k1util.Load(conf.PrivateKeyFile)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/testpeers_internal_test.go b/cmd/testpeers_internal_test.go
index 3500cd816..e2bd12908 100644
--- a/cmd/testpeers_internal_test.go
+++ b/cmd/testpeers_internal_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"golang.org/x/exp/maps"
 
+	"github.com/obolnetwork/charon/app/k1util"
 	"github.com/obolnetwork/charon/app/log"
 	"github.com/obolnetwork/charon/cmd/relay"
 	"github.com/obolnetwork/charon/eth2util/enr"
@@ -274,7 +275,7 @@ func TestPeersTest(t *testing.T) {
 			temp := t.TempDir()
 			_, err := p2p.NewSavedPrivKey(temp)
 			require.NoError(t, err)
-			conf.DataDir = temp
+			conf.PrivateKeyFile = p2p.KeyPath(temp)
 			if test.prepare != nil {
 				conf = test.prepare(t, conf)
 			}
@@ -438,7 +439,7 @@ func startPeer(t *testing.T, conf testPeersConfig, peerPrivKey *k1.PrivateKey) e
 	relays, err := p2p.NewRelays(ctx, peerConf.P2P.Relays, "test")
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	hostPrivKey, err := p2p.LoadPrivKey(peerConf.DataDir)
+	hostPrivKey, err := k1util.Load(conf.PrivateKeyFile)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	hostENR, err := enr.New(hostPrivKey)
 	require.NoError(t, err)