diff --git a/app/sql.js b/app/sql.js
index 24d3a5fd7..6e95708e5 100644
--- a/app/sql.js
+++ b/app/sql.js
@@ -153,7 +153,15 @@ function getSQLCipherIntegrityCheck(db) {
 
 function keyDatabase(db, key) {
   // https://www.zetetic.net/sqlcipher/sqlcipher-api/#key
-  db.pragma(`key = "x'${key}'"`);
+  // If the password isn't hex then we need to derive a key from it
+
+  const deriveKey = HEX_KEY.test(key);
+
+  const value = deriveKey ? `'${key}'` : `"x'${key}'"`;
+
+  const pragramToRun = `key = ${value}`;
+
+  db.pragma(pragramToRun);
 }
 
 function switchToWAL(db) {
@@ -269,13 +277,7 @@ function openAndMigrateDatabase(filePath, key) {
   }
 }
 
-const INVALID_KEY = /[^0-9A-Fa-f]/;
 function openAndSetUpSQLCipher(filePath, { key }) {
-  const match = INVALID_KEY.exec(key);
-  if (match) {
-    throw new Error(`setupSQLCipher: key '${key}' is not valid`);
-  }
-
   return openAndMigrateDatabase(filePath, key);
 }
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 790ba6a51..dcb18ec7c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   "name": "session-desktop",
   "productName": "Session",
   "description": "Private messaging from your desktop",
-  "version": "1.6.8",
+  "version": "1.6.9",
   "license": "GPL-3.0",
   "author": {
     "name": "Loki Project",