diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 4ace2c77aee2943b1dbacd591e9fc4b3544f4128..d0004157f1b0a0b56a4bb2c9d44895c5291e6bd1 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -56,11 +56,7 @@ var ndfPath string
 var ndfVerifySignature bool
 var ndfRegistration []string
 var ndfUDB []string
-var ndfPubKey = `-----BEGIN RSA PUBLIC KEY-----
-MGgCYQCsQxKjqNmoTNCu5RfMzsS01xv9h/ZYHD27s5uwzbS2pb5ZGQ2KuvyEwMh0
-O9YfmS1hCb7d2ZFqfVPwcY7o4iMuGf1BB7GjyqyeyDD41vZAl04bfyqCqh//ea6z
-OG8EimMCAwEAAQ==
------END RSA PUBLIC KEY-----`
+var ndfPubKey string
 
 // Execute adds all child commands to the root command and sets flags
 // appropriately.  This is called by main.main(). It only needs to
@@ -516,6 +512,12 @@ func init() {
 		"ndf.json",
 		"Path to the network definition JSON file")
 
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&ndfPubKey,
+		"ndfPubKey",
+		"p",
+		"",
+		"Path to the public key for the network definition JSON file")
+
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&ndfVerifySignature,
 		"ndfVerifySignature",
 		true,