diff --git a/include/base64.hpp b/include/base64.hpp
index e024d0a..a40ab47 100644
--- a/include/base64.hpp
+++ b/include/base64.hpp
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
-#include <gsl/string_span>
 #include <string>
 
 namespace base64 {
 
-bool base64_encode(const gsl::cstring_span<> &input, std::string &output);
-bool base64_decode(const gsl::cstring_span<> &input, std::string &output);
+bool base64_encode(const std::string &input, std::string &output);
+bool base64_decode(const std::string &input, std::string &output);
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/include/ssl_key_handler.hpp b/include/ssl_key_handler.hpp
index 69eae13..69987b9 100644
--- a/include/ssl_key_handler.hpp
+++ b/include/ssl_key_handler.hpp
@@ -11,15 +11,22 @@
 #include <openssl/rsa.h>
 #include <openssl/ssl.h>
 
+#include <g3log/g3log.hpp>
+
 namespace ensuressl {
 static void init_openssl(void);
 static void cleanup_openssl(void);
 static EVP_PKEY *create_rsa_key(void);
+static EVP_PKEY *create_ec_key(void);
 static void handle_openssl_error(void);
 
+
 inline bool verify_openssl_key_cert(const std::string &filepath) {
   bool private_key_valid = false;
   bool cert_valid = false;
+
+  LOG(DEBUG) << "Checking certs in file " << filepath;
+
   FILE *file = fopen(filepath.c_str(), "r");
   if (file != NULL) {
     EVP_PKEY *pkey = PEM_read_PrivateKey(file, NULL, NULL, NULL);
@@ -29,28 +36,47 @@
       switch (type) {
         case EVP_PKEY_RSA:
         case EVP_PKEY_RSA2: {
+          LOG(DEBUG) << "Found an RSA key";
           RSA *rsa = EVP_PKEY_get1_RSA(pkey);
-          rc = RSA_check_key(rsa);
-          if (rc == 1) {
-            private_key_valid = true;
+          if (rsa){
+            if (RSA_check_key(rsa) == 1) {
+              private_key_valid = true;
+            } else {
+              LOG(WARNING) << "Key not valid error number " << ERR_get_error();
+            }
+            RSA_free(rsa);
           }
-
-          // RSA_free(rsa);
-
+          break;
+        }
+        case EVP_PKEY_EC:{
+          LOG(DEBUG) << "Found an EC key";
+          EC_KEY* ec = EVP_PKEY_get1_EC_KEY(pkey);
+          if (ec){
+            if (EC_KEY_check_key(ec) == 1) {
+              //private_key_valid = true;
+            } else {
+              LOG(WARNING) << "Key not valid error number " << ERR_get_error();
+            }
+            EC_KEY_free(ec);
+          }
           break;
         }
         default:
+          LOG(WARNING) << "Found an unrecognized key type " << type;
           break;
       }
 
       if (private_key_valid) {
         X509 *x509 = PEM_read_X509(file, NULL, NULL, NULL);
-        unsigned long err = ERR_get_error();
-
-        rc = X509_verify(x509, pkey);
-        err = ERR_get_error();
-        if (err == 0 && rc == 1) {
-          cert_valid = true;
+        if (!x509){
+          LOG(DEBUG) << "error getting x509 cert " << ERR_get_error();
+        } else {
+          rc = X509_verify(x509, pkey);
+          if (rc == 1) {
+            cert_valid = true;
+          } else {
+             LOG(WARNING) << "Error in verifying private key signature " << ERR_get_error();
+          }
         }
       }
 
@@ -62,18 +88,28 @@
 }
 
 inline void generate_ssl_certificate(const std::string &filepath) {
-  EVP_PKEY *pPrivKey = NULL;
   FILE *pFile = NULL;
+  LOG(WARNING) << "Generating new keys";
   init_openssl();
 
-  pPrivKey = create_rsa_key();
+  LOG(WARNING) << "Generating RSA key";
+  EVP_PKEY *pRsaPrivKey = create_rsa_key();
 
