diff --git a/phpseclib/Crypt/Common/AsymmetricKey.php b/phpseclib/Crypt/Common/AsymmetricKey.php
index 60ca9bb4..b2da0aa2 100644
--- a/phpseclib/Crypt/Common/AsymmetricKey.php
+++ b/phpseclib/Crypt/Common/AsymmetricKey.php
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ use phpseclib3\Crypt\DSA;
 use phpseclib3\Crypt\ECDSA;
 
 /**
- * Base Class for all stream cipher classes
+ * Base Class for all asymmetric cipher classes
  *
  * @package AsymmetricKey
  * @author  Jim Wigginton <terrafrost@php.net>
@@ -173,8 +173,8 @@ abstract class AsymmetricKey
         }
 
         $components['format'] = $format;
-
         $new = static::onLoad($components);
+        $new->format = $format;
         return $new instanceof PrivateKey ?
             $new->withPassword($password) :
             $new;
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ abstract class AsymmetricKey
      * Returns the format of the loaded key.
      *
      * If the key that was loaded wasn't in a valid or if the key was auto-generated
-     * with RSA::createKey() then this will return false.
+     * with RSA::createKey() then this will throw an exception.
      *
      * @see self::load()
      * @access public
@@ -312,8 +312,8 @@ abstract class AsymmetricKey
      */
     public function getLoadedFormat()
     {
-        if ($this->format === false) {
-            return false;
+        if (empty($this->format)) {
+            throw new NoKeyLoadedException('This key was created with createKey - it was not loaded with load. Therefore there is no "loaded format"');
         }
 
         $meta = new \ReflectionClass($this->format);
diff --git a/phpseclib/Crypt/DSA.php b/phpseclib/Crypt/DSA.php
index ff62a290..71f32aae 100644
--- a/phpseclib/Crypt/DSA.php
+++ b/phpseclib/Crypt/DSA.php
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ abstract class DSA extends AsymmetricKey
      * @var string
      * @access private
      */
-    protected $format;
+    protected $sigFormat;
 
     /**
      * Signature Format (Short)
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ abstract class DSA extends AsymmetricKey
      */
     protected function __construct()
     {
-        $this->format = self::validatePlugin('Signature', 'ASN1');
+        $this->sigFormat = self::validatePlugin('Signature', 'ASN1');
         $this->shortFormat = 'ASN1';
 
         parent::__construct();
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ abstract class DSA extends AsymmetricKey
     {
         $new = clone $this;
         $new->shortFormat = $format;
-        $new->format = self::validatePlugin('Signature', $format);
+        $new->sigFormat = self::validatePlugin('Signature', $format);
         return $new;
     }
 
diff --git a/phpseclib/Crypt/DSA/PrivateKey.php b/phpseclib/Crypt/DSA/PrivateKey.php
index a8e70346..17e9ada3 100644
--- a/phpseclib/Crypt/DSA/PrivateKey.php
+++ b/phpseclib/Crypt/DSA/PrivateKey.php
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ class PrivateKey extends DSA implements Common\PrivateKey
      */
     public function sign($message)
     {
-        $format = $this->format;
+        $format = $this->sigFormat;
 
         if (self::$engines['OpenSSL'] && in_array($this->hash->getHash(), openssl_get_md_methods())) {
             $signature = '';
diff --git a/phpseclib/Crypt/DSA/PublicKey.php b/phpseclib/Crypt/DSA/PublicKey.php
index e352e905..b9741aa5 100644
--- a/phpseclib/Crypt/DSA/PublicKey.php
+++ b/phpseclib/Crypt/DSA/PublicKey.php
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class PublicKey extends DSA implements Common\PublicKey
      */
     public function verify($message, $signature)
     {
-        $format = $this->format;
+        $format = $this->sigFormat;
 
         $params = $format::load($signature);
         if ($params === false || count($params) != 2) {
diff --git a/phpseclib/Crypt/EC.php b/phpseclib/Crypt/EC.php
index 1576b4fe..af6b2a22 100644
--- a/phpseclib/Crypt/EC.php
+++ b/phpseclib/Crypt/EC.php
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ abstract class EC extends AsymmetricKey
      */
     protected function __construct()
     {
-        $this->format = self::validatePlugin('Signature', 'ASN1');
+        $this->sigFormat = self::validatePlugin('Signature', 'ASN1');
         $this->shortFormat = 'ASN1';
 
         parent::__construct();
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ abstract class EC extends AsymmetricKey
 
         $new = clone $this;
         $new->shortFormat = $format;
-        $new->format = self::validatePlugin('Signature', $format);
+        $new->sigFormat = self::validatePlugin('Signature', $format);
         return $new;
     }
 
diff --git a/phpseclib/Crypt/EC/PrivateKey.php b/phpseclib/Crypt/EC/PrivateKey.php
index 4ab15688..4ffa5fdf 100644
--- a/phpseclib/Crypt/EC/PrivateKey.php
+++ b/phpseclib/Crypt/EC/PrivateKey.php
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ class PrivateKey extends EC implements Common\PrivateKey
         $order = $this->curve->getOrder();
 
         $shortFormat = $this->shortFormat;
-        $format = $this->format;
+        $format = $this->sigFormat;
         if ($format === false) {
             return false;
         }
diff --git a/phpseclib/Crypt/EC/PublicKey.php b/phpseclib/Crypt/EC/PublicKey.php
index ef749470..2cb92ab6 100644
--- a/phpseclib/Crypt/EC/PublicKey.php
+++ b/phpseclib/Crypt/EC/PublicKey.php
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ class PublicKey extends EC implements Common\PublicKey
         }
 
         $shortFormat = $this->shortFormat;
-        $format = $this->format;
+        $format = $this->sigFormat;
         if ($format === false) {
             return false;
         }
diff --git a/phpseclib/Crypt/RSA.php b/phpseclib/Crypt/RSA.php
index dd3c3e71..b1952028 100644
--- a/phpseclib/Crypt/RSA.php
+++ b/phpseclib/Crypt/RSA.php
@@ -407,7 +407,6 @@ abstract class RSA extends AsymmetricKey
             new PublicKey :
             new PrivateKey;
 
-        $key->format = $components['format'];
         $key->modulus = $components['modulus'];
         $key->publicExponent = $components['publicExponent'];
         $key->k = $key->modulus->getLengthInBytes();