diff --git a/common/sexputil.c b/common/sexputil.c
index 5e51f68f2..e8c8a348e 100644
--- a/common/sexputil.c
+++ b/common/sexputil.c
@@ -581,9 +581,9 @@ get_pk_algo_from_canon_sexp (const unsigned char *keydata, size_t keydatalen)
 
 /* Given the public key S_PKEY, return a new buffer with a descriptive
  * string for its algorithm.  This function may return NULL on memory
- * error. */
+ * error.  If R_ALGOID is not NULL the gcrypt algo id is stored there. */
 char *
-pubkey_algo_string (gcry_sexp_t s_pkey)
+pubkey_algo_string (gcry_sexp_t s_pkey, enum gcry_pk_algos *r_algoid)
 {
   const char *prefix;
   gcry_sexp_t l1;
@@ -591,6 +591,9 @@ pubkey_algo_string (gcry_sexp_t s_pkey)
   int algo;
   char *result;
 
+  if (r_algoid)
+    *r_algoid = 0;
+
   l1 = gcry_sexp_find_token (s_pkey, "public-key", 0);
   if (!l1)
     return xtrystrdup ("E_no_key");
@@ -632,6 +635,8 @@ pubkey_algo_string (gcry_sexp_t s_pkey)
   else
     result = xtryasprintf ("X_algo_%d", algo);
 
+  if (r_algoid)
+    *r_algoid = algo;
   xfree (algoname);
   return result;
 }
diff --git a/common/util.h b/common/util.h
index 27f565bab..24722227a 100644
--- a/common/util.h
+++ b/common/util.h
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ gpg_error_t get_rsa_pk_from_canon_sexp (const unsigned char *keydata,
 int get_pk_algo_from_key (gcry_sexp_t key);
 int get_pk_algo_from_canon_sexp (const unsigned char *keydata,
                                  size_t keydatalen);
-char *pubkey_algo_string (gcry_sexp_t s_pkey);
+char *pubkey_algo_string (gcry_sexp_t s_pkey, enum gcry_pk_algos *r_algoid);
 
 /*-- convert.c --*/
 int hex2bin (const char *string, void *buffer, size_t length);
diff --git a/sm/certreqgen-ui.c b/sm/certreqgen-ui.c
index bbc74a566..11cf9b469 100644
--- a/sm/certreqgen-ui.c
+++ b/sm/certreqgen-ui.c
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ gpgsm_gencertreq_tty (ctrl_t ctrl, estream_t output_stream)
                   if (!gpgsm_agent_readkey (ctrl, 1, keyref, &pkey))
                     {
                       if (!gcry_sexp_new (&s_pkey, pkey, 0, 0))
-                        algostr = pubkey_algo_string (s_pkey);
+                        algostr = pubkey_algo_string (s_pkey, NULL);
                       gcry_sexp_release (s_pkey);
                     }
                   xfree (pkey);