diff --git a/core/commands/keystore.go b/core/commands/keystore.go
index f22d64afae3..c9865fd93ee 100644
--- a/core/commands/keystore.go
+++ b/core/commands/keystore.go
@@ -5,10 +5,11 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"text/tabwriter"
 
-	cmdenv "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core/commands/cmdenv"
-
 	cmds "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs-cmds"
+	cmdenv "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core/commands/cmdenv"
 	options "github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core/options"
+	peer "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-core/peer"
+	mbase "github.com/multiformats/go-multibase"
 )
 
 var KeyCmd = &cmds.Command{
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ type KeyRenameOutput struct {
 const (
 	keyStoreTypeOptionName = "type"
 	keyStoreSizeOptionName = "size"
+	keyFormatOptionName    = "format"
 )
 
 var keyGenCmd = &cmds.Command{
@@ -65,6 +67,7 @@ var keyGenCmd = &cmds.Command{
 	Options: []cmds.Option{
 		cmds.StringOption(keyStoreTypeOptionName, "t", "type of the key to create: rsa, ed25519").WithDefault("rsa"),
 		cmds.IntOption(keyStoreSizeOptionName, "s", "size of the key to generate"),
+		cmds.StringOption(keyFormatOptionName, "f", "output format: b58mh or b36cid").WithDefault("b58mh"),
 	},
 	Arguments: []cmds.Argument{
 		cmds.StringArg("name", true, false, "name of key to create"),
@@ -91,6 +94,9 @@ var keyGenCmd = &cmds.Command{
 		if sizefound {
 			opts = append(opts, options.Key.Size(size))
 		}
+		if err = verifyFormatLabel(req.Options[keyFormatOptionName].(string)); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 
 		key, err := api.Key().Generate(req.Context, name, opts...)
 
@@ -100,7 +106,7 @@ var keyGenCmd = &cmds.Command{
 
 		return cmds.EmitOnce(res, &KeyOutput{
 			Name: name,
-			Id:   key.ID().Pretty(),
+			Id:   formatID(key.ID(), req.Options[keyFormatOptionName].(string)),
 		})
 	},
 	Encoders: cmds.EncoderMap{
@@ -112,14 +118,44 @@ var keyGenCmd = &cmds.Command{
 	Type: KeyOutput{},
 }
 
+func verifyFormatLabel(formatLabel string) error {
+	switch formatLabel {
+	case "b58mh":
+		return nil
+	case "b36cid":
+		return nil
+	}
+	return fmt.Errorf("invalid output format option")
+}
+
+func formatID(id peer.ID, formatLabel string) string {
+	switch formatLabel {
+	case "b58mh":
+		return id.Pretty()
+	case "b36cid":
+		if s, err := peer.ToCid(id).StringOfBase(mbase.Base36); err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		} else {
+			return s
+		}
+	default:
+		panic("unreachable")
+	}
+}
+
 var keyListCmd = &cmds.Command{
 	Helptext: cmds.HelpText{
 		Tagline: "List all local keypairs",
 	},
 	Options: []cmds.Option{
 		cmds.BoolOption("l", "Show extra information about keys."),
+		cmds.StringOption(keyFormatOptionName, "f", "output format: b58mh or b36cid").WithDefault("b58mh"),
 	},
 	Run: func(req *cmds.Request, res cmds.ResponseEmitter, env cmds.Environment) error {
+		if err := verifyFormatLabel(req.Options[keyFormatOptionName].(string)); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
 		api, err := cmdenv.GetApi(env, req)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -133,7 +169,10 @@ var keyListCmd = &cmds.Command{
 		list := make([]KeyOutput, 0, len(keys))
 
 		for _, key := range keys {
-			list = append(list, KeyOutput{Name: key.Name(), Id: key.ID().Pretty()})
+			list = append(list, KeyOutput{
+				Name: key.Name(),
+				Id:   formatID(key.ID(), req.Options[keyFormatOptionName].(string)),
+			})
 		}
 
 		return cmds.EmitOnce(res, &KeyOutputList{list})
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 25b5b6da722..7dac7eb6111 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/miekg/dns v1.1.29 // indirect
 	github.com/mitchellh/go-homedir v1.1.0
 	github.com/mr-tron/base58 v1.1.3
+	github.com/multiformats/go-base36 v0.1.0
 	github.com/multiformats/go-multiaddr v0.2.2
 	github.com/multiformats/go-multiaddr-dns v0.2.0
 	github.com/multiformats/go-multiaddr-net v0.1.5
diff --git a/test/sharness/lib/test-lib.sh b/test/sharness/lib/test-lib.sh
index 69766579a71..4b7fd32aa61 100644
--- a/test/sharness/lib/test-lib.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/lib/test-lib.sh
@@ -451,6 +451,38 @@ test_check_peerid() {
   }
 }
 
