diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 8565cb438..513919cb3 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 ## Unreleased
 
 ### Changes
-- refactorings #3373 #3345 #3380
+- refactorings #3373 #3345 #3380 #3382
 - node: move split2 to devDependencies
 
 
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 502dbae60..f69dc395c 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1077,7 +1077,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "async-std",
  "async-std-resolver",
  "async-tar",
- "async-trait",
  "backtrace",
  "base64 0.13.0",
  "bitflags",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index dccc4527c..29c5570db 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ async-smtp = { git = "https://github.com/async-email/async-smtp", branch="master
 async-std-resolver = "0.21"
 async-std = { version = "1" }
 async-tar = { version = "0.4", default-features=false }
-async-trait = "0.1"
 backtrace = "0.3"
 base64 = "0.13"
 bitflags = "1.3"
diff --git a/src/key.rs b/src/key.rs
index 923314dc0..d98f14991 100644
--- a/src/key.rs
+++ b/src/key.rs
@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@
 use std::collections::BTreeMap;
 use std::fmt;
 use std::io::Cursor;
+use std::pin::Pin;
 
 use anyhow::{ensure, Context as _, Result};
-use async_trait::async_trait;
+use futures::Future;
 use num_traits::FromPrimitive;
 use pgp::composed::Deserializable;
 use pgp::ser::Serialize;
@@ -25,7 +26,6 @@ pub use pgp::composed::{SignedPublicKey, SignedSecretKey};
 /// This trait is implemented for rPGP's [SignedPublicKey] and
 /// [SignedSecretKey] types and makes working with them a little
 /// easier in the deltachat world.
-#[async_trait]
 pub trait DcKey: Serialize + Deserializable + KeyTrait + Clone {
     type KeyType: Serialize + Deserializable + KeyTrait + Clone;
 
@@ -54,7 +54,9 @@ pub trait DcKey: Serialize + Deserializable + KeyTrait + Clone {
     }
 
     /// Load the users' default key from the database.
-    async fn load_self(context: &Context) -> Result<Self::KeyType>;
+    fn load_self<'a>(
+        context: &'a Context,
+    ) -> Pin<Box<dyn Future<Output = Result<Self::KeyType>> + 'a + Send>>;
 
     /// Serialise the key as bytes.
     fn to_bytes(&self) -> Vec<u8> {
@@ -86,35 +88,38 @@ pub trait DcKey: Serialize + Deserializable + KeyTrait + Clone {
     }
 }
 
-#[async_trait]
 impl DcKey for SignedPublicKey {
     type KeyType = SignedPublicKey;
 
-    async fn load_self(context: &Context) -> Result<Self::KeyType> {
-        let addr = context.get_primary_self_addr().await?;
-        match context
-            .sql
-            .query_row_optional(
-                r#"
-            SELECT public_key
-              FROM keypairs
-             WHERE addr=?
-               AND is_default=1;
-            "#,
-                paramsv![addr],
-                |row| {
-                    let bytes: Vec<u8> = row.get(0)?;
-                    Ok(bytes)
-                },
-            )
-            .await?
-        {
-            Some(bytes) => Self::from_slice(&bytes),
-            None => {
-                let keypair = generate_keypair(context).await?;
-                Ok(keypair.public)
+    fn load_self<'a>(
+        context: &'a Context,
+    ) -> Pin<Box<dyn Future<Output = Result<Self::KeyType>> + 'a + Send>> {
+        Box::pin(async move {
+            let addr = context.get_primary_self_addr().await?;
+            match context
+                .sql
+                .query_row_optional(
+                    r#"
+                    SELECT public_key
+                      FROM keypairs
+                     WHERE addr=?
+                       AND is_default=1;
+                    "#,
+                    paramsv![addr],
+                    |row| {
+                        let bytes: Vec<u8> = row.get(0)?;
+                        Ok(bytes)
+                    },
+                )
+                .await?
+            {
+                Some(bytes) => Self::from_slice(&bytes),
+                None => {
+                    let keypair = generate_keypair(context).await?;
+                    Ok(keypair.public)
+                }
             }
-        }
+        })
     }
 
     fn to_asc(&self, header: Option<(&str, &str)>) -> String {
@@ -134,34 +139,37 @@ impl DcKey for SignedPublicKey {
     }
 }
 
-#[async_trait]
 impl DcKey for SignedSecretKey {
     type KeyType = SignedSecretKey;
 
-    async fn load_self(context: &Context) -> Result<Self::KeyType> {
-        match context
-            .sql
-            .query_row_optional(
-                r#"
-            SELECT private_key
-              FROM keypairs
-             WHERE addr=(SELECT value FROM config WHERE keyname="configured_addr")
-               AND is_default=1;
-            "#,
-                paramsv![],
-                |row| {
-                    let bytes: Vec<u8> = row.get(0)?;
-                    Ok(bytes)
-                },
-            )
-            .await?
-        {
-            Some(bytes) => Self::from_slice(&bytes),
-            None => {
-                let keypair = generate_keypair(context).await?;
-                Ok(keypair.secret)
+    fn load_self<'a>(
+        context: &'a Context,
+    ) -> Pin<Box<dyn Future<Output = Result<Self::KeyType>> + 'a + Send>> {
+        Box::pin(async move {
+            match context
+                .sql
+                .query_row_optional(
+                    r#"
+                    SELECT private_key
+                      FROM keypairs
+                     WHERE addr=(SELECT value FROM config WHERE keyname="configured_addr")
+                       AND is_default=1;
+                    "#,
+                    paramsv![],
+                    |row| {
+                        let bytes: Vec<u8> = row.get(0)?;
+                        Ok(bytes)
+                    },
+                )
+                .await?
+            {
+                Some(bytes) => Self::from_slice(&bytes),
+                None => {
+                    let keypair = generate_keypair(context).await?;
+                    Ok(keypair.secret)
+                }
             }
-        }
+        })
     }
 
     fn to_asc(&self, header: Option<(&str, &str)>) -> String {