+  //LOG(WARNING) << "Generating EC key";
+  //EVP_PKEY *pRsaPrivKey = create_ec_key();
+
+  LOG(WARNING) << "Generating x509 Certificate";
   // Use this code to directly generate a certificate
   X509 *x509;
   x509 = X509_new();
   if (x509) {
-    // TODO get actually random int
-    ASN1_INTEGER_set(X509_get_serialNumber(x509), 1584);
+
+    // Get a random number from the RNG for the certificate serial number
+    // If this is not random, regenerating certs throws broswer errors
+    std::random_device rd;
+    int serial = rd();
+
+    ASN1_INTEGER_set(X509_get_serialNumber(x509), serial);
 
     // not before this moment
     X509_gmtime_adj(X509_get_notBefore(x509), 0);
@@ -81,7 +117,7 @@
     X509_gmtime_adj(X509_get_notAfter(x509), 60L * 60L * 24L * 365L * 10L);
 
     // set the public key to the key we just generated
-    X509_set_pubkey(x509, pPrivKey);
+    X509_set_pubkey(x509, pRsaPrivKey);
 
     // Get the subject name
     X509_NAME *name;
@@ -94,12 +130,13 @@
     X509_set_issuer_name(x509, name);
 
     // Sign the certificate with our private key
-    X509_sign(x509, pPrivKey, EVP_sha256());
+    X509_sign(x509, pRsaPrivKey, EVP_sha256());
 
     pFile = fopen(filepath.c_str(), "wt");
 
     if (pFile) {
-      PEM_write_PrivateKey(pFile, pPrivKey, NULL, NULL, 0, 0, NULL);
+      PEM_write_PrivateKey(pFile, pRsaPrivKey, NULL, NULL, 0, 0, NULL);
+      
       PEM_write_X509(pFile, x509);
       fclose(pFile);
       pFile = NULL;
@@ -108,9 +145,9 @@
     X509_free(x509);
   }
 
-  if (pPrivKey) {
-    EVP_PKEY_free(pPrivKey);
-    pPrivKey = NULL;
+  if (pRsaPrivKey) {
+    EVP_PKEY_free(pRsaPrivKey);
+    pRsaPrivKey = NULL;
   }
 
   // cleanup_openssl();
@@ -143,6 +180,40 @@
   return pKey;
 }
 
+EVP_PKEY *create_ec_key(void) {
+  EC_KEY *myecc = NULL;
+  EVP_PKEY *pKey = NULL;
+  int eccgrp = 0;
+  eccgrp = OBJ_txt2nid("prime256v1");
+
+  // TODO handle errors
+  myecc = EC_KEY_new_by_curve_name(eccgrp);
+  EC_KEY_set_asn1_flag(myecc, OPENSSL_EC_NAMED_CURVE);
+  EC_KEY_generate_key(myecc);
+  pKey = EVP_PKEY_new();
+
+  if (myecc && pKey && EVP_PKEY_assign_EC_KEY(pKey, myecc)) {
+    /* pKey owns pRSA from now */
+    if (EC_KEY_check_key(myecc) <= 0) {
+      fprintf(stderr, "EC_check_key failed.\n");
+      handle_openssl_error();
+      EVP_PKEY_free(pKey);
+      pKey = NULL;
+    }
+  } else {
+    handle_openssl_error();
+    if (myecc) {
+      EC_KEY_free(myecc);
+      myecc = NULL;
+    }
+    if (pKey) {
+      EVP_PKEY_free(pKey);
+      pKey = NULL;
+    }
+  }
+  return pKey;
+}
+
 void init_openssl(void) {
   if (SSL_library_init()) {
     SSL_load_error_strings();
@@ -164,8 +235,9 @@
   bool pem_file_valid = false;
 
   pem_file_valid = verify_openssl_key_cert(filepath);
-
+  
   if (!pem_file_valid) {
+    LOG(WARNING) << "Error in verifying signature, regenerating";
     generate_ssl_certificate(filepath);
   }
 }