+test_check_rsa2048_b58mh_peerid() {
+  peeridlen=$(echo "$1" | tr -dC "[:alnum:]" | wc -c | tr -d " ") &&
+  test "$peeridlen" = "46" || {
+    echo "Bad RSA2048 B58MH peerid '$1' with len '$peeridlen'"
+    return 1
+  }
+}
+
+test_check_ed25519_b58mh_peerid() {
+  peeridlen=$(echo "$1" | tr -dC "[:alnum:]" | wc -c | tr -d " ") &&
+  test "$peeridlen" = "46" || {
+    echo "Bad ED25519 B58MH peerid '$1' with len '$peeridlen'"
+    return 1
+  }
+}
+
+test_check_rsa2048_b36cid_peerid() {
+  peeridlen=$(echo "$1" | tr -dC "[:alnum:]" | wc -c | tr -d " ") &&
+  test "$peeridlen" = "56" || {
+    echo "Bad RSA2048 B36CID peerid '$1' with len '$peeridlen'"
+    return 1
+  }
+}
+
+test_check_ed25519_b36cid_peerid() {
+  peeridlen=$(echo "$1" | tr -dC "[:alnum:]" | wc -c | tr -d " ") &&
+  test "$peeridlen" = "62" || {
+    echo "Bad ED25519 B36CID peerid '$1' with len '$peeridlen'"
+    return 1
+  }
+}
+
 convert_tcp_maddr() {
   echo $1 | awk -F'/' '{ printf "%s:%s", $3, $5 }'
 }
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0100-name.sh b/test/sharness/t0100-name.sh
index 96d2ce5ea82..10ee52f64ae 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0100-name.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0100-name.sh
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ test_expect_failure "publish with our explicit node ID looks good" '
 # publish with an explicit node ID as key name
 
 test_expect_success "generate and verify a new key" '
-  NEWID=`ipfs key gen --type=rsa --size=2048 keyname` &&
+  NEWID=`ipfs key gen -f=b58mh --type=rsa --size=2048 keyname` &&
   test_check_peerid "${NEWID}"
 '
 
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0160-resolve.sh b/test/sharness/t0160-resolve.sh
index 1524ed8d28e..6f63d6f31b3 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0160-resolve.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0160-resolve.sh
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ test_expect_success "resolve: prepare dag" '
 
 test_expect_success "resolve: prepare keys" '
     self_hash=$(ipfs id -f="<id>") &&
-    alt_hash=$(ipfs key gen -t rsa alt)
+    alt_hash=$(ipfs key gen -f=b58mh -t rsa alt)
 '
 
 test_resolve_setup_name() {
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0165-keystore.sh b/test/sharness/t0165-keystore.sh
index 617b0e2b5e3..c4538c70eef 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0165-keystore.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0165-keystore.sh
@@ -11,37 +11,62 @@ test_description="Test keystore commands"
 test_init_ipfs
 
 test_key_cmd() {
+# test key output format
+test_expect_success "create an RSA key and test B58MH multihash output" '
+PEERID=$(ipfs key gen -f=b58mh --type=rsa --size=2048 key_rsa) &&
+test_check_rsa2048_b58mh_peerid $PEERID
+'
+
+test_expect_success "test RSA key B36CID multihash format" '
+PEERID=$(ipfs key list -f=b36cid -l | grep key_rsa | head -n 1 | cut -d " " -f1) &&
+test_check_rsa2048_b36cid_peerid $PEERID &&
+ipfs key rm key_rsa
+'
+
+test_expect_success "create an ED25519 key and test multihash output" '
+PEERID=$(ipfs key gen -f=b36cid --type=ed25519 key_ed25519) &&
+test_check_ed25519_b36cid_peerid $PEERID
+'
+
+test_expect_success "test ED25519 key B36CID multihash format" '
+PEERID=$(ipfs key list -f=b36cid -l | grep key_ed25519 | head -n 1 | cut -d " " -f1) &&
+test_check_ed25519_b36cid_peerid $PEERID &&
+ipfs key rm key_ed25519
+'
+# end of format test
+
+
   test_expect_success "create a new rsa key" '
-    rsahash=$(ipfs key gen foobarsa --type=rsa --size=2048)
+    rsahash=$(ipfs key gen -f=b58mh foobarsa --type=rsa --size=2048)
   '
 
   test_expect_success "create a new ed25519 key" '
-    edhash=$(ipfs key gen bazed --type=ed25519)
+    edhash=$(ipfs key gen -f=b58mh bazed --type=ed25519)
   '
 
   test_expect_success "both keys show up in list output" '
     echo bazed > list_exp &&
     echo foobarsa >> list_exp &&
     echo self >> list_exp
-    ipfs key list | sort > list_out &&
+    ipfs key list -f=b58mh | sort > list_out &&
     test_cmp list_exp list_out
   '
 
   test_expect_success "key hashes show up in long list output" '
-    ipfs key list -l | grep $edhash > /dev/null &&
-    ipfs key list -l | grep $rsahash > /dev/null
+    ipfs key list -f=b58mh -l | grep $edhash > /dev/null &&
+    ipfs key list -f=b58mh -l | grep $rsahash > /dev/null
   '
 
   test_expect_success "key list -l contains self key with peerID" '
     PeerID="$(ipfs config Identity.PeerID)"
-    ipfs key list -l | grep "$PeerID\s\+self"
+    ipfs key list -f=b58mh -l | grep "$PeerID\s\+self"
   '
 
   test_expect_success "key rm remove a key" '
     ipfs key rm foobarsa
     echo bazed > list_exp &&
     echo self >> list_exp
-    ipfs key list | sort > list_out &&
+    ipfs key list -f=b58mh | sort > list_out &&
     test_cmp list_exp list_out
   '
 
@@ -54,12 +79,12 @@ test_key_cmd() {
     ipfs key rename bazed fooed
     echo fooed > list_exp &&
     echo self >> list_exp
-    ipfs key list | sort > list_out &&
+    ipfs key list -f=b58mh | sort > list_out &&
     test_cmp list_exp list_out
   '
 
   test_expect_success "key rename rename key output succeeds" '
-    key_content=$(ipfs key gen key1 --type=rsa --size=2048) &&
+    key_content=$(ipfs key gen -f=b58mh key1 --type=rsa --size=2048) &&
     ipfs key rename key1 key2 >rs &&
     echo "Key $key_content renamed to key2" >expect &&
     test_cmp rs expect