diff --git a/logging.go b/logging.go
index ab8545c0f..7e12aff1d 100644
--- a/logging.go
+++ b/logging.go
@@ -2,14 +2,17 @@ package dht
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/multiformats/go-multibase"
-	"github.com/multiformats/go-multihash"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/ipfs/go-cid"
 	"github.com/multiformats/go-base32"
+	"github.com/multiformats/go-multihash"
 )
 
+func lowercaseB32Encode(k []byte) string {
+	return strings.ToLower(base32.RawStdEncoding.EncodeToString(k))
+}
+
 func tryFormatLoggableRecordKey(k string) (string, error) {
 	if len(k) == 0 {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("loggableRecordKey is empty")
@@ -19,23 +22,16 @@ func tryFormatLoggableRecordKey(k string) (string, error) {
 		// it's a path (probably)
 		protoEnd := strings.IndexByte(k[1:], '/')
 		if protoEnd < 0 {
-			return "", fmt.Errorf("loggableRecordKey starts with '/' but is not a path: %s", base32.RawStdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte(k)))
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("loggableRecordKey starts with '/' but is not a path: %s", lowercaseB32Encode([]byte(k)))
 		}
 		proto = k[1 : protoEnd+1]
 		cstr = k[protoEnd+2:]
 
-		var encStr string
-		c, err := cid.Cast([]byte(cstr))
-		if err == nil {
-			encStr = c.String()
-		} else {
-			encStr = base32.RawStdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte(cstr))
-		}
-
+		encStr := lowercaseB32Encode([]byte(cstr))
 		return fmt.Sprintf("/%s/%s", proto, encStr), nil
 	}
 
-	return "", fmt.Errorf("loggableRecordKey is not a path: %s", base32.RawStdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte(k)))
+	return "", fmt.Errorf("loggableRecordKey is not a path: %s", lowercaseB32Encode([]byte(cstr)))
 }
 
 type loggableRecordKeyString string
@@ -63,39 +59,29 @@ func (lk loggableRecordKeyBytes) String() string {
 type loggableProviderRecordBytes []byte
 
 func (lk loggableProviderRecordBytes) String() string {
-	k := string(lk)
-	newKey, err := tryFormatLoggableProviderKey(k)
+	newKey, err := tryFormatLoggableProviderKey(lk)
 	if err == nil {
 		return newKey
 	}
 	return err.Error()
 }
 
-func tryFormatLoggableProviderKey(k string) (string, error) {
+func tryFormatLoggableProviderKey(k []byte) (string, error) {
 	if len(k) == 0 {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("loggableProviderKey is empty")
 	}
 
-	h, err := multihash.Cast([]byte(k))
-	if err == nil {
-		c := cid.NewCidV1(cid.Raw, h)
-		encStr, err := c.StringOfBase(multibase.Base32)
-		if err != nil {
-			panic(fmt.Errorf("should be impossible to reach here : %w", err))
-		}
-		return encStr, nil
-	}
+	encodedKey := lowercaseB32Encode(k)
 
 	// The DHT used to provide CIDs, but now provides multihashes
 	// TODO: Drop this when enough of the network has upgraded
-	c, err := cid.Cast([]byte(k))
-	if err == nil {
-		encStr, err := c.StringOfBase(multibase.Base32)
-		if err != nil {
-			panic(fmt.Errorf("should be impossible to reach here : %w", err))
-		}
-		return encStr, nil
+	if _, err := cid.Cast(k); err == nil {
+		return encodedKey, nil
+	}
+
+	if _, err := multihash.Cast(k); err == nil {
+		return encodedKey, nil
 	}
 
-	return "", fmt.Errorf("invalid provider record: %s : err %w", base32.RawStdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte(k)), err)
+	return "", fmt.Errorf("loggableProviderKey is not a Multihash or CID: %s", encodedKey)
 }
diff --git a/logging_test.go b/logging_test.go
index da619b8a9..7b3b3bf34 100644
--- a/logging_test.go
+++ b/logging_test.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ func TestLoggableRecordKey(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("failed to format key: %s", err)
 	}
-	if k != "/proto/"+c.String() {
+	if k != "/proto/"+lowercaseB32Encode(c.Bytes()) {
 		t.Error("expected path to be preserved as a loggable key")
 	}
 
@@ -40,37 +40,36 @@ func TestLoggableProviderKey(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// Test logging CIDv0 provider
-	c0ascidv1Raw := cid.NewCidV1(cid.Raw, c0.Hash())
-	k, err := tryFormatLoggableProviderKey(string(c0.Bytes()))
+	b32MH := lowercaseB32Encode(c0.Hash())
+	k, err := tryFormatLoggableProviderKey(c0.Bytes())
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("failed to format key: %s", err)
 	}
-	if k != c0ascidv1Raw.String() {
-		t.Error("expected cidv0 to be converted into CIDv1 b32 with Raw codec")
+	if k != b32MH {
+		t.Error("expected cidv0 to be converted into base32 multihash")
 	}
 
 	// Test logging CIDv1 provider (from older DHT implementations)
 	c1 := cid.NewCidV1(cid.DagProtobuf, c0.Hash())
-	k, err = tryFormatLoggableProviderKey(string(c1.Bytes()))
+	k, err = tryFormatLoggableProviderKey(c1.Hash())
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("failed to format key: %s", err)
 	}
-	if k != c1.String() {
-		t.Error("expected cidv1 to be displayed normally")
+	if k != b32MH {
+		t.Error("expected cidv1 to be converted into base32 multihash")
 	}
 
 	// Test logging multihash provider
-	c1ascidv1Raw := cid.NewCidV1(cid.Raw, c1.Hash())
-	k, err = tryFormatLoggableProviderKey(string(c1.Hash()))
+	k, err = tryFormatLoggableProviderKey(c1.Hash())
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("failed to format key: %s", err)
 	}
-	if k != c1ascidv1Raw.String() {
-		t.Error("expected multihash to be converted into CIDv1 b32 with Raw codec")
+	if k != b32MH {
+		t.Error("expected multihash to be displayed in base32")
 	}
 
 	for _, s := range []string{"/bla", "", "bla bla", "/bla/asdf", "/a/b/c"} {
-		if _, err := tryFormatLoggableProviderKey(s); err == nil {
+		if _, err := tryFormatLoggableProviderKey([]byte(s)); err == nil {
 			t.Errorf("expected to fail formatting: %s", s)
 		}
 	}