diff --git a/js/models/core/PublicKeyRing.js b/js/models/core/PublicKeyRing.js
index 1d0537a09..ce9b332a0 100644
--- a/js/models/core/PublicKeyRing.js
+++ b/js/models/core/PublicKeyRing.js
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ PublicKeyRing.trim = function(data) {
 };
 
 PublicKeyRing.fromObj = function(data) {
-  preconditions.checkArgument(typeof data !== 'PublicKeyRing');
+  preconditions.checkArgument(!(data instanceof PublicKeyRing), 'bad data format: Did you use .toObj()?');
 
 
   var opts = PublicKeyRing.trim(data);
diff --git a/test/test.PublicKeyRing.js b/test/test.PublicKeyRing.js
index 3adfa5231..658c9a4de 100644
--- a/test/test.PublicKeyRing.js
+++ b/test/test.PublicKeyRing.js
@@ -441,7 +441,6 @@ describe('PublicKeyRing model', function() {
     };
     var pkr = new PublicKeyRing(config);
 
-
     (function () 
     {
       PublicKeyRing.fromObj(pkr);