diff --git a/payjoin-cli/src/app/config.rs b/payjoin-cli/src/app/config.rs
index 967c86f8..cdb213cb 100644
--- a/payjoin-cli/src/app/config.rs
+++ b/payjoin-cli/src/app/config.rs
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ pub struct AppConfig {
 
     // v2 only
     #[cfg(feature = "v2")]
+    #[serde(deserialize_with = "deserialize_ohttp_keys_from_path")]
     pub ohttp_keys: Option<payjoin::OhttpKeys>,
     #[cfg(feature = "v2")]
     pub ohttp_relay: Url,
@@ -92,16 +93,6 @@ impl AppConfig {
                     )?
                 };
 
-                #[cfg(feature = "v2")]
-                let ohttp_keys = matches
-                    .get_one::<String>("ohttp_keys")
-                    .map(std::fs::read)
-                    .transpose()
-                    .map_err(|e| {
-                        log::error!("Failed to read ohttp_keys file: {}", e);
-                        ConfigError::Message(format!("Failed to read ohttp_keys file: {}", e))
-                    })?;
-
                 #[cfg(feature = "v2")]
                 let builder = {
                     builder
@@ -109,7 +100,10 @@ impl AppConfig {
                             "pj_directory",
                             matches.get_one::<Url>("pj_directory").map(|s| s.as_str()),
                         )?
-                        .set_override_option("ohttp_keys", ohttp_keys)?
+                        .set_override_option(
+                            "ohttp_keys",
+                            matches.get_one::<String>("ohttp_keys").map(|s| s.as_str()),
+                        )?
                 };
 
                 let max_fee_rate = matches
@@ -132,3 +126,25 @@ impl AppConfig {
         Ok(app_config)
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(feature = "v2")]
+fn deserialize_ohttp_keys_from_path<'de, D>(
+    deserializer: D,
+) -> Result<Option<payjoin::OhttpKeys>, D::Error>
+where
+    D: serde::Deserializer<'de>,
+{
+    let path_str: Option<String> = Option::deserialize(deserializer)?;
+
+    match path_str {
+        None => Ok(None),
+        Some(path) => std::fs::read(path)
+            .map_err(|e| serde::de::Error::custom(format!("Failed to read ohttp_keys file: {}", e)))
+            .and_then(|bytes| {
+                payjoin::OhttpKeys::decode(&bytes).map_err(|e| {
+                    serde::de::Error::custom(format!("Failed to decode ohttp keys: {}", e))
+                })
+            })
+            .map(Some),
+    }
+}