diff --git a/meshtastic/__init__.py b/meshtastic/__init__.py
index d815464..51fba08 100644
--- a/meshtastic/__init__.py
+++ b/meshtastic/__init__.py
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ def _onAdminReceive(iface, asDict):
     """Special auto parsing for received messages"""
     logging.debug(f"in _onAdminReceive() asDict:{asDict}")
     if "decoded" in asDict and "from" in asDict and "admin" in asDict["decoded"]:
-        adminMessage: admin_pb2.AdminMessage = asDict["decoded"]["admin"]["raw"]
+        adminMessage = asDict["decoded"]["admin"]["raw"]
         iface._getOrCreateByNum(asDict["from"])["adminSessionPassKey"] = adminMessage.session_passkey
 
 """Well known message payloads can register decoders for automatic protobuf parsing"""
diff --git a/meshtastic/node.py b/meshtastic/node.py
index fff8f8d..69f9058 100644
--- a/meshtastic/node.py
+++ b/meshtastic/node.py
@@ -854,9 +854,9 @@ class Node:
             logging.debug(f"adminIndex:{adminIndex}")
             if isinstance(self.nodeNum, int):
                 nodeid = self.nodeNum
-            elif self.nodeNum.startswith("!"):
+            else: # assume string starting with !
                 nodeid = int(self.nodeNum[1:],16)
-            if ("adminSessionPassKey" in self.iface._getOrCreateByNum(nodeid)):
+            if "adminSessionPassKey" in self.iface._getOrCreateByNum(nodeid):
                 p.session_passkey = self.iface._getOrCreateByNum(nodeid).get("adminSessionPassKey")
             return self.iface.sendData(
                 p,
@@ -869,9 +869,15 @@ class Node:
             )
 
     def ensureSessionKey(self):
-        if isinstance(self.nodeNum, int):
-            nodeid = self.nodeNum
-        elif self.nodeNum.startswith("!"):
-            nodeid = int(self.nodeNum[1:],16)
-        if self.iface._getOrCreateByNum(nodeid).get("adminSessionPassKey") is None:
-            self.requestConfig(admin_pb2.AdminMessage.SESSIONKEY_CONFIG)
+        """If our entry in iface.nodesByNum doesn't already have an adminSessionPassKey, make a request to get one"""
+        if self.noProto:
+            logging.warning(
+                f"Not ensuring session key, because protocol use is disabled by noProto"
+            )
+        else:
+            if isinstance(self.nodeNum, int):
+                nodeid = self.nodeNum
+            else: # assume string starting with !
+                nodeid = int(self.nodeNum[1:],16)
+            if self.iface._getOrCreateByNum(nodeid).get("adminSessionPassKey") is None:
+                self.requestConfig(admin_pb2.AdminMessage.SESSIONKEY_CONFIG)
diff --git a/meshtastic/tests/test_node.py b/meshtastic/tests/test_node.py
index df3dffb..5361296 100644
--- a/meshtastic/tests/test_node.py
+++ b/meshtastic/tests/test_node.py
@@ -231,7 +231,9 @@ def test_node(capsys):
 @pytest.mark.unit
 def test_exitSimulator(caplog):
     """Test exitSimulator"""
-    anode = Node("foo", "bar", noProto=True)
+    interface = MeshInterface()
+    interface.nodesByNum = {}
+    anode = Node(interface, "!ba400000", noProto=True)
     with caplog.at_level(logging.DEBUG):
         anode.exitSimulator()
     assert re.search(r"in exitSimulator", caplog.text, re.MULTILINE)
@@ -240,7 +242,9 @@ def test_exitSimulator(caplog):
 @pytest.mark.unit
 def test_reboot(caplog):
     """Test reboot"""
-    anode = Node(MeshInterface(), 1234567890, noProto=True)
+    interface = MeshInterface()
+    interface.nodesByNum = {}
+    anode = Node(interface, 1234567890, noProto=True)
     with caplog.at_level(logging.DEBUG):
         anode.reboot()
     assert re.search(r"Telling node to reboot", caplog.text, re.MULTILINE)
@@ -249,7 +253,9 @@ def test_reboot(caplog):
 @pytest.mark.unit
 def test_shutdown(caplog):
     """Test shutdown"""
-    anode = Node(MeshInterface(), 1234567890, noProto=True)
+    interface = MeshInterface()
+    interface.nodesByNum = {}
+    anode = Node(interface, 1234567890, noProto=True)
     with caplog.at_level(logging.DEBUG):
         anode.shutdown()
     assert re.search(r"Telling node to shutdown", caplog.text, re.MULTILINE)