diff --git a/src/bindings/config.ts b/src/bindings/config.ts
index 43b5718fa..4599436ef 100644
--- a/src/bindings/config.ts
+++ b/src/bindings/config.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ export const loadConfig = async (context: Context): Promise<BotConfig> => {
   const {
     baseMultiplier,
     timeLabels,
-    privateKey,
+    privateKeyEncrypted,
     priorityLabels,
     incentives,
     paymentPermitMaxPrice,
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ export const loadConfig = async (context: Context): Promise<BotConfig> => {
     payout: {
       networkId: networkId,
       rpc: rpc,
-      privateKey: privateKey,
+      privateKeyEncrypted: privateKeyEncrypted || null,
       paymentToken: paymentToken,
       permitBaseUrl: process.env.PERMIT_BASE_URL || permitBaseUrl,
     },
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ export const loadConfig = async (context: Context): Promise<BotConfig> => {
     newContributorGreeting: newContributorGreeting,
   };
 
-  if (botConfig.payout.privateKey == "") {
+  if (!botConfig.payout.privateKeyEncrypted) {
     botConfig.mode.paymentPermitMaxPrice = 0;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/handlers/payout/action.ts b/src/handlers/payout/action.ts
index 25bf01562..9f996de40 100644
--- a/src/handlers/payout/action.ts
+++ b/src/handlers/payout/action.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ export interface IncentivesCalculationResult {
   paymentToken: string;
   rpc: string;
   networkId: number;
-  privateKey: string;
+  privateKeyEncrypted: string | null;
   paymentPermitMaxPrice: number;
   baseMultiplier: number;
   incentives: Incentives;
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ export interface RewardByUser {
 export const incentivesCalculation = async (): Promise<IncentivesCalculationResult> => {
   const context = getBotContext();
   const {
-    payout: { paymentToken, rpc, permitBaseUrl, networkId, privateKey },
+    payout: { paymentToken, rpc, permitBaseUrl, networkId, privateKeyEncrypted },
     mode: { incentiveMode, paymentPermitMaxPrice },
     price: { incentives, issueCreatorMultiplier, baseMultiplier },
     accessControl,
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ export const incentivesCalculation = async (): Promise<IncentivesCalculationResu
     throw new Error("No incentive mode. skipping to process");
   }
 
-  if (privateKey == "") {
+  if (!privateKeyEncrypted) {
     logger.info("Permit generation disabled because wallet private key is not set.");
     throw new Error("Permit generation disabled because wallet private key is not set.");
   }
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ export const incentivesCalculation = async (): Promise<IncentivesCalculationResu
     paymentToken,
     rpc,
     networkId,
-    privateKey,
+    privateKeyEncrypted,
     recipient,
     multiplier,
     paymentPermitMaxPrice,
diff --git a/src/helpers/payout.ts b/src/helpers/payout.ts
index c6f4a06f2..4ac1a0764 100644
--- a/src/helpers/payout.ts
+++ b/src/helpers/payout.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ const PAYMENT_TOKEN_PER_NETWORK: Record<string, { rpc: string; token: string }>
   },
 };
 
-type PayoutConfigPartial = Omit<Static<typeof PayoutConfigSchema>, "networkId" | "privateKey" | "permitBaseUrl">;
+type PayoutConfigPartial = Omit<Static<typeof PayoutConfigSchema>, "networkId" | "privateKeyEncrypted" | "permitBaseUrl">;
 
 /**
  * Returns payout config for a particular network
diff --git a/src/helpers/permit.ts b/src/helpers/permit.ts
index deddcffe0..a0849529e 100644
--- a/src/helpers/permit.ts
+++ b/src/helpers/permit.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { keccak256, toUtf8Bytes } from "ethers/lib/utils";
 import Decimal from "decimal.js";
 import { Payload } from "../types";
 import { savePermit } from "../adapters/supabase";
+import { getPrivateKey } from "../utils/private";
 
 const PERMIT2_ADDRESS = "0x000000000022D473030F116dDEE9F6B43aC78BA3"; // same on all networks
 
@@ -59,11 +60,13 @@ export const generatePermit2Signature = async (
   userId = ""
 ): Promise<{ txData: TxData; payoutUrl: string }> => {
   const {
-    payout: { networkId, privateKey, permitBaseUrl, rpc, paymentToken },
+    payout: { networkId, privateKeyEncrypted, permitBaseUrl, rpc, paymentToken },
   } = getBotConfig();
   const logger = getLogger();
   const provider = new ethers.providers.JsonRpcProvider(rpc);
-  const adminWallet = new ethers.Wallet(privateKey, provider);
+
+  const privateKeyDecrypted = await getPrivateKey(privateKeyEncrypted);
+  const adminWallet = new ethers.Wallet(privateKeyDecrypted, provider);
 
   const permitTransferFromData: PermitTransferFrom = {
     permitted: {
diff --git a/src/types/config.ts b/src/types/config.ts
index a22683a28..4a807b74f 100644
--- a/src/types/config.ts
+++ b/src/types/config.ts
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ export type LogNotification = Static<typeof LogNotificationSchema>;
 export const PayoutConfigSchema = Type.Object({
   networkId: Type.Number(),
   rpc: Type.String(),
-  privateKey: Type.String(),
+  privateKeyEncrypted: Type.Union([Type.Null(), Type.String()]),
   paymentToken: Type.String(),
   permitBaseUrl: Type.String(),
 });
diff --git a/src/utils/private.ts b/src/utils/private.ts
index 44ba7fb15..57db827db 100644
--- a/src/utils/private.ts
+++ b/src/utils/private.ts
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@ import { DefaultConfig } from "../configs";
 import { validate } from "./ajv";
 import { WideConfig, WideRepoConfig, WideConfigSchema } from "../types";
 import { upsertLastCommentToIssue } from "../helpers";
+import { getLogger } from "../bindings";
 
 const CONFIG_REPO = "ubiquibot-config";
 const CONFIG_PATH = ".github/ubiquibot-config.yml";
-const KEY_NAME = "privateKeyEncrypted";
 const KEY_PREFIX = "HSK_";
 
 export const getConfigSuperset = async (context: Context, type: "org" | "repo", filePath: string): Promise<string | undefined> => {
@@ -64,17 +64,18 @@ export const getOrgAndRepoFromPath = (path: string) => {
   return { org, repo };
 };
 
-export const getPrivateKey = async (cipherText: string): Promise<string | undefined> => {
+export const getPrivateKey = async (cipherText: string | null): Promise<string> => {
   try {
+    if (!cipherText) throw new Error("Cipher text is empty");
+
     await _sodium.ready;
     const sodium = _sodium;
 
     const privateKey = process.env.X25519_PRIVATE_KEY;
     const publicKey = await getScalarKey(privateKey);
 
-    if (!publicKey || !privateKey) {
-      return undefined;
-    }
+    if (!privateKey) throw new Error("X25519_PRIVATE_KEY env variable is missing");
+    if (!publicKey) throw new Error("Failed getting public key from X25519_PRIVATE_KEY env variable");
 
     const binPub = sodium.from_base64(publicKey, sodium.base64_variants.URLSAFE_NO_PADDING);
     const binPriv = sodium.from_base64(privateKey, sodium.base64_variants.URLSAFE_NO_PADDING);
@@ -84,7 +85,9 @@ export const getPrivateKey = async (cipherText: string): Promise<string | undefi
     walletPrivateKey = walletPrivateKey.replace(KEY_PREFIX, "");
     return walletPrivateKey;
   } catch (error: unknown) {
-    return undefined;
+    const logger = getLogger();
+    logger.error(`${error}`);
+    throw new Error("Failed decrypting partner wallet private key");
   }
 };
 
@@ -136,21 +139,12 @@ export const getWideConfig = async (context: Context) => {
   }
   const parsedDefault: MergedConfig = DefaultConfig;
 
-  let privateKeyDecrypted;
-  if (parsedRepo && parsedRepo[KEY_NAME]) {
-    privateKeyDecrypted = await getPrivateKey(parsedRepo[KEY_NAME]);
-  } else if (parsedOrg && parsedOrg[KEY_NAME]) {
-    privateKeyDecrypted = await getPrivateKey(parsedOrg[KEY_NAME]);
-  } else {
-    privateKeyDecrypted = undefined;
-  }
-
   const configs: MergedConfigs = { parsedDefault, parsedOrg, parsedRepo };
   const mergedConfigData: MergedConfig = mergeConfigs(configs);
 
   const configData = {
     networkId: mergedConfigData.evmNetworkId,
-    privateKey: privateKeyDecrypted ?? "",
+    privateKeyEncrypted: mergedConfigData.privateKeyEncrypted,
     assistivePricing: mergedConfigData.assistivePricing,
     commandSettings: mergedConfigData.commandSettings,
     baseMultiplier: mergedConfigData.priceMultiplier,