diff --git a/kitty/crypto.c b/kitty/crypto.c
index f18fea0e6..4beaa7aa8 100644
--- a/kitty/crypto.c
+++ b/kitty/crypto.c
@@ -178,11 +178,11 @@ static PyObject*
 elliptic_curve_key_get_private(EllipticCurveKey *self, void UNUSED *closure) {
     size_t len = 0;
     if (1 != EVP_PKEY_get_raw_private_key(self->key, NULL, &len)) return set_error_from_openssl("Could not get public key from EVP_PKEY");
-    PyObject *ans = PyBytes_FromStringAndSize(NULL, len);
+    Secret *ans = alloc_secret(len);
     if (!ans) return NULL;
     if (mlock(PyBytes_AS_STRING(ans), len) != 0) { Py_CLEAR(ans); return PyErr_SetFromErrno(PyExc_OSError); }
-    if (1 != EVP_PKEY_get_raw_private_key(self->key, (unsigned char*)PyBytes_AS_STRING(ans), &len)) { Py_CLEAR(ans); return set_error_from_openssl("Could not get public key from EVP_PKEY"); }
-    return ans;
+    if (1 != EVP_PKEY_get_raw_private_key(self->key, (unsigned char*)ans->secret, &len)) { Py_CLEAR(ans); return set_error_from_openssl("Could not get public key from EVP_PKEY"); }
+    return (PyObject*)ans;
 
